Select group of layers by part of a name

[milevic]

Is it possible to select group with a script if i know that name of that group always contains text, for example "TEST" but other part of group name is always changing (TEST1, TEST2, TEST3...)?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

It is possible via Script. 

How frequent is the task for you? 

Enough so the Layers Panel’s name-Filer is not effivient enough? 

How does it need to be integrated in your workflow? 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

// get index of layer/s of specified name and select layers;
// 2021, use it at your own risk;
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
main ();
};
////////////////////////////////////
function main () {
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Dcmn"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") ); 
var applicationDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
var theNumber = applicationDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID("numberOfLayers"));
var theArray = new Array;
////// work through layers //////
for (var m = theNumber; m >= 0; m--) {
try {
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putIndex( charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " ), m);
var layerDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
var layerSet = typeIDToStringID(layerDesc.getEnumerationValue(stringIDToTypeID("layerSection")));
var theName = layerDesc.getString(stringIDToTypeID('name'));
var theID = layerDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID('layerID'));
////////////////////////////////////
// if neither group start or end;
if (layerSet != "layerSectionEnd" /*&& layerSet != "layerSectionStart"*/) {
// if the name matches collect index;
if(theName.match(/test/i)) {theArray.push([m, theName])};
};
////////////////////////////////////
}
catch (e) {};
};
// select the results;
if (theArray.length > 0) {
selectLayerByIndex(theArray[0][0],false);
for (var x = 1; x < theArray.length; x++) {
selectLayerByIndex(theArray[x][0],true)
}
};
};
// by mike hale, via paul riggott;
// http://forums.adobe.com/message/1944754#1944754
function selectLayerByIndex(index,add){ 
add = undefined ? add = false:add 
var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putIndex(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), index);
    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), ref );
       if(add) desc.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifier" ), stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifierType" ), stringIDToTypeID( "addToSelection" ) ); 
      desc.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID( "MkVs" ), false ); 
   try{
    executeAction(charIDToTypeID("slct"), desc, DialogModes.NO );
}catch(e){
alert(e.message); 
}
};

[milevic]

I will use it several times during the day.

In fact my needs is to find and select the layer with name PPSTDGRP (it is constant) which is in the TEST group of layers. As I mentioned TEST group has sufix which will be diferent by user.

Can you help me how to select the mentioned layer with the script?

Thanks in advanced!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

You need to amend the line 

if(theName.match(/test/i)) {theArray.push([m, theName])};

to reflect the actual string where »test« stands now. 

[Kukurykus · Accepted solution]

if (test = documents.length) {
	sTT = stringIDToTypeID, lngth = activeDocument.layerSets.length; (ref  = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('property'), json = sTT('json'))
	ref.putEnumerated(sTT('layer'), sTT('ordinal'), sTT('targetEnum')), (evl = eval('(' + (dsc = executeActionGet(ref)).getString(json) + ')')).layers.length = lngth
	function slct(v) {test = (ref = new ActionReference()).putIdentifier(sTT('layer'), layerSet.id), dsc.putReference(sTT('null'), ref), executeAction(sTT('select'), dsc)}
	(function(v){while(test && v && lngth = v.length) {var lst = lngth - 1; if (/TEST[_-]?\d+/.test((layerSet = v[lst]).name)) return slct(); callee(v[lst].layers), v.length = lst}})(evl.layers)
}

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Much more elegant! 

[Kukurykus]

If you have topic name of Michael_L_Hale and Paul_Riggott they showed their tricks in, you can find changed link to, to reput that to the code in your earlier post 😉 They're restored! 🙂

[milevic]

Thanks a lot. Just one more thing... group somethimes have special characters TEST_1 or TEST-1 and this script doesnt works when those special characters are between TEST and NUMBERS. Could you improve this?

[Kukurykus]

I inserted [_-]?

[milevic]

I encountered a new problem. I wanted to add an alert if there is no matching folder...

if (test = documents.length) {
	sTT = stringIDToTypeID, lngth = activeDocument.layerSets.length; (ref  = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('property'), json = sTT('json'))
	ref.putEnumerated(sTT('layer'), sTT('ordinal'), sTT('targetEnum')), (evl = eval('(' + (dsc = executeActionGet(ref)).getString(json) + ')')).layers.length = lngth
	function slct(v) {test = (ref = new ActionReference()).putIdentifier(sTT('layer'), layerSet.id), dsc.putReference(sTT('null'), ref), executeAction(sTT('select'), dsc)}
	(function(v){while(test && v && lngth = v.length) {var lst = lngth - 1; if (/TEST[_-]?\d+/.test((layerSet = v[lst]).name)) return slct(); callee(v[lst].layers), v.length = lst}})(evl.layers)
}
else {
alert("There is no TEST folder");}

[Kukurykus]

Over last character of my code add extra line:

	dsc.count - 2 && alert('There is no TEST folder!')

and just in case there's only background layer in the document change opening line to:

if (test = documents.length && ((lrs = activeDocument.layers).length > 1 || !lrs[0].isBackgroundLayer)) {

...or actually for consistency, first 2 lines to:

if (test = documents.length && lngth = activeDocument.layerSets.length) {
	sTT = stringIDToTypeID; (ref  = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('property'), json = sTT('json'))

[milevic]

@Kukurykus you will kill me 🙂 i got an idea, i want instead of alert to create test folder and implement some fuctions in case there is not test folder, but i dont know how to contintinus your script. Please help, i promise i will stop after this 😀

[Kukurykus]

if (test = documents.length && (aD = activeDocument).layerSets.length) {
	sTT = stringIDToTypeID; (ref  = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('property'), json = sTT('json'))
	ref.putEnumerated(sTT('layer'), sTT('ordinal'), sTT('targetEnum')), (evl = eval('(' + (dsc = executeActionGet(ref)).getString(json) + ')')).layers.length = test
	function slct(v) {test = (ref = new ActionReference()).putIdentifier(sTT('layer'), layerSet.id), dsc.putReference(sTT('null'), ref), executeAction(sTT('select'), dsc)}
	(function(v){while(test && v && lngth = v.length) {var lst = lngth - 1; if (/TEST[_-]?\d+/.test((layerSet = v[lst]).name)) return slct(); callee(v[lst].layers), v.length = lst}})(evl.layers)
	dsc.count - 2 && (aD.activeLayer = aD.layers[0], (ref = new ActionReference()).putClass(sTT('layerSection')), (dsc1 = new ActionDescriptor()).putReference(sTT('null'), ref),
	(dsc2 = new ActionDescriptor()).putString(sTT('name'), 'TEST'), dsc1.putObject(sTT('using'), sTT('layerSection'), dsc2), executeAction(sTT('make'), dsc1))
}