Inserting line breaks within web addresses that Acrobat (Reader) recognizes them anyway

[mycc]

Hi,

using ID latest version (Win).

How can I insert line breaks into web adresses like http://something.com/blabla/xyz.abc13.3/and-so-one in smaller columns to get a better look/style/... – that Acrobat Reader recognizes these URLs anyway after converting the document in a PDF?

Tried it e.g. with "forced line breaks":

... but Acrobat / Reader does only recognice the incomplete first line.

And: I do not want to add a hyperlink to these adresses manually – they are too many ...

Any solution?

Thanks!
mycc

[m1b]

Hi @mycc, I'm thinking that a script could solve this. What if script found all https web urls and automatically made them into hyperlinks but also inserted discretionary line breaks between every character of the text part? This would mean that the hyperlinks would work and they would break very close to the column edge and look neat. What do you think?

- Mark

[m1b]

I've written a quick script that does what I think you want. Let me know how it goes for you.

- Mark

/*
    Make Hyperlinks From URLs
    for Adobe Indesign 2022

    by m1b
    here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/inserting-line-breaks-within-web-addresses-that-acrobat-reader-recognizes-them-anyway/m-p/12912966

    Script makes hyperlinks for any text in document that look like url
    and also inserts zero width spaces between characters of the text
    so that messy urls will break close to column edge
*/

function main() {
    var doc = app.activeDocument;

    // find all the URLs in document
    app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = 'https?://[^ \n\r]+';
    // this will be a collection of texts
    var found = doc.findGrep();

    for (var i = found.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        var text = found[i],
            url = text.contents;

        // set up hyperlink
        var hyperlinkSource = doc.hyperlinkTextSources.add(text),
            hyperlinkDestination = doc.hyperlinkURLDestinations.add(url, { hidden: true }),
            hyperlink = doc.hyperlinks.add(hyperlinkSource, hyperlinkDestination),
            name = url,
            counter = 2;
        while (doc.hyperlinks.itemByName(name).isValid) {
            name = url + ' ' + String(counter);
            counter++;
        }
        hyperlink.name = name;

        // add discretionary breaks (zero width spaces) to text
        for (var j = text.insertionPoints.length - 1; j >= 0; j--)
            text.insertionPoints[j].contents = '\u200B';
    }

}

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Make Hyperlinks From URLs');

[fenjas29325284]

It's always the first line only that will be automatically linked by Acrobat / Acrobat Reader.

A half-way solution:

Open the hyperlink panel (Fenster > Interaktiv > Hyperlinks)

Select the URL and in the panel's menu choose the second entry (Neuer Hyperlink aus URL)

You will see the new hyperlink in the panel and Acrobat / A. Reader will link the whole text.

It doesn't matter if there are line breaks or not.

Fenja