JavaScript/ExtendScript for InDesign

[code_seeeeeker]

Hello Everyone,

Being a non-programmer, I’m trying to learn “JavaScript for InDesign” from a very long time. I have searched the web but didn’t get anything that can teach me the same. I have also gone through the course “InDesign-Scripting-Made-Easy” by Keith on Lynda, but fails to understand it. I then took a course in JavaScript, HTML and CSS from a reputed Institute. There I learned about the Web and the basics of JS. The instructors over there were unaware about the InDesign DOM and hence I’m left with no knowledge about the course I’m looking for.

The Keith’s course gives the basic idea about the DOM but not in depth. For example, how to read DOM, how to capture the commands and options from DOM and utilize them in the JS. There is a huge .chm version of the DOM by Jongware, I have downloaded it but unable to read/understand it.

Can anyone please guide me and recommend something in this regard. Meanwhile, I’m trying to get in touch with some Programmers, who are working on InDesign JavaScript.

Thanks in advance,

Masood

[Loic.Aigon · Accepted solution]

Hi

I was a decade ago in a similar situation and there is one book which gave me a great start for only 10$:

Scripting InDesign CS3/4 with JavaScript - O'Reilly Media

Since then other books have come around:

Amazon.fr - InDesign CS5 JavaScript - Grant Gamble - Livres

There is also a german book:

InDesign automatisieren | Keine Angst vor Skripting, GREP & Co.

But really the indesign scripting documentation is pretty well done:

http://wwwimages.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/devnet/indesign/sdk/cs6/scripting/InDesign_Scripting...

FWIW

Loic

[code_seeeeeker]

Thanks Loic, for looking into this and providing me references. I'll go through these to give myself a quick start.

[Laubender]

Hi Masood,

start up the ExtendScript Toolkit app and look into "Help".

ExtendScript Toolkit ReadMe
Adobe Intro To Scripting
JavaScript Tools Guide CC

are PDF files that can be opened with your OS' main PDF reading software:

All three PDFs are a little outdated here and there when the topics revolve around e.g. the Flash interface for ScriptUI.
In CC 2017 the Flash based parts of ScriptUI are not supported anymore.

Happy Learning!

Regards,
Uwe

[Kasyan Servetsky]

Hi there,

Here are some interesting links for beginners.

— Kas