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InDesign script no longer works

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
January 26, 2024
3 replies
949 views

Hi All,

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me? I have a script from 2018 which I haven't had to use for a very long time. I recently dusted it off but it now errors when run in my current version of InDesign (19.1). The script should add a Page Number as an attribute 'pageNo' to the XML Element 'Figure' in the XML Structure. This is the structure:

...but I now get an JavaScript error:

The javascript is:

var myDoc=app.activeDocument;  
var root = myDoc.xmlElements[0];
var docTag = root.evaluateXPathExpression('//Figure');
for(i=0; i<docTag.length; i++) {
    var docPos = docTag[i].xmlContent.insertionPoints[0].parentTextFrames[0];
    docTag[i].xmlAttributes.add("pageNo", docPos.parentPage.name);
}

I've tried adding a semicolon (;) to the start of the first line to see if that might help, but unfortunately it's still erroring. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm struggling to see what's upsetting InDesign with this!

Many thanks, Simon

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer rob day

Also, just to add, I also tried exporting this file as an IDML and ran the scripts, with the same results as before.

Maybe this works?

var myDoc=app.activeDocument;  
var root = myDoc.xmlElements[0];
var docTag = root.evaluateXPathExpression('//Caption');
var docPos, r;
for(i=0; i<docTag.length; i++) {
    r = docTag[i].parent;
    docPos = docTag[i].xmlContent.insertionPoints[0].parentTextFrames[0];
    try {
        r.xmlAttributes.add("pageNo", docPos.parentPage.name);
    }catch(e) {}  
} 
 
Before:
 
 
After:
 

rob day

Community Expert

@brian_p_dts , Is probably right, you could try this:

var myDoc=app.activeDocument;  
var root = myDoc.xmlElements[0];
var docTag = root.evaluateXPathExpression('//PLANT');
for(i=0; i<docTag.length; i++) {
    var docPos = docTag[i].xmlContent.insertionPoints[0].parentTextFrames[0];
    try {
        docTag[i].xmlAttributes.add("pageNo", docPos.parentPage.name);
    }catch(e) {
        docTag[i].xmlAttributes.add("pageNo", "No Page")
    }  
}

S

SimonDWAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the suggestions @rob day @brian_p_dts @Robert at ID-Tasker! I can't see anything on the pasteboard, or overset cells etc. I tried you adjusted script Rob and it doesn't error, but unfortunately no attributes get added to the Figure elements. I'm unable to attach the exact file, but have attached a file with placeholder text and images in magenta boxes. I ran the script on this doc and get exactly the same responses out of the original script I posted. I don't think anything particularly special is happening with this file, there are some nested GREPs (to style heading numbers etc.), but that's about it.

Chapter_3_Test.zip

S

SimonDWAuthor

Participating Frequently

Also, just to add, I also tried exporting this file as an IDML and ran the scripts, with the same results as before.

brian_p_dts

Community Expert

Is it possible that the text frame with the insertion you are trying to get is in the pasteboard?

S

SimonDWAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks Brian — Have checked and everything's sitting on the page, nothing extend out to the pasteboard.

rob day

Community Expert

Thanks Brian — Have checked and everything's sitting on the page,

Can you share the document?

rob day

Community Expert

Hi @SimonDW , Without your document it’s difficult to test. You could wrap the line that’s throwing the error in a try statement, which would skip the docTag(s) that are causing the error:

var myDoc=app.activeDocument;  
var root = myDoc.xmlElements[0];
var docTag = root.evaluateXPathExpression('//Figure');
for(i=0; i<docTag.length; i++) {
    var docPos = docTag[i].xmlContent.insertionPoints[0].parentTextFrames[0];
    try {
        docTag[i].xmlAttributes.add("pageNo", docPos.parentPage.name);
    }catch(e) {}  
    
}

S

SimonDWAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks Rob, it's definitely that line that's erroring, I ran it with a try statement and no error, I think I need to throw some time at it... I'm not much of a scripter, so it's going to take some trial and error I think!

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