Shortcut to find shortened text boxes

[defaultdeb30zd009k6]

Is there a GREP etc way to find quickly all pages in a doc in which the text boxes have been manually shortened

[Manan Joshi]

What would be the definition of shortened? Is it done by applying some object style? If so then you could find it else I don't think so it is possible via search. However, a script can do the job, if you define your needs in a bit more detail

-Manan

[defaultdeb30zd009k6]

Hi Manan, so good of you to reply, thank you. It's a long document where all pages by default have the same height of text boxes. However, some of them have been manually shortened, by grabbing the handles on the bottom line and dragging the box up. I need to find all of the pages that have these shortened text boxes. 

[rob day]

It's a long document where all pages by default have the same height of text boxes

Hi @defaultdeb30zd009k6 , Is there only one text frame per page, and is the text frame supposed to align to the page margins? Something like this:

[defaultdeb30zd009k6]

Hi, so grateful for the replies, thank you. Yes, 1 text box per page, and the standard is for them to align with margins. However, for optimal flow / avoiding widows and bad word-breaks etc, some have been pulled up a line or two. Subsequently the text was then changed and everything moved, so I need to check for those short pages and adjust. This happens quite a lot in our typesetting process, so I'd be grateful to see if there's a easy way to check globally.

[rob day]

so I need to check for those short pages and adjust

A script could realign all the text frames to the margins—do you want all the text frames realigned to the margins?

[defaultdeb30zd009k6]

Hi Rob, thank you for replying. Not really  - I'm thinking of something akin to using GREP to search for a particular character or style, or preflight when it flags wrong sized pages etc, so I can whizz through the document without having to look at every single page.

[rob day]

Unless all the adjustments need to be the same a script is not going to work.

[Manan Joshi]

I don't know if I am understanding the problem statement properly. But isn't this about finding pages where the textframe has dimensions lesser or may greater than the area marked between the margins? That should be doable, right?

-Manan

[defaultdeb30zd009k6]

Hi Manan, yes, that's exactly what is needed.

[Manan Joshi · Accepted solution]

Not doable via Grep but script may help. Try the following code.

var doc = app.documents[0];
var tolerance = 0.5; // in points — tweak if needed

for (var i = 0; i < doc.pages.length; i++) {
    var page = doc.pages[i];

    var mp = page.marginPreferences;
    var top = page.bounds[0] + mp.top;
    var bottom = page.bounds[2] - mp.bottom;
    var left = page.bounds[1] + mp.left;
    var right = page.bounds[3] - mp.right;

    var marginWidth = right - left;
    var marginHeight = bottom - top;

    if (page.textFrames.length > 0) {
        var tf = page.textFrames[0];
        var gb = tf.geometricBounds;
        var tfHeight = gb[2] - gb[0];
        var tfWidth = gb[3] - gb[1];

        var widthDiff = Math.abs(tfWidth - marginWidth);
        var heightDiff = Math.abs(tfHeight - marginHeight);

        if (widthDiff > tolerance || heightDiff > tolerance) {
            alert("Page " + page.name + " has a mismatched text frame.");
        }
    }
}

Do note the following

1. The script needs an open document in InDesign
2. The tolerance for variation in size is .5 pt
3. The script assumes that we have only a single textframe on each page
4. The output is in the form of an alert on which pages have the problem.

-Manan

[defaultdeb30zd009k6]

Dear Manan, that is brilliant. Does the job perfectly. Thank you very much indeed. Most grateful. 

Best wishes,

Sam

[Manan Joshi]

Thanks for the update Sam. Happy to help

-Manan