24
Replies
24
24
Replies
Community Expert
,
Hi @Alistair36395154jraa I don't really understand your workflow—there are some things that don't make sense based on the limited info you've given us—but I'll leave that to experts like Joel.
However, aside from that, I'm a crazy scripter and this caught my interest, despite that there's a high chance it isn't what you need anyway and might not be the best way to go in any case. So here is a script that renames document styles per configured languages, with a simple UI. Read the script instructions and edit the `settings` object as needed. Will this help?
- Mark
/**
* @file Rename Styles By Language.js
*
* Replaces words in document style names from one configured
* language list of words to another and also sets the applied language.
*
* Edit the `settings` object below as needed.
*
* @author m1b
* @version 2025-03-23
* @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/script-to-modify-paragraph-styles-based-on-user-selected-input-value/m-p/15226562
*/
function main() {
var settings = {
/** the translation languages; add more as you need. */
languages: {
'English': { words: ['Appendix', 'Chapter', 'Figure', 'Table'], appliedLanguage: 'English: USA' },
'German': { words: ['Anhang', 'Kapitel', 'Abbildung', 'Tabelle'], appliedLanguage: 'German: 2006 Reform' },
'Spanish': { words: ['Apéndice', 'Capítulo', 'Figura', 'Tabla'], appliedLanguage: 'Spanish' },
},
/** the language to translate from */
fromLanguage: 'English',
/** the language to translate to */
toLanguage: 'Spanish',
/** which document elements to translate */
translateThese: [
'allParagraphStyles',
// 'allCharacterStyles',
// 'allObjectStyles',
// 'allCellStyles',
// 'allTableStyles',
],
/** whether to show UI */
showUI: true,
/** whether to show user how many translations were made */
showResults: false,
};
if (0 === app.documents.length)
return alert('Please open a document and try again.');
var doc = settings.doc = app.activeDocument;
// collect all the styles to rename
var styles = [];
for (var i = 0; i < settings.translateThese.length; i++) {
var things = doc[settings.translateThese[i]];
for (var j = 0; j < things.length; j++)
styles.push(things[j]);
}
if (settings.showUI) {
var result = ui(settings);
if (2 === result)
// user cancelled
return;
}
var counter = 0,
fromWords = settings.languages[settings.fromLanguage].words,
toWords = settings.languages[settings.toLanguage].words,
appliedLanguage = getThing(app.languagesWithVendors, 'name', settings.languages[settings.toLanguage].appliedLanguage);
// do the renaming
for (var i = 0; i < styles.length; i++) {
wordLoop:
for (var j = 0; j < fromWords.length; j++) {
if (-1 === styles[i].name.search(fromWords[j]))
continue wordLoop;
styles[i].name = styles[i].name.replace(fromWords[j], toWords[j]);
if (
styles[i].hasOwnProperty('appliedLanguage')
&& undefined != appliedLanguage
)
styles[i].appliedLanguage = appliedLanguage;
counter++;
}
}
if (settings.showResults)
alert('Translated ' + counter + ' style names\nfrom ' + settings.fromLanguage + ' to ' + settings.toLanguage + '.');
};
app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Rename Styles By Language');
/**
* Shows UI for Name Styles By Language
* @param {Object} settings - the settings to adjust via UI.
* @returns {1|2} - result code
*/
function ui(settings) {
// load last-used languages from document
settings.toLanguage = settings.doc.extractLabel('renameFromLanguage') || settings.toLanguage;
settings.fromLanguage = settings.doc.extractLabel('renameToLanguage') || settings.fromLanguage;
var w = new Window("dialog", 'Rename Styles By Language', undefined),
fromMenuGroup = w.add('group {orientation:"row", alignment:["left","top"], alignChildren: ["left","top"], margins:[10,10,10,20], preferredSize: [120,-1] }'),
fromlanguageMenu = fromMenuGroup.add('dropDownList { title: "From", preferredSize:[150,-1] }'),
spacer = fromMenuGroup.add('group {orientation:"column", preferredSize: [20,-1] }'),
tolanguageMenu = fromMenuGroup.add('dropDownList { title: "To", preferredSize:[150,-1] }'),
buttons = w.add("Group { orientation: 'row', alignment: ['right','bottom'], margins:[0,0,0,6] }"),
cancelButton = buttons.add("Button { text:'Cancel', properties:{name:'cancel'} }"),
renameButton = buttons.add("Button { text:'Rename Styles', enabled:false, enabled: true, name: 'ok' }");
// populate the language menus
var fromSelected = 0,
toSelected = 1,
index = 0;
for (var langName in settings.languages) {
if (settings.languages.hasOwnProperty(langName)) {
fromlanguageMenu.add('item', langName);
tolanguageMenu.add('item', langName);
if (settings.fromLanguage === langName)
fromSelected = index;
if (settings.toLanguage === langName)
toSelected = index;
}
index++;
}
fromlanguageMenu.selection = fromSelected;
tolanguageMenu.selection = toSelected;
renameButton.onClick = function () {
// update settings
settings.fromLanguage = fromlanguageMenu.selection.text;
settings.toLanguage = tolanguageMenu.selection.text;
// store last-used languages in document
settings.doc.insertLabel('renameToLanguage', settings.toLanguage);
settings.doc.insertLabel('renameFromLanguage', settings.fromLanguage);
// close window with success code
w.close(1);
};
w.center();
return w.show();
};
/**
* Returns a thing with matching property.
* If `key` is undefined, evaluate the object itself.
* @author m1b
* @version 2024-04-21
* @param {Array|Collection} things - the things to look through.
* @param {String} [key] - the property name (default: undefined).
* @param {*} value - the value to match.
* @returns {*?} - the thing, if found.
*/
function getThing(things, key, value) {
for (var i = 0, obj; i < things.length; i++)
if ((undefined == key ? things[i] : things[i][key]) == value)
return things[i];
};
Community Expert
,
[...] However, when I open the Italian document, my process requires me to reimport all the stylesheets. At which point, the Caption stylesheet reverts from Figura to Figure. Meaning, I then have to then go and change it back manually.[...]
By Alistair36395154jraa
Unless I'm missing something - you could have different stylesheets - for each language - and use them before and after the translation?
Community Expert
,
[...] Now I'm asked to replace a screenshot of our software [...]
By Alistair36395154jraa
This just caught my eye...
Does it means that you're translating ONLY files that belongs to your company - and not from outside?
Because that changes EVERYTHING...
You could have separate "templates" for specific languages and use Book feature more often.
Community Beginner
,
I won't need to I wrote a more detailed explanation this morning, including screenshots of the stylesheets dialogs, but then lost it all when I was banned."
By alistairl91300413
Ignore "I won't need to". Poorly edited!
Community Expert
,
Hi @Alistair36395154jraa I've written a script that converts all paragraph styles the way you describe I think. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Try using my attached demo.indd first to make sure the script is working on that.
- Mark
Example: notice that the hyphenation changes when the language changes.
/**
* @file Convert Styles To Language.js
*
* Processes the active document's paragraph styles, to:
* - convert words used in numbering expressions
* - set the applied language.
*
* Edit the `settings` object below as needed.
*
* @author m1b
* @version 2025-04-27
* @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/script-to-modify-paragraph-styles-based-on-user-selected-input-value/m-p/15226562
*/
function main() {
var settings = {
/** the translation languages; add more as you need. CHECK THESE PROPERLY, THEY ARE JUST PLACEHOLDERS FOR NOW */
languages: {
'English': { words: ['Appendix', 'Chapter', 'Figure', 'Table'], appliedLanguage: 'English: USA' },
'German': { words: ['Anhang', 'Kapitel', 'Abbildung', 'Tabelle'], appliedLanguage: 'German: 2006 Reform' },
'Greek': { words: ['Παράρτημα', 'Κεφάλαιο', 'Εικόνα', 'Πίνακα'], appliedLanguage: 'Greek' },
'Spanish': { words: ['Apéndice', 'Capítulo', 'Figura', 'Tabla'], appliedLanguage: 'Spanish' },
},
/** the language to translate from */
fromLanguage: 'English',
/** the language to translate to */
toLanguage: 'Spanish',
/** whether to show UI */
showUI: true,
/** whether to show user how many translations were made */
showResults: false,
};
if (0 === app.documents.length)
return alert('Please open a document and try again.');
var doc = settings.doc = app.activeDocument;
if (
settings.showUI
&& 2 === ui(settings)
)
// user cancelled UI
return;
try {
// make a converter for the purposes of this script
var convertLanguage = makeConverter(settings.languages[settings.fromLanguage], settings.languages[settings.toLanguage]);
}
catch (error) {
return alert(error);
}
/* ------------------------ *
* 1. PARAGRAPH STYLES *
* ------------------------ */
// collect all the styles to rename
var styles = doc.allParagraphStyles;
for (var i = styles.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
convertLanguage(styles[i]);
}
if (settings.showResults)
alert('Translation Complete.');
};
app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Convert Styles Language');
/**
* Shows UI for Name Styles By Language
* @param {Object} settings - the settings to adjust via UI.
* @returns {1|2} - result code
*/
function ui(settings) {
// load last-used languages from document
settings.toLanguage = settings.doc.extractLabel('convertToLanguage') || settings.toLanguage;
settings.fromLanguage = settings.doc.extractLabel('convertFromLanguage') || settings.fromLanguage;
var w = new Window("dialog", 'Convert Styles Language', undefined),
fromMenuGroup = w.add('group {orientation:"row", alignment:["left","top"], alignChildren: ["left","top"], margins:[10,10,10,20], preferredSize: [120,-1] }'),
fromLanguageMenu = fromMenuGroup.add('dropDownList { title: "From", preferredSize:[150,-1] }'),
spacer = fromMenuGroup.add('group {orientation:"column", preferredSize: [20,-1] }'),
toLanguageMenu = fromMenuGroup.add('dropDownList { title: "To", preferredSize:[150,-1] }'),
buttons = w.add("Group { orientation: 'row', alignment: ['right','bottom'], margins:[0,0,0,6] }"),
cancelButton = buttons.add("Button { text:'Cancel', properties:{name:'cancel'} }"),
convertButton = buttons.add("Button { text:'Convert', enabled:false, enabled: true, name: 'ok' }");
// populate the language menus
var fromSelected = 0,
toSelected = 1,
index = 0;
for (var langName in settings.languages) {
if (settings.languages.hasOwnProperty(langName)) {
fromLanguageMenu.add('item', langName);
toLanguageMenu.add('item', langName);
if (settings.fromLanguage === langName)
fromSelected = index;
if (settings.toLanguage === langName)
toSelected = index;
}
index++;
}
fromLanguageMenu.selection = fromSelected;
toLanguageMenu.selection = toSelected;
convertButton.onClick = function () {
// update settings
settings.fromLanguage = fromLanguageMenu.selection.text;
settings.toLanguage = toLanguageMenu.selection.text;
// store last-used languages in document
settings.doc.insertLabel('convertToLanguage', settings.toLanguage);
settings.doc.insertLabel('convertFromLanguage', settings.fromLanguage);
// close window with success code
w.close(1);
};
w.center();
return w.show();
};
/**
* Returns a thing with matching property.
* If `key` is undefined, evaluate the object itself.
* @author m1b
* @version 2024-04-21
* @param {Array|Collection} things - the things to look through.
* @param {String} [key] - the property name (default: undefined).
* @param {*} value - the value to match.
* @returns {*?} - the thing, if found.
*/
function getThing(things, key, value) {
for (var i = 0, obj; i < things.length; i++)
if ((undefined == key ? things[i] : things[i][key]) == value)
return things[i];
};
/**
* Returns `str` after replacing `fromWords` with `toWords`.
* @author m1b
* @version 2025-04-27
* @param {String} str - the string to convert.
* @param {Array<String>} fromWords - the words to replace.
* @param {Array<String>} toWords - the replacement words.
* @returns {String}
*/
function convertString(str, fromWords, toWords) {
for (var i = 0; i < fromWords.length; i++)
str = str.replace(fromWords[i], toWords[i]);
return str;
};
/**
* Returns a conversion function, configured
* to convert `from` to `to`.
*
* `from` and `to` have these properties:
* {
* words: {Array<String>} - the words to find/replace.
* appliedLanguage: {String} - the ID of an Indesign LanguageWithVendors.
* }
*
* @author m1b
* @version 2025-04-27
* @param {Object} from - object containing details of the language conversion.
* @param {Object} to - object containing details of the conversion.
* @returns {String}
*/
function makeConverter(from, to) {
var fromWords = from.words,
toWords = to.words,
appliedLanguage = getThing(app.languagesWithVendors, 'name', to.appliedLanguage);
if (!appliedLanguage)
throw new Error('makeConverter: language with vendors "' + to.appliedLanguage + '" not found. Please use the correct applied language string.');
return convert;
/**
* Performs a conversion on `thing`.
* @param {ParagraphStyle|String} thing - the thing to convert.
* @returns {String?} - returns converted String if `thing` is String.
*/
function convert(thing) {
if ('String' === thing.constructor.name)
return convertString(thing, fromWords, toWords);
else if ('ParagraphStyle' === thing.constructor.name) {
if (thing.name[0] === '[')
// don't process style that starts with a square bracket, eg. '[None]'
return;
// thing.appliedLanguage = to.appliedLanguage;
thing.numberingExpression = convert(thing.numberingExpression);
}
};
};
Alistair36395154jraa
AUTHOR
Community Beginner
,
Hi Mark,
Thanks for revisiting this for me. Based on your animated screenshot, the new script appears to do what I need. As suggested, I downloaded your sample file when I run the script I get an error:
In regards to hyphenation: yes, I would expect it to change in response to the language setting. Curiously, the translators left the language setting at English. However, since I have turned hyphenation off in these documents, it is a moot point.
Cheers!
--Alistair
AdChoices