Script to change bulleted and numbered lists to text without converting the Paragraph Styles

[SweatersInSummer]

I've seen a posts here about using the "Convert Bullets to Text" contextual option in text as well the method app.activeDocument.stories.everyItem().convertBulletsAndNumberingToText(); however neither is satifactory so ive been writing a script to change the copy in a document that has a bullet or number list style applied to converted text, but i'm having trouble figuring out how to script  going through the text, identifying the ones with specific paragraph styles ( there are 6 styles, all set within two layers of groupings: Body Styles [group] > Lists [group] > Bullet lvl 1 [style].

heres what ive tried to so, but i realized that it was converting the whole style not the text with the style.

var bul1 = doc.paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Body Styles" ).paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Lists" ).paragraphStyles.itemByName( "Bullet lvl 1" );

var bul2 = doc.paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Body Styles" ).paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Lists" ).paragraphStyles.itemByName( "Bullet lvl 2" );

var bul3 = doc.paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Body Styles" ).paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Lists" ).paragraphStyles.itemByName( "Bullet lvl 3" );

var num1 = doc.paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Body Styles" ).paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Lists" ).paragraphStyles.itemByName( "Num List lvl 1" );

var num2 = doc.paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Body Styles" ).paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Lists" ).paragraphStyles.itemByName( "Num List lvl 2" );

var num3 = doc.paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Body Styles" ).paragraphStyleGroups.itemByName( "Lists" ).paragraphStyles.itemByName( "Num List lvl 3" );

// app.findTextPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = bul1;

// bul1.convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();

// app.findTextPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = bul2;

// bul2.convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();

// app.findTextPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = bul3;

// bul3.convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();

// app.findTextPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = num1;

// num1.convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();

// app.findTextPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = num2;

// num2.convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();

// app.findTextPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = num3;

// num3.convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();

// alert('Bullet lvl 1, 2, 3 and Number List lvl 1, 2, 3 converted to text.')

[SweatersInSummer]

all those bottom lines are shown as commented out, i just forgot to un-comment them before posting but when active they convert the entire style to text, removing the list formatting entirely, and 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

You can go back and re-edit your original post - there is no time limit.

[SweatersInSummer]

I dont see any option to edit a post or comment, am i just completely missing it?

[Peter Kahrel]

Click '. . . More' and one of the options is 'Edit message'.

[SweatersInSummer]

I don't see that option on any of posts or comments. under my post i have: views, translate, report, follow, and reply. would be labeled as community beginner effect the options on posts i have?

[Peter Kahrel]

I've no idea.

[rob day]

Hi @SweatersInSummer , I think you need to loop through the paragraphs and remove the overrides that are created when you change the paragraph styles—paragraph.clearOverrides()

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#Paragraph.html#d1e501544__d1e508156

[Peter Kahrel · Accepted solution]

Rather than using InDesign's Find to look for styles, you may be better off cycling through paragraphs and checking their style names. Something like this:

par = doc.stories.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();
re = /(Bullet|Num) lvl [123]/;
for (i = 0; i < par.length; i++) {
  if (re.test (par[i].appliedParagraphStyle.name)) {
    // do something
  }
}

Peter

[SweatersInSummer]

This was the answer i was circling around, thank you Peter. I was trying to loop through the paragraphs but had difficulty figuring out the correct syntax to access the .paragraphs, but the InDesign Object Model on indesignjs.de is kind of difficult to understand at times. for posterity my final code looks like:

var doc = app.activeDocument;

par = doc.stories.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();
re = /(Bullet|Num List) lvl [123]/;
for (i = 0; i < par.length; i++) {
  if (re.test (par[i].appliedParagraphStyle.name)) {
    par[i].convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();
  }
}

alert('Bullet lvl 1, 2, 3 and Number List lvl 1, 2, 3 converted to text.')

[Alberto Gutiérrez]

Thanks for your help, Peter. Is there any way to tell the script to look inside all the tables inside a document?

[Peter Kahrel]

Yes, there is. This version handles tables:

par = doc.stories.everyItem().
  tables.everyItem().
  cells.everyItem().
  paragraphs.everyItem().
  getElements();

re = /(Bullet|Num) lvl [123]/;
for (i = 0; i < par.length; i++) {
  if (re.test (par[i].appliedParagraphStyle.name)) {
    // do something
  }
}

It deals only with tables, so you would still need the previous version for the main text. (You need a separate version for footnotes as well).

[Alberto Gutiérrez]

Uauuuu.... superb, Peter. Thanks a lot!

[Alberto Gutiérrez]

Hi! i don't know what I did with this script back in the day...

I have tried to create it again with this code:

var doc = app.activeDocument;
par = doc.stories.everyItem().
tables.everyItem().
cells.everyItem().
paragraphs.everyItem().
getElements();

re = /(Bullet|Num) lvl [123]/;
for (i = 0; i < par.length; i++) {
if (re.test (par[i].appliedParagraphStyle.name)) {
par[i].convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();
}
}

But it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Alberto Gutiérrez 

What error do you get?

Because it looks OK?

var doc = app.activeDocument;
par = doc.stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().cells.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();

re = /(Bullet|Num) lvl [123]/;
for (i = 0; i < par.length; i++) 
{
  if (re.test (par[i].appliedParagraphStyle.name)) 
    {
      par[i].convertBulletsAndNumberingToText();
    }
}

[SweatersInSummer]

First thing is this script is looking for paragraph styles with the names of Bullet lvl 1, Bullet lvl 2, Bullet lvl 3, Num lvl 1, etc. can you confirm that the lists you are trying to convert are named like that as well?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

First thing is this script is looking for paragraph styles with the names of Bullet lvl 1, Bullet lvl 2, Bullet lvl 3, Num lvl 1, etc. can you confirm that the lists you are trying to convert are named like that as well?

By @SweatersInSummer

I don't think that would be the problem - if the name of the applied ParaStyle doesn't meet the criteria - script will just skip this paragraph.

And even if there are no Tables - script will just end instantly.

And it will/should skip empty Cells.

That's why I've asked @Alberto Gutiérrez if there are any error messages.

[SweatersInSummer]

I know, but considering the script is from my projects its looking for styles my team uses. If their files don't use those names for styles then the script will skip them and do nothing, and throw no error.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@SweatersInSummer

There will be no errors - just nothing will happen. 

[Alberto Gutiérrez]

Hi, thanks for your answers. 

(My InDesign is in spanish) The error says: "unknown object type"

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Hi, thanks for your answers. 

(My InDesign is in spanish) The error says: "unknown object type"

By @Alberto Gutiérrez

But you don't have "main" function in your code?