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jctremblay
Community Expert
jctremblayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 16, 2020
Answered

Target the Source Hyperlink Destination Document of an Hyperlinks

  • September 16, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 1193 views

I have a bunch of InDesign Doc, with Hyperlink with source are an anchor text in others InDesign document. If I rename the source document, all the hyperlink will be broken.

I have a script that can perform a GREP change/replace but it for URL Destination.

 

How can I edit this part to change it to the Document Destination name instead.

 

This part need to be edited.

var dests = app.documents[0].hyperlinkURLDestinations.everyItem().getElements();
	for(var i=0;i<dests.length;i++){
		dests[i].destinationURL = dests[i].destinationURL.replace(grepForFind,grepForReplace);

 

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

    Hi Jean-Claude. This is a murky area of hyperlinks, and unfortunately what you're after -- change the name of the document that contains the targeted text anchor -- isn't possible. When the destination is an external page, you can simply set the target document's path using the documentPath property. But for external text anchors that property is not available.

     

    Given a document with one hyperlink whose destination is a text anchor in another document,

    app.documents[0].hyperlinks[0].destination

    returns the external text anchor, and 

    app.documents[0].hyperlinks[0].destination.parent

     returns the external document. There's no way you can change that.

     

    The script's behaviour, when you call 'app.documents[0].hyperlinks[0].destination', is an error:

    Error: Hyperlink destination document not found. Please verify the document's location in the Hyperlinks panel before choosing this hyperlink.

     

    which of course is pretty dumb, but there you are.

    1 reply

    Sunil Yadav
    Sunil Yadav
    Legend
    October 10, 2020

    If you share some of those destination URL, or share some more information.

    Then it is easy to help you.

    jctremblay
    Community Expert
    jctremblayCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    October 10, 2020

    Hi,
    The issue here is with hyperlinks which targer are an anchor text inside differents document. If you change the name of theses InDesign document, the hyperlinks are all broken. But internally, they are still there but not visually accessible to the UI. So It would be usefull to rename the destination indesign document internally with a script.

     

    Peter Kahrel
    Community Expert
    Peter KahrelCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    October 11, 2020

    Hi Jean-Claude. This is a murky area of hyperlinks, and unfortunately what you're after -- change the name of the document that contains the targeted text anchor -- isn't possible. When the destination is an external page, you can simply set the target document's path using the documentPath property. But for external text anchors that property is not available.

     

    Given a document with one hyperlink whose destination is a text anchor in another document,

    app.documents[0].hyperlinks[0].destination

    returns the external text anchor, and 

    app.documents[0].hyperlinks[0].destination.parent

     returns the external document. There's no way you can change that.

     

    The script's behaviour, when you call 'app.documents[0].hyperlinks[0].destination', is an error:

    Error: Hyperlink destination document not found. Please verify the document's location in the Hyperlinks panel before choosing this hyperlink.

     

    which of course is pretty dumb, but there you are.

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