Is it possible to run a mac os shell command within javascript in Indesign like in photoshop

[thomasl36732384]

Hey Community, is it possible to run a shell command within javascript in Indesign
like in photoshop for example "app.system('say "hello world"')" is there a Indesign equivalent ?
Thanks for help.

[Peru Bob]

I've moved this from the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to the InDesign forum so that proper help can be offered.

[Mike Bro]

Hello,

Here's an example of what @TᴀW is taking about that I use to zip the Document Fonts folder.....hope this helps!

var doc = app.documents[0];

myDocFolder = doc.filePath;
var myDocumentFonts = Folder(myDocFolder.fsName + "/Document fonts/");  
if (!myDocumentFonts.exists) {
exit();
}  

CreateFontsZip();
function CreateFontsZip(){
var myFontsZipFolder = myDocumentFonts;
var myFontsZipDestination = doc.filePath;
 var myDocumentFontsZipName = "Document fonts";
   app.scriptArgs.setValue("zip", myFontsZipFolder)
    app.scriptArgs.setValue("zipName", myDocumentFontsZipName)
     app.scriptArgs.setValue("zipLocation", myFontsZipDestination)
     var myFontsZipScript = ''' tell script args
   set myZip to get value name "zip"
 set theZipName to get value name "zipName"
set destFold to get value name "zipLocation"
do shell script ("ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc " & quoted form of POSIX path of myZip & " " & quoted form of POSIX path of destFold & "" & quoted form of POSIX path of theZipName & "" & ".zip")
end tell '''
app.doScript(myFontsZipScript, ScriptLanguage.applescriptLanguage);
}

Regards,

Mike

[Laubender]

Hi Thomas,

app.system() is not available with ExtendScript for InDesign.

Would file.execute() work for your purpose?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[thomasl36732384]

Hi Uwe,

thanks for your fast response but the "file.execute()" don´t fits my purpose.

I m looking for an "easy" way to use some shell commands in combination with Indesign and Javascript.

I try to avoid to execute a file.

Regards,

Thomas

[TᴀW · Accepted solution]

Not with Javascript, but you can run an Applescript snippet with doScript in Javascript.

[thomasl36732384]

Thanks TaW and the Community to point me in the right direction.

To execute a shell command with javascript in photoshop you can use this code:

app.system('say "hello world"')

To execute a shell command with javascript in indesign you can use this code:

Pitfall: if you are using double quotes (") in your shell command you have to use

"quoted form of" like in this example.

myScript = ' do shell script "say " & quoted form of "hello world" '

app.doScript(myScript, ScriptLanguage.applescriptLanguage);

best regards

-Thomas

[corrie.potter]

I am attaching how I do this in windows, it may also apply to mac as well writing to .sh text file. I basically create a .cmd file that gets executed. If it exits already, I delete it. In this example I am creating a mapped network drive.

    var cmdFolder = new Folder('~/Desktop/logs/');
        cmdFolder.create();
    var cmdFile = new File(cmdFolder + '/mapDrive.cmd');
        if(cmdFile.exists){
            cmdFile.remove();
        }
        if ( cmdFile.open( "e" )){
            cmdFile.seek( 0, 2 );
            cmdFile.writeln( 'net use Z: \\\\1.1.1.1\\ \/user:sampleUser SamplePassword' );
            cmdFile.close();
            cmdFile.execute();
        }

[faai24532258fr1l]

In Windows it's possible. But I was not able to run a script file (`.sh` or `.command`) which was created on-the-fly via jsx in MacOS. The permission of created file is not enough to run, so user should do `chmod` in Terminal, which is not acceptable. I'm looking for another ways but hopeless so far.