Skip to main content
October 20, 2009
Answered

Sort by Name via script

  • October 20, 2009
  • 2 replies
  • 2263 views

Hi everybody,

I would appreciate if someone could give some clue to sort by name the

Paragraph Styles, Character Styles, Object Styles and Swatches panels

via script.

Thank you all in advance.

Edson Furman

edsonfurman@terra.com.br

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Peter Kahrel

For sorting styles I have used the script listed below -- works in CS3 and CS4 though it's been a while since I last tried. It could be coded more elegantly but it always worked fine as it is. It doesn't take into account any style groups -- I don't know what happens if your documents contain any so you'd better not try.

As to swatches, these are not so easy to sort. There was some discussion about this at either of these sites:

http://www.hilfdirselbst.ch/gforum/gforum.cgi?jump=forum%3D4

http://indesign-faq.de/

Peter

#target indesign

sort_par_styles (app.documents[0]);
sort_char_styles (app.documents[0]);
sort_obj_styles (app.documents[0]);

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function sort_par_styles (doc)
    {
    var string_array = sort_par_names (doc);
    for (var i = 0; i < string_array.length; i++)
        doc.paragraphStyles.item (string_array).move (
            LocationOptions.after, doc.paragraphStyles[i+2])
    }

function sort_par_names (doc)
  {
  var array = doc.paragraphStyles.everyItem().name;
  array.shift (); array.shift ();  // exclude [No p.] and [Basic p/]
  return array.sort (case_insensitive);
  }

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function sort_char_styles (doc)
    {
    var string_array = sort_char_names (doc);
    for (var i = 0; i < string_array.length; i++)
        doc.characterStyles.item (string_array).move (
            LocationOptions.after, doc.characterStyles[i+1])
    }

function sort_char_names (doc)
  {
  var array = doc.characterStyles.everyItem().name;
  array.shift ();  // exclude [None]
  return array.sort (case_insensitive);
  }

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function sort_obj_styles (doc)
    {
    var string_array = sort_obj_names (doc);
    for (var i = 0; i < string_array.length; i++)
        doc.objectStyles.item (string_array).move (
            LocationOptions.after, doc.objectStyles[i+4])
    }

function sort_obj_names (doc)
  {
  var array = doc.objectStyles.everyItem().name;
  array.shift (); array.shift (); array.shift ();  array.shift (); // exclude  [None], [Basic Graphics Frame], [Basic Text Frame], [Basic Grid]
  return array.sort (case_insensitive);
  }

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function case_insensitive (a, b)
  {
  return a.toLowerCase() > b.toLowerCase()
  }

2 replies

lfcorullon13651490
Legend
February 12, 2017

An easiest way to do that...

app.menuActions.itemByID(8505).invoke();

app.menuActions.itemByID(8511).invoke();

app.menuActions.itemByID(113168).invoke();

app.menuActions.itemByID(132113).invoke();

app.menuActions.itemByID(132133).invoke();

It will sort styles (character, paragraph, object, cell and table) by name.

Inspiring
October 15, 2020

@lfcorullon13651490 

Are there itemByID(**numbers here**) for Swatches too ??

lfcorullon13651490
Legend
October 16, 2020

No. To sort swatches, scripting is much more complex.

Thanks for Justin, from Ajar Productions, we have a free script for this.

https://ajarproductions.com/blog/2013/12/13/sort-swatches-in-adobe-indesign/

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Peter KahrelCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 20, 2009

For sorting styles I have used the script listed below -- works in CS3 and CS4 though it's been a while since I last tried. It could be coded more elegantly but it always worked fine as it is. It doesn't take into account any style groups -- I don't know what happens if your documents contain any so you'd better not try.

As to swatches, these are not so easy to sort. There was some discussion about this at either of these sites:

http://www.hilfdirselbst.ch/gforum/gforum.cgi?jump=forum%3D4

http://indesign-faq.de/

Peter

#target indesign

sort_par_styles (app.documents[0]);
sort_char_styles (app.documents[0]);
sort_obj_styles (app.documents[0]);

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function sort_par_styles (doc)
    {
    var string_array = sort_par_names (doc);
    for (var i = 0; i < string_array.length; i++)
        doc.paragraphStyles.item (string_array).move (
            LocationOptions.after, doc.paragraphStyles[i+2])
    }

function sort_par_names (doc)
  {
  var array = doc.paragraphStyles.everyItem().name;
  array.shift (); array.shift ();  // exclude [No p.] and [Basic p/]
  return array.sort (case_insensitive);
  }

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function sort_char_styles (doc)
    {
    var string_array = sort_char_names (doc);
    for (var i = 0; i < string_array.length; i++)
        doc.characterStyles.item (string_array).move (
            LocationOptions.after, doc.characterStyles[i+1])
    }

function sort_char_names (doc)
  {
  var array = doc.characterStyles.everyItem().name;
  array.shift ();  // exclude [None]
  return array.sort (case_insensitive);
  }

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function sort_obj_styles (doc)
    {
    var string_array = sort_obj_names (doc);
    for (var i = 0; i < string_array.length; i++)
        doc.objectStyles.item (string_array).move (
            LocationOptions.after, doc.objectStyles[i+4])
    }

function sort_obj_names (doc)
  {
  var array = doc.objectStyles.everyItem().name;
  array.shift (); array.shift (); array.shift ();  array.shift (); // exclude  [None], [Basic Graphics Frame], [Basic Text Frame], [Basic Grid]
  return array.sort (case_insensitive);
  }

//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function case_insensitive (a, b)
  {
  return a.toLowerCase() > b.toLowerCase()
  }
October 21, 2009

Great, Peter! Very thank you!

Edson