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Answered

Retrieve number of the column of searched text

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
May 24, 2021
2 replies
1465 views

Hi,

I am looking for how, with a GREP search, to retrieve the number of the column of the searched text, when this one is in a multi-column text frame.

Thanks for your help.

Ronald

Scripting

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer rob day

You could try this:

var s = app.documents.item(0).selection[0];
var ho = s.horizontalOffset;
var cc = s.parentTextFrames[0].textFramePreferences.textColumnCount;
var cw = s.parentTextFrames[0].textFramePreferences.textColumnFixedWidth;
var g = s.parentTextFrames[0].textFramePreferences.textColumnGutter;
var x = s.parentTextFrames[0].geometricBounds[1]


for (var i = 0; i < cc; i++){
    var cx = i*(cw+g) + x;
    if (ho >= cx && ho < cx + cw) {
        alert("Selected text starts in column " + (i+1))
    } 
};

FRIdNGE

Inspiring

… How to write a script piece per piece!

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/can-regular-expressions-be-used-to-distinguish-abc-columns/m-p/12067577#M430783

FRIdNGE

Inspiring

But not really convinced by the answers given!

It seems to me the matter is more about a geographic localization!

That remembers me about a script of mine written in 2011 and this function "InsertCoordinateMultiPageRefs()" that added "tl" for "top-left", "tr" for "top-right", "bl" for "bottom-left", "br" for "bottom-right" after each "index entry page number", basing on the index entry marker insertion point "horizontalOffset/baseline" values!

Funny!

(^/) The Jedi

rob day

Community Expert

Peter’s one liner is working with my selected text example:

var insPoint = app.documents.item(0).selection[0].insertionPoints[0];
var columnIndex = insPoint.parentStory.insertionPoints.itemByRange (insPoint.parentTextFrames[0].insertionPoints[0].index, insPoint.index).textColumns.length;
alert("Selected text starts in column " + columnIndex);

Also works with a split column:

TᴀW

Legend

It's not possible with GREP to know anything about columns, unfortunately.

It is possible (but not easy) with scripting. (Not easy when span and split column is being used.)

R

Ronald63Author

Legend

Hi,

That's what I thought, but maybe someone had the quick fix 🙂

When you say "It is possible (but not easy) with scripting", can you tell me more? I looked at the properties of textframe, story and insersionpoint and couldn't find anything.

Regards

rob day

Correct answer

Community Expert

You could try this:

var s = app.documents.item(0).selection[0];
var ho = s.horizontalOffset;
var cc = s.parentTextFrames[0].textFramePreferences.textColumnCount;
var cw = s.parentTextFrames[0].textFramePreferences.textColumnFixedWidth;
var g = s.parentTextFrames[0].textFramePreferences.textColumnGutter;
var x = s.parentTextFrames[0].geometricBounds[1]


for (var i = 0; i < cc; i++){
    var cx = i*(cw+g) + x;
    if (ho >= cx && ho < cx + cw) {
        alert("Selected text starts in column " + (i+1))
    } 
};

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