Group every item - InDesign CS2

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
, , ,
#1

Hi
Can someone please tell me how I select and group every item in the active document in InDesign CS2 (pictures/text etc) like when you go

  • Edit → Select All
  • Object → Group
    I’ve had a look through MacScripter but haven’t found any examples I can get working and I don’t want to do it with UI scripting
    thanks!!
#2

The syntax is likely odder than you think. I haven’t tried InDesign, but it took me days to figure out that this is how Illustrator does it:


tell application "Illustrator CS"
	activate
	
	--group all objects in file
	set all_page_items to every page item of current document --get a list of all page objects
	set group_ref to make new group item in current document --create an empty group "container"
	move all_page_items to end of group_ref --move all the items into the group
end tell

Perhaps InDesign uses a similar syntax?

#3

Thanks for that - I think the syntax between them is very similar. If I change your script to this (it wouldn’t compile with ‘current document’)

tell application "Adobe InDesign CS2"
	activate
	
	--group all objects in file
	set all_page_items to every page item of active document --get a list of all page objects
	set group_ref to make new group item in active document --create an empty group "container"
	move all_page_items to end of group_ref --move all the items into the group
end tell

I get the following error:

Adobe InDesign CS2 got an error: Can’t make class group item.

If anyone has any ideas on this I’d be very grateful!!

#4

Check the dictionary, there is probably a slight change to the syntax. I ran into that with paretn text box of a selection that changed to plural, allowing for a selection that goes across multiple text boxes. I don’t have ID2 here to check or test but think it might be something as simple as this.

#5

Thanks for your help, but I’ve given up and decided to use UI scripting - this is the code if anyone wants it:

tell application "System Events"
	tell application process "Adobe InDesign CS2"
		click menu item "Select All" of menu 1 of menu bar item "Edit" of menu bar 1
		click menu item "Group" of menu 1 of menu bar item "Object" of menu bar 1
	end tell
end tell
#6

After a little poking around on the web, through ID2’s dictionary and the scripting guide I found that this is the proper syntax for making a group in CS2:

tell application "Adobe InDesign CS2"
	set TheSelection to selection
	tell document 1
		make group at page 1 with data {group items: TheSelection}
	end tell
end tell
#7

Thanks for trying jerome - I still get this error though

Adobe InDesign CS2 got an error: Can’t make class group.

#8

hmmm…You using CS2 right? I tested that before posting and it was working on my computer, and it’s working in CS as well here at home. You want to make sure that the you have a list of object references for the group items parameter. Technically I dont think you have to have them selected, you could build the list with a line like this:

make group at page 1 with data {group items:(every page item of page 1)}

You probably need to adjust the page number to reflect the page that you are working on or try spread if your group is straddeling pages in a spread.

#9

try this:

tell application "Adobe InDesign CS2"
	tell document 1
		set thespread to active spread of layout window 1
		make group at thespread with data {group items:every page item of thespread}
	end tell
end tell

Which should make a group of every page item on the active spread of the document.