How do you creating a sub menu of actions to pick from using script

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

I wish to have a button in my photoshop actions which when pressed open up a window with buttons to choce further actions from.  I use a lot of actions and this would help me find the right set more easly 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Do you have any Photoshop Scripting or general JavaScript experience? 

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

I know enough to edit java but not to created it from scratch  

[Stephen Marsh]

The following extension can find actions by a search filter:

https://exchange.adobe.com/creativecloud.details.101656.action-launcher-free.html

[Bojan Živković]

Are you aware of button mode in Photoshop? Buttons can be colorized for easier navigation or find.

[jazz-y]

Perhaps you will be satisfied with this option: When launched, the script gets the name of the action from which it was launched, then searches for a set with the same name among the loaded ones and displays a window with buttons, each of which launches the action of the specified set. Not perfect, but it works.

var s2t = stringIDToTypeID,
    atn = getActionsList(),
    cur = null;

try {
    (r = new ActionReference()).putProperty(s2t('property'), p = s2t('name'));
    r.putEnumerated(s2t('action'), s2t('ordinal'), s2t('targetEnum'));
    cur = executeActionGet(r).getString(p);
} catch (e) { }

if (cur && atn[cur]) {
    var cursor = (getXY()),
        w = new Window("dialog", cur);
    w.preferredSize = [200, 200];
    w.spacing = 0;
    w.location = [cursor[0], cursor[1]+100]
    for (var i = 0; i < atn[cur].length; i++) {
        var b = w.add('button')
        b.text = atn[cur][i];
        b.onClick = function () {
            w.close()
            doAction(this.text, cur)
        }
    }
    w.show();

    function getXY() {
        var w = new Window("dialog {alignChildren: ['fill','fill'], margins: 0}"),
            g = w.add("button"),
            X, Y;
        w.preferredSize = [$.screens[0].right, $.screens[0].bottom]
        g.addEventListener('mouseover', handler)
        function handler(evt) { w.close(); X = evt.screenX, Y = evt.screenY }
        w.show();
        return [X, Y]
    }
}

function getActionsList() {
    var output = {},
        setCounter = 1
    while (true) {
        (r = new ActionReference()).putIndex(s2t('actionSet'), setCounter);
        try { desc = executeActionGet(r) } catch (e) { break; }
        var numberChildren = desc.hasKey(s2t('numberOfChildren')) ? desc.getInteger(s2t('numberOfChildren')) : 0
        if (numberChildren > 0) {
            output[desc.getString(s2t('name'))] = getActionList(setCounter, numberChildren)
        }
        setCounter++
    }
    return output;

    function getActionList(setIndex, numChildren) {
        var current = []
        for (var i = 1; i <= numChildren; i++) {
            (r = new ActionReference()).putIndex(s2t('action'), i);
            r.putIndex(s2t('actionSet'), setIndex)
            current.push(executeActionGet(r).getString(s2t('name')))
        }
        return current
    }
}

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

This looks really useful, thank you. I will try it out tomorrow.

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

Hi jazz-y

I Finally got around to trying out this Script. It works as it should when i create it but then not when i play the action after. The pathway is there to the action's laoction and I have checked the script again. any ideas? I am really keen to get this working.

Thank you again.

[jazz-y · Accepted solution]

try this:

var s2t = stringIDToTypeID,
    atn = getActionsList(),
    cur = getActionName();

if (cur && atn[cur]) {
    var cursor = (getXY()),
        w = new Window("dialog", cur);
    w.preferredSize = [200, 200];
    w.spacing = 0;
    w.location = [cursor[0], cursor[1] + 100]
    for (var i = 0; i < atn[cur].length; i++) {
        var b = w.add('button')
        b.text = atn[cur][i];
        b.onClick = function () {
            w.close()
            doAction(this.text, cur)
        }
    }
    w.show();

    function getXY() {
        var w = new Window("dialog {alignChildren: ['fill','fill'], margins: 0}"),
            g = w.add("button"),
            X, Y;
        w.preferredSize = [$.screens[0].right, $.screens[0].bottom]
        g.addEventListener('mouseover', handler)
        function handler(evt) { w.close(); X = evt.screenX, Y = evt.screenY }
        w.show();
        return [X, Y]
    }
}

function getActionsList() {
    var output = {},
        setCounter = 1
    while (true) {
        (r = new ActionReference()).putIndex(s2t('actionSet'), setCounter);
        try { desc = executeActionGet(r) } catch (e) { break; }
        var numberChildren = desc.hasKey(s2t('numberOfChildren')) ? desc.getInteger(s2t('numberOfChildren')) : 0
        if (numberChildren > 0) {
            output[desc.getString(s2t('name'))] = getActionList(setCounter, numberChildren)
        }
        setCounter++
    }
    return output;

    function getActionList(setIndex, numChildren) {
        var current = []
        for (var i = 1; i <= numChildren; i++) {
            (r = new ActionReference()).putIndex(s2t('action'), i);
            r.putIndex(s2t('actionSet'), setIndex)
            current.push(executeActionGet(r).getString(s2t('name')))
        }
        return current
    }
}

function getActionName() {
    var atn;
    try {
        (r = new ActionReference()).putEnumerated(s2t('action'), s2t('ordinal'), s2t('targetEnum'));
        var parent = executeActionGet(r).getString(s2t('parentName')),
            title = executeActionGet(r).getString(s2t('name'));
        try {
            (r = new ActionReference()).putName(s2t('actionSet'), title);
            executeActionGet(r).getInteger(s2t('itemIndex'));
            atn = title;
        } catch (e) {
            (r = new ActionReference()).putName(s2t('actionSet'), parent);
            executeActionGet(r).getInteger(s2t('itemIndex'));
            atn = parent;
        }
    }
    catch (e) { atn = null }
    return atn;
}

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

Thank you, that works everytime, you have been a great help. 

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

Hi sorry there is one last glich, when i run the action and the submenu of action come up, what ever one i press it plays the bottom one in that set. Thank you again for your help.  

[jazz-y]

change line

doAction(b.text, cur)

to:

doAction(this.text, cur)

 This should fix the issue.

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

Just made the change, all works as it should. Thank you for your help

[Stephen Marsh]

I also forgot about Paul Riggott's Action Finder script:

https://github.com/Paul-Riggott/PS-Scripts/blob/master/Action%20Finder.jsx

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

[Simon.25877479lpt6]

Thank you this looks great, I have over 150 diffrent actions and this will save alot of time.