[SCRIPT} Update links in placed InDesign files

[lfcorullon]

Hello, there.

I have an InDesign document with lots of indd files placed in.

Those placed indd files have another indd files placed in.

I need to recursively open all (including the nested ones) indd placed files (links) and update the out of date links. I always get stucked in recursive things...

Any help?

[brianp311]

Just decompose the problem of what you need the recursive function to do, then operate on it at the top level. Something like this: 

var openDocAndUpdateLinks = function(docFile) {
    var d = app.open(docFile);
    d.links.everyItem().update();
    var allLinks = d.links.everyItem().getElements();
    for (var i = 0; i < allLinks.length; i++) {
        if (/\.indd$/gi.test(allLinks[i].name)) {
            openDocAndUpdateLinks(File(allLinks[i].filePath));
        }
    }
}

var main = function() {
    var f = File.openDialog("Select root file");
    openDocAndUpdateLinks(f);
}

[lfcorullon]

Thanks for your quick reply, Brian.

Nothing happens when I run it.

I made some changes, since I need to run it in the opened document, and need to save the linked indd files after the links update. So, I tried this code below in the attached file(s).

app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.NEVER_INTERACT;

var f = File.openDialog("Select root file");
openDocAndUpdateLinks(f);

function openDocAndUpdateLinks(docFile) {
    var d = app.open(docFile);
    d.links.everyItem().update();
    var allLinks = d.links.everyItem().getElements();
    for (var i = 0; i < allLinks.length; i++) {
        if (/\.indd$/gi.test(allLinks[i].name)) {
            openDocAndUpdateLinks(File(allLinks[i].filePath));
        }
    }
	d.close(SaveOptions.YES);
}

app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.INTERACT_WITH_ALL;

[brianp311]

Yeah, guess I left out the call to main(), and figured you might need to do other operations like saving after updating. Was just trying to demonstrate what the recursive call looks like. If you're running on an open doc, then your main loop would look a bit different, but you could still pass link.filePath to the recursive call. 

[lfcorullon]

Well, thanks.

I can not make it work. The final result is never a document with all links updated.

My last attempt:

//========================================================================================
//========================================================================================
app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.NEVER_INTERACT;

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var f = doc.fullName;
doc.linkedPageItemOptions.updateLinkWhileSaving = true;
var nm = File.decode(doc.name);

openDocAndUpdateLinks(f , nm);

doc.links.everyItem().update();

alert("Done." , "Script by LFCorullón");
//========================================================================================
//========================================================================================
function openDocAndUpdateLinks(docFile , nm) {
	var d = app.open(docFile);
	d.linkedPageItemOptions.updateLinkWhileSaving = true;
	d.links.everyItem().update();
	var allLinks = d.links.everyItem().getElements();
	for (var i=allLinks.length-1; i>=0; i--) {
		if (/\.indd$/gi.test(allLinks[i].name)) {
			openDocAndUpdateLinks(File(allLinks[i].filePath));
			}
		}
	d.save();
	if (File.decode(d.name) != nm) d.close(SaveOptions.YES);
	}

app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.INTERACT_WITH_ALL;
//========================================================================================
//========================================================================================

[brianp311 · Accepted solution]

Just realized you have to do the updating AFTER you've done the recursive call. You also shouldn't be opening the root doc since it's already open. How's this? 

//========================================================================================
//========================================================================================
app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.NEVER_INTERACT;

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var f = doc.fullName;
doc.linkedPageItemOptions.updateLinkWhileSaving = true;
var nm = File.decode(doc.name);

openDocAndUpdateLinks(f , nm);

doc.links.everyItem().update();

alert("Done." , "Script by LFCorullón");
//========================================================================================
//========================================================================================
function openDocAndUpdateLinks(docFile , nm) {
    if (File.decode(docFile.name) == nm) {
        var d = app.activeDocument;
    } else {
        var d = app.open(docFile);

    }
	d.linkedPageItemOptions.updateLinkWhileSaving = true;
	var allLinks = d.links.everyItem().getElements();
	for (var i=allLinks.length-1; i>=0; i--) {
        if (/\.indd$/gi.test(allLinks[i].name)) {
			openDocAndUpdateLinks(File(allLinks[i].filePath));
		}
        if (allLinks[i].status == LinkStatus.LINK_OUT_OF_DATE) {
            allLinks[i].update();
        }
	}
    d.save();
    if (File.decode(d.name) != nm) d.close(SaveOptions.YES);
}

app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.INTERACT_WITH_ALL;
//========================================================================================
//========================================================================================

[lfcorullon]

Wow, Brian, thank you so much for your help!

This is absolutely brilliant. Thanks!!!

[sanjayb75202732]

Brian, I am new to InDesign scripts and using Creative Cloud version. Any scripting resources you recommend for doing batch updates to linked XML data in multiple InDesign files? Not sure if the earlier Javascript toolkit scripting guides work with InDesign CC. Any pointers appreciated.

[brianp311]

Yes. The early scripting guides still apply. A nice searchable DOM is available here: https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#about.html

[Peter Kahrel]

If you're after XML scripting the best source is 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/InDesign-CS5-Automation-Using-JavaScript/dp/1460915380/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=...

It covers CS5, but as Brian mentioned, early scripting guides still apply.