How to identify constructor of PageItems?

[AnotherFrank]

Hi all,

Let's assume a group contains 3 objects. How can I identify what type each object it is without iterating through all possible results in a single line? Since the type of object is unknown, I can only directly address it with pageItem, but how can I find out the actual object type? Both group[0].pageItem[0].toSource() and toSpecifier() give me pageItem as a result.

Many thanks and Happy Easter!

[brianp311]

Following, but I don't believe there's a way to get at it without testing whether it's an instanceof a particular child class. 

if (groups[0].pageItems[0] instanceof Graphic) {
//do graphic stuff
}
else if (groups[0].pageItems[0] instanceof TextFrame) {
//do textframe stuff
}
//etc

[SychevKA]

you can get objects' array of the same type

group[0].textFrames.everyItem().getElements()
group[0].rectangles.everyItem().getElements()
group[0].graphicLines.everyItem().getElements()

[AnotherFrank]

Ok, thanks guys. Looks like there is no 'quick' way of finding out. Really strange as I thought a simple method could do it…

[Pickory]

Have looked at:

obj.constructor.name

P.

[AnotherFrank]

Yeah, that was my initial thought, but it returns PageItem, not the actual object type.

[rob day]

.valueOf() returns the object type:

//a selection
var p=app.activeDocument.selection[0].valueOf();  

//check if the object class of the selection is a rectangle, if not return the class
if (p == "[object Rectangle]") {
	$.writeln("The Selected Object is a Rectangle") 
} else {
    $.writeln(p) 
}

But, Pickory’s constructor.name should also work. If my selection is a rectangle

$.writeln(app.activeDocument.selection[0].constructor.name)
//returns Rectangle

[AnotherFrank]

obj.pageItems[0].valueOf() returns [object PageItem] (the same as just using obj.pageItems[0]) I'm afraid… which requires me to if-check through all possible object types, which I wanted to avoid.

[rob day]

Sorry if I‘m not understanding, but do you want to loop thru all of the objects inside of a group and check the items’ class?

So here I’m changing the fill of the oval and skipping the others:

//a selected group
var g = app.activeDocument.selection[0]; 

if (g.constructor.name == "Group") {
	var api = g.allPageItems;

    for (var i = 0; i < api.length; i++){
        if (api[i].constructor.name == "Oval") {
            api[i].fillColor = "Black"
        } 
    };   
} 

[AnotherFrank]

I'd like to avoid using if statements, becasue it means I have to check all possible object types. The pageItem could be any type of element, so I'd like to use something like: obj.pageItems[0].objectType() which returns for example 'Oval' instead of PageItem. But the objectType() doesn't seem to exist.

I'm not trying to verify if my PageItem is a specific object type, that would be an simply and short if statement as per your example. I just want to know what type of element my PageItem is.

Sorry if this sounds confusing.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Try allPageItems rather than pageItems. My group with 3 items example returns this:

$.writeln(app.activeDocument.selection[0].allPageItems[0].constructor.name)
//returns Oval

$.writeln(app.activeDocument.selection[0].allPageItems[1].constructor.name)
//returns TextFrame

$.writeln(app.activeDocument.selection[0].allPageItems[2].constructor.name)
//returns Rectangle

[AnotherFrank]

That's it! Thanks so much.

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi Frank,

there is a direct way to resolve a page item:

// That will return [object PageItem]
var myPageItem = app.documents[0].pageItems[0];

// That will return whatever this is:
var whatItReallyIs = app.documents[0].pageItems[0].getElements()[0];

FWIW: Usually in a selection with app.selection the item is already resolved.

Warning!

There could be false positives after the user or a scripter used the function

convertShape()

var doc = app.documents.add();
var rectangle = doc.rectangles.add({ geometricBounds : [ 0, 0, 100 , 100 ]});

doc.pageItems[0]; // will return [object PageItem]
doc.pageItems[0].getElements()[0]; // will return [object Rectangle]
rectangle.convertShape( ConvertShapeOptions.CONVERT_TO_OVAL );


// NOW PREPARE FOR A SURPRISE:
alert( doc.pageItems[0].getElements()[0] ); // STILL returns  [object Rectangle]

After running the code above:

Check the Layers panel, the generic name of the object is <circle> ( <Kreis> in my German InDesign 😞

There is no way in the Scripting DOM to get this generic name ( at least I do not know one ).

Even if you select the object you will get the wrong result:

var doc = app.documents.add();
var rectangle = doc.rectangles.add({ geometricBounds : [ 0, 0, 100 , 100 ]});

doc.pageItems[0]; // will return [object PageItem]
doc.pageItems[0].getElements()[0]; // will return [object Rectangle]
rectangle.convertShape( ConvertShapeOptions.CONVERT_TO_OVAL );


// NOW PREPARE FOR A SURPRISE:
alert( doc.pageItems[0].getElements()[0] ); // STILL returns  [object Rectangle]

// IF YOU SELECT IT:
doc.select( doc.pageItems[0] );

// YOU ALSO SEE THE WRONG RESULT:
alert( app.selection[0].constructor.name );

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[AnotherFrank]

Oh, nice Uwe. Very useful to know, many thanks and frohe Ostern!

[Laubender]

Hi Frank,

I did not mention the meanest thing about convertShape() objects:

Even if you export to IDMS and place the IDMS snippet you still get the wrong constructor name.

Just tried this…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )