textFrameUtils.GetTextInFrame() only gets visible text

[Olivier Beltrami]

Hello,

I am using textFrameUtils.GetTextInFrame() to read the text in a CT_TEXT_FRAME object. This works well, except that, if there is text overflow, then the function only returns the text that is visible. I could not find another funtion or a parameter that would get the full text contained in a textbox.

Very best regards,

Olivier

[BarlaeDC]

HI,

Are you able to upload a code snippet where you use this method? or possible a small sample that shows the problem?

Regards

Malcolm

[Olivier Beltrami]

Hi Malcolm,

I just have a reference to a UIDRef, aBoxID, and using it I call:

WideString outStr;
ErrorCode outError = textFrameUtils.GetTextInFrame(aBoxID, &outStr);

The above works fine, as long as there is no text overflow, but if there is text overflow, than it only returns the portion of the text that is visible (ie. the text that fits in the box).

Very best regards,

Olivier

[Laubender]

Hi Olivier,

I'm not into SDK programming, but I can see a similar problem when doing this with ExtendScript scripting.

textFrame.texts[0]

will get you all the text contained by the text frame. Not the text that overflows.

At least with ExtendScript, I cannot speak for SDK programming, you have to calculate the text that is in overflow, if there is any overflow.

One could do this like that ( working example is using a user selected text frame that shows some overflow ) :

var textFrame = app.selection[0];

var lastInsertionPointInFrame = textFrame.texts[0].insertionPoints[-1];
var lastInsertionPointInStory = textFrame.texts[0].parentStory.insertionPoints[-1];

var overflowText = textFrame.texts[0].parent.insertionPoints.itemByRange
( 
	lastInsertionPointInFrame , 
	lastInsertionPointInStory
);

// Do something with the overflow text.
// E.g. color it "Magenta"
overflowText.fillColor = app.documents[0].colors.itemByName("Magenta");

You may find a similar way with SDK programming.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Olivier Beltrami]

Hi Uwe,

Thnak you very much for our codes samples.

I have found similar functions in the SDK and will try to figure it out.

I am surprised, however, that there is no simple function to get the text in a box.

In the Quark SDK, it's the opposite, finding the visible text is actually hard work.

Very best regards,

Olivier

[BarlaeDC]

Hi,

What about this -

ErrorCode SnpManipulateTextFrame::InspectTextInFrame(const UIDRef& graphicFrameUIDRef)
{
	ErrorCode status = kFailure;
	do {
		InterfacePtr<IMultiColumnTextFrame> mcf(graphicFrameUIDRef.GetDataBase(), this->GetTextContentUID(graphicFrameUIDRef), UseDefaultIID());
		ASSERT(mcf);
		if (!mcf) {
			break;
		}
		WideString wstr = this->GetWideStringFromTextFrame(mcf);
		PMString str(wstr);
		SNIPLOG("%s", str.GetPlatformString().c_str());
		status = kSuccess;
	} while(false);
	return status;
}

Taken from the SnippetRunner Project, SnpManipulateTextFrame.cpp - If you build and run the Snippet Runner project you should be able to see if this helps.

Regards

Malcolm

[Olivier Beltrami]

Hi Malcolm,

Thank you very much for your suggestion.

Our implementation of textFrameUtils.GetTextInFrame() uses the exact same code you suggest, as we probably copied it from the same sample project. But unfortunately, it only returns the text that is visible, not any text that has overflowed.

Very best regards,

Olivier

[BarlaeDC]

Hi,

Many thanks for responding Olivier, I will take a look around using that snippet as a starting point to see if I can solve the problem.

Regards

Malcolm

[Olivier Beltrami · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I was able to get the full text in a box by making a different version of the function GetTextFrameTextRange() where the line 

result = InDesign::TextRange(textModel, startIndex, span, RangeData::kLeanForward);

is replaced by 

charactersInPrimaryStoryThread--;
result = InDesign::TextRange(textModel, startIndex, charactersInPrimaryStoryThread, RangeData::kLeanForward);

and then making a different version of the function GetTextFrameTextRange() where the line

*outStr = this->GetWideStringFromTextFrame(mcf);

is replaced by

InDesign::TextRange tr = this->GetTextFrameFullTextIncludingOverflowRange(mcf);
*outStr = GetWideStringFromTextRange(tr);

This is quite a pain just to get the text in the box, but it works.

Very best regards,

Olivier

[Olivier Beltrami]

ERRATUM: the second occurrence of "GetTextFrameTextRange()" in my post above should in fact be "GetTextInFrame()".