[JS] [CS6] How select text from XML structure

[Ronald63]

Hi,

I want with javascript select text from a XLM element (like screen capture : double-clic on "CHAINE", select "CINE CINEMA)

Thanks for your help

Regards

Ronald

[Kai Rübsamen]

Hi Ronald,
I actually have no idea of ​​XML, but when I look at your screenshot, you can reach a specific element with the following lines. If you need all lines, you can loop through the elements.

// root-Element
var root = app.activeDocument.xmlElements[0];
// first child-Element
var notule = root.xmlElements[0];
// specific Element
var chaine = notule.xmlElements.itemByName("CHAINE");
alert (chaine.contents);

Kai

[Ronald63]

Hi Kai,

Thanks you for your answer, but I want selected on the page the XLMelement's contents, not get only ...

Regards

[Kai Rübsamen]

Ronald, did you try my lines? In most cases there is no need to select something. The line chaine.contents give you the content of the xml-element. chaine.characters or chaine.paragraphs gives you characters or  paragraphs. E.g. if you want to apply a character style to the content you could do something like:

var c = chaine.characters.everyItem();

c.appliedCharacterStyle = app.activeDocument.characterStyles.itemByName("red");

[Ronald63]

yes I tried your lines but I really need to select the text from xml elment 😉

[Kai Rübsamen]

I'm interested in why you have to select the text?

In the meantime: I was not able to select the text, if I try chain.characters.everyItem().select().

But you can try:

chaine.texts.everyItem().select();

[Ronald63]

Thanks Kai, it works 🙂

var root = app.activeDocument.xmlElements[0];

var notule = root.xmlElements[0];

var chaine = notule.xmlElements.itemByName("CHAINE");

chaine.texts.everyItem().select();

app.selection[0].fillColor= "DOC";

app.activeDocument.select(NothingEnum.NOTHING);

It's for TV Magazine, the script import on a page several "notule" and I must change the color of <CHAINE> depending on the notule's attribute "rubrique". There may be on the page, several identical <CHAINE> but with different colors.

Bonne soirée

[Kai Rübsamen]

In this case, I would loop through all 'chaines' and would apply the colors in dependence from the attribute or maybe do a GREP-Search.

However: I did not see the importance of selecting text. Instead of your last 3 lines, the following should also work:

chaine.texts.everyItem().fillColor = "DOC";

If you have more than one chain-element on the page, I would assume, that you get a error, if you try to select something?!

[Kai Rübsamen]

In my testfile this one assign a color in dependance of the value of the attribute:

// root-element

var root = app.activeDocument.xmlElements[0];

// loop through the children

for ( var i = 0; i < root.xmlElements.length; i++ ) {

  var notule = root.xmlElements;

  var rubNotule = notule.xmlAttributes.itemByName("rubrique");

  // specific Element

  var chaine = notule.xmlElements.itemByName("CHAINE");

  if ( rubNotule.value == "cinema" ) {

    chaine.texts.everyItem().fillColor = "DOC";

  }

  else if ( rubNotule.value == "TV" ) {

    chaine.texts.everyItem().fillColor = app.activeDocument.swatches[5];

  }

}

[Ronald63]

You're right, why make it complicated when you can make simple 😉

Thank you again for your help

Ronald