Script for copying text from one text box into five other text boxes

> Script could also work on the order of selected TFs

> Or, script could search for non-empty TF 

The script could work in many ways.

Script could also work on the order of selected TFs - 1st one is "source" - the rest are "destinations" - that way, the minimum of selected objects would be two - without the limit on destination - as long as they are on the same spread and its Pasteboard. 

If you would like to go even further - different spreads - and even documents - been there, done that... 

I hadn't even thought about that. It'll work if the text contains no formatting and fits on one line of text.

I was wondering if perhaps using a variable rahter than copy/paste might be another approach...

Well, using the content collector/placer you'll have to do a lot of clicking, which is made more awkward if the frames aren't on the same spread.

A simple script is much more convenient, especially if you assign a keyboard shortcut to it.

First, label the text frames on the Layers panel. I used one, two, three, etc. To label a frame, select it, then do a slow double-click on its name in the panel. Unlabelled frames have some text in angle brackets.

Save the document. Then place the cursor in the frame whose content you want to duplicate to the labelled frames and run this script:

names = ['one', 'two', 'three', 'four', 'five'];
text = app.selection[0].parentStory;
for (i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {
  text.duplicate (
    LocationOptions.AT_BEGINNING, 
    app.activeDocument.textFrames.item (names[i])
  );
}

Naturally, you'll need to replace the labels one, two, etc. with the your labels.

Why do you need a script if a native function of InDesign is doing that?

Use the the contents tools:

• Content Collector Tool
• Content Placer Tool
• Convoyer Panel with the available options.