Hi all,
I'm writing yet another script (I keep thinking up new ways to avoid work)...to speed up the process of creating new page references for an index using an existing list of Topics (a list of Symbols(?)).
Usually, I'd select the text, e.g. Fred's FunShack, go to Index > New Page Reference... click the down arrow to move Fred's FunShack onto topic level 2, click the > arrow next to Symbols and double-click the Topic. Then click OK.
I've made a drop-down list (based on stuff gleaned from the web) that uses the existing Topics (again, 'Symbols'), but as always I'm struggling and going around in circles (slowly learning though). I can't seem to pass the drop-down list selection into the next bit of the script to fill out topic line 1.
Here's what I've managed to cobble together:
#target indesign
var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
var myIndex = myDoc.indexes[0];
var myTopics = myIndex.topics.everyItem().name;
var currSelection = app.selection[0];
var myDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Choose Category", canCancel:true});
with (myDialog )
with (dialogColumns.add())
with(borderPanels.add())
{
staticTexts.add ('listbox', undefined, myTopics, {multiselect: false});
var Topics = dropdowns.add({stringList:myTopics, selectedIndex:0});
}
if(myDialog.show() == true){
var myString;
alert (myTopics [Topics.selectedIndex])
myDialog.destroy();
}
var currSelection = app.selection[0];
var myTopic = myTopics.selectedIndex;
var currTopic = currSelection.contents;
myTopic.pageReferences.add(currSelection,PageReferenceType.TO_END_OF_STORY);
Can anyone help? I've checked the reference guide https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#Topics.html#d1e124842__d1e125032 but it doesn't really make much sense to me because examples in layman's terms aren't given.
1 Correct answer
In your first post you were trying to add a page reference to the dialog’s selected topic, but it looks like you are trying to create new topics and add a page reference to the newly created topic. This does that for me:
function main(){
//the selected text
var currSelection = app.selection[0];
//add a new topic to the chosen dropdown topic (myTopics)
var newTopic = myTopics.topics.add(currSelection.contents);
//set the page reference for the new topic
newTopic.pageRefe
8
Replies
Hi @JustyR , Does this work for you?
if (app.activeDocument.indexes.length > 0) {
makeDialog();
} else {
alert("No Indexes")
}
var myTopics;
function makeDialog(){
var theDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Index", canCancel:true});
with(theDialog){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Index Topics:"});
}
with(dialogColumns.add()){
//Collection
myTopics = dropdowns.add({stringList:getCollection(app.activeDocument.indexes[0].topics), selectedIndex:0, minWidth:80});
}
}
if(theDialog.show() == true){
myTopics = app.activeDocument.indexes[0].topics[myTopics.selectedIndex];
main();
theDialog.destroy();
}
}
}
function main(){
alert("\rChosen Topic: " + myTopics.name);
return
}
/**
* Returns a list of item names for the dropdown from the provided collection.
* @ return array of names
*
*/
function getCollection(o){
return o.everyItem().name
}
I’ve never scripted indexing, but my dialog code is not picking up 2nd level topics. The index object also has the allTopics property, which is an array (not a collection) of all the levels. The array needs a different function to get the complete topics dropdown string list. See if this works:
if (app.activeDocument.indexes.length > 0) {
makeDialog();
} else {
alert("No Indexes")
}
var myTopics;
function makeDialog(){
var theDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Index", canCancel:true});
with(theDialog){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Index Topics:"});
}
with(dialogColumns.add()){
//Array
myTopics = dropdowns.add({stringList:getArrayNames(app.activeDocument.indexes[0].allTopics), selectedIndex:0, minWidth:80});
}
}
if(theDialog.show() == true){
myTopics = app.activeDocument.indexes[0].allTopics[myTopics.selectedIndex];
main();
theDialog.destroy();
}
}
}
function main(){
alert("\rChosen Topic: " + myTopics.name);
return
}
/**
* Returns a list of topic names from the provided array of topics.
* Note does not work with a collection allTopics is an array, while topics is a collection
* @ param the property array
* @ return array of names
*/
function getArrayNames(arr){
var a = new Array;
for(var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++){
a.push(arr[i].name);
}
return a
}
In your first post you were trying to add a page reference to the dialog’s selected topic, but it looks like you are trying to create new topics and add a page reference to the newly created topic. This does that for me:
function main(){
//the selected text
var currSelection = app.selection[0];
//add a new topic to the chosen dropdown topic (myTopics)
var newTopic = myTopics.topics.add(currSelection.contents);
//set the page reference for the new topic
newTopic.pageReferences.add(currSelection, PageReferenceType.TO_END_OF_STORY);
}
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