InDesign Scripting: Putting TextFrames in Perspective - for Visually Oriented Scripters
Feb 04, 2011
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Episode description
I admit it: I don't know the InDesign Scripting DOM by heart, so I spend a lot of time browsing around in the ExtendScript Toolkit Object Model Viewer.
I frequently work on very diverse projects - sometimes it's GWT/Java, sometimes it's ActionScript, sometimes it's PHP/WordPress, sometimes it's C++ or REALbasic, and so on... - and invariably, when I come back to a particular project, I need to spend some time refreshing basic knowledge.
It's like my brain 'switches' programming environment, and when I am deeply immersed in Java, I almost forget how to spell 'EkstentScript'.
The ExtendScript Toolkit Object Model Viewer (you find it under the 'Help' menu) is great for browsing the object model - but when it's been a while, it still feels like I am wading through molasses. One of the reasons for that is that I am a visually-oriented person. A picture is worth a few thousand mouse-clicks to me!
Lately, I've been revisiting BarredText - one of our latest scripted plug-ins, and to do that, I need to get back up to speed on TextFrames, Columns, Characters, Stories, and so on.
I decided I'd put in a little bit more effort, and put everything into a diagram - I've made a 2-page PDF file as a refresher I'll use next time I need to figure out how those buggers relate.
Because this might be useful to other people, I decided to release the PDF file under the 'Attribution-Share Alike' Creative Commons license:
http://www.rorohiko.com/downloads/rorohiko.blogspot.com-extendscript-textframe.pdf
I am not claiming this is error-free - if you find any errors, or can see ways to improve this, please let me know.
And if you like this - let me know too! Soon, I need to revisit tables and cells in ExtendScript - who knows, if I get enough positive feedback I might do another visual representation.
I frequently work on very diverse projects - sometimes it's GWT/Java, sometimes it's ActionScript, sometimes it's PHP/WordPress, sometimes it's C++ or REALbasic, and so on... - and invariably, when I come back to a particular project, I need to spend some time refreshing basic knowledge.
It's like my brain 'switches' programming environment, and when I am deeply immersed in Java, I almost forget how to spell 'EkstentScript'.
The ExtendScript Toolkit Object Model Viewer (you find it under the 'Help' menu) is great for browsing the object model - but when it's been a while, it still feels like I am wading through molasses. One of the reasons for that is that I am a visually-oriented person. A picture is worth a few thousand mouse-clicks to me!
Lately, I've been revisiting BarredText - one of our latest scripted plug-ins, and to do that, I need to get back up to speed on TextFrames, Columns, Characters, Stories, and so on.
I decided I'd put in a little bit more effort, and put everything into a diagram - I've made a 2-page PDF file as a refresher I'll use next time I need to figure out how those buggers relate.
Because this might be useful to other people, I decided to release the PDF file under the 'Attribution-Share Alike' Creative Commons license:
http://www.rorohiko.com/downloads/rorohiko.blogspot.com-extendscript-textframe.pdf
I am not claiming this is error-free - if you find any errors, or can see ways to improve this, please let me know.
And if you like this - let me know too! Soon, I need to revisit tables and cells in ExtendScript - who knows, if I get enough positive feedback I might do another visual representation.
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