Open Find/Change panel by script in InDesign!

[Sherylz]

Hello,

In InDesign, I want to use the following code to open the Find/Change panel:
app.panels.itemByName("$ID/Find/Change...").visible = true;
Unfortunately, I have not been successful. On the other hand, the code below:
var myMenuAction = app.menuActions.item("Find/Change...");
myMenuAction.invoke();
cannot specify visible = true. Any help is highly appreciated.

Kind regards, Aprking

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Does this work

app.menuActions.item("$ID/Find/Change...").invoke();

[Aprking]

app.menuActions.item("$ID/Find/Change...").invoke();

No,Cannot specify visible = true. Not sure about the state of the panel.

[FRIdNGE · Accepted solution]

app.menuActions.itemByID(18694).invoke();

(^/)  The Jedi

[Aprking]

In this case, there is still no information about the current state of the Find/Change panel, and it can only be toggled between visible and hidden.

[Aprking]

I apologize for any confusion. It is unclear whether the error is caused by the "/" symbol or the "..." symbol in Find/Change..., or if Find/Change... simply does not support parameters like "visible = true".

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Hi @Sherylz , Find/Change... is not a panel, so you have to specify a menuAction to open it, and it won’t open unless the menu item is enabled—there’s no visible property, but there is an enabled property. So (Code Edited):

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByID("18694");
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
}

What are you going to do in the dialog when it is open? Text and Grep searches are fully scriptable without opening the dialog.

[Aprking]

Error Number: 45

Error String: Object is invalid

Line: 2

Source: if (fc.enabled) {

[rob day]

Do you have a document open?

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Sorry, there was a type-o in my post should be itemByID as @FRIdNGE is showing but with the enabled test:

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByID(18694);
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
} 

But this should also work:

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByName("Find/Change...");
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
} 

[Aprking]

Testing successful! You are amazing. Many people have discussed this problem before without finding a solution. 

In addition, the ID 18694 may not be suitable for all versions. Is there a method like item("$ID/Find/Change...")?

[Eugene Tyson]

That was the first thing I posted

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Is there a method like item("$ID/Find/Change...")

That should also work, see @Eugene Tyson ’s post. But as with the other options nothing would happen if the menu item is grayed out and disabled. So:

var fc = app.menuActions.item("$ID/Find/Change...");
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
} else {
    alert("Find/Change is not Available")
}

[FRIdNGE · Accepted solution]

… Maybe I don't understand something but theese two codes give the same result if the Find/Replace window is or not visible.

Rob:

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByID(18694);
if(fc.enabled){
fc.invoke();
}

FRIdNGE:

app.menuActions.itemByID(18694).invoke();

(^/)

[rob day · Accepted solution]

but theese two codes give the same result

Hi @FRIdNGE , You are right they do the same. I was just trying to show there is an .enabled property, but no .visible property. I could add an alert in case the menu item happens to be grayed out:

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByName("Find/Change...");
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
} else {
    alert("Find/Change is not Available")
}

[Aprking]

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByName("Find/Change...");
if(fc.enabled){
fc.invoke();
}

Error Number: 45

Error String: Object is invalid

Line: 2

Source: if (fc.enabled) {

[FRIdNGE · Accepted solution]

Rob,

First, "app.menuActions.itemByName("Find/Change...")" doesn't work on a French ID version, you will need: app.menuActions.itemByName("Rechercher/Remplacer...").

Then, your code is irrelevant if the op plays on an open doc! That is, I suppose, a minimal condition (no sense trying to run a find/replace without a target document).

(^/)

[Laubender]

Hi Rob,

this one is actually working with my German InDesign, it should also work with a French InDesign:

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByName("$ID/EditMenu_FindChange");
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
} else {
    alert("Find/Change is not Available")
}

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

What exactly are you trying to achieve? 

[Aprking]

app.panels.itemByName("$ID/Character").visible = true;

Just like this code, it opens the panel when executed, instead of toggling between hidden and visible.

[Aprking]

Today, I performed a detailed test of the code snippet:

Copy Code

var fc = app.menuActions.itemByID(18694);
if(fc.enabled){  
    fc.invoke();  
}   

Unfortunately, the "Find/Change" panel started switching back and forth between hidden and visible again. I'm frustrated...

[FRIdNGE]

No comment but I'm a little lost reading this thread and all these "correct answers" that don't seem finally to be so correct!

(^/)

[Aprking]

I'm sorry, you're right! The answer we obtained yesterday was not correct.

[rob day]

panel started switching back and forth between hidden and visible again

If you run the script while the Find/Change dialog is open it would close the dialog window.

[Aprking]

The code app.panels.itemByName("$ID/Character").visible = true; works, but unfortunately it does not support Find/Change...