Quick start guide

Create your first Adobe InDesign Server script.

Creating your first Hello World InDesign Server Script

Let's get started with your first InDesign Server script. The traditional first project in any programming language is to display, or print, the message "Hello World!" In this example, we create a new InDesign Server publication, add a frame containing this message, and save the document. At that point, you can open and view the document using InDesign.

Note: These examples assume that you are entering and running the script on the system on which InDesign Server is installed. For instructions on running scripts using the Test Client or SOAP commands, see Introduction to Adobe InDesign Server Development.

1. Using the Text editor, enter the following script:

Copy
//HelloWorld.idjs
//An InDesign JavaScript
//
//Creates a new document, adds a text frame,
//resizes the text frame, and adds text.
var myDocument = app.documents.add();
var myTextFrame = myDocument.pages.item(0).textFrames.add();
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = ["6p", "6p", "24p", "24p"];
myTextFrame.contents = "Hello World!";
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//HelloWorld.idjs
//An InDesign JavaScript
//
//Creates a new document, adds a text frame,
//resizes the text frame, and adds text.
var myDocument = app.documents.add();
var myTextFrame = myDocument.pages.item(0).textFrames.add();
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = ["6p", "6p", "24p", "24p"];
myTextFrame.contents = "Hello World!";

2. Save the text as a plain text file with the file extension.idjs.
3. Execute the script in IDS.
4. Open and view the document with InDesign.

Congratulations! You have now created your first InDesign Server script. Below goes over how to add more features to it.

Adding features to your Hello World InDesign Server Script

Next, we create a script that creates another "Hello World" document. Our second script will do the following:

• Use a function to get the page dimensions and page margins of a document.
• Resize a text frame.
• Change the formatting of the text in the text frame.
• Export as PDF.

1. Using the text editor, enter the following script:

Copy
//ImprovedHelloWorld.idjs
//An InDesign JavaScript
//
//Enter the name of a font on your system, if necessary.
var myFont = app.fonts.item("Arial");
var myDocument = app.documents.item(0);
var myPage = myDocument.pages.item(0);
//Get page width and page height using the function "myGetBounds".
var myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage);
var myTextFrame = myPage.textFrames.item(0);
//Resize the text frame to match the publication margins.
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = myBounds;
var myParagraph = myTextFrame.paragraphs.item(0);
//Change the font, size, and alignment.
myParagraph.appliedFont = myFont;
myParagraph.pointSize = 48;
myParagraph.justification = Justification.centerAlign;
function myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage){
var myPageWidth = myDocument.documentPreferences.pageWidth;
var myPageHeight = myDocument.documentPreferences.pageHeight
if(myPage.side == PageSideOptions.leftHand){
var myX2 = myPage.marginPreferences.left;
var myX1 = myPage.marginPreferences.right;
}
else{
var myX1 = myPage.marginPreferences.left;
var myX2 = myPage.marginPreferences.right;
}
var myY1 = myPage.marginPreferences.top;
var myX2 = myPageWidth - myX2;
var myY2 = myPageHeight - myPage.marginPreferences.bottom;
return [myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2];
}
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//ImprovedHelloWorld.idjs
//An InDesign JavaScript
//
//Enter the name of a font on your system, if necessary.
var myFont = app.fonts.item("Arial");
var myDocument = app.documents.item(0);
var myPage = myDocument.pages.item(0);
//Get page width and page height using the function "myGetBounds".
var myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage);
var myTextFrame = myPage.textFrames.item(0);
//Resize the text frame to match the publication margins.
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = myBounds;
var myParagraph = myTextFrame.paragraphs.item(0);
//Change the font, size, and alignment.
myParagraph.appliedFont = myFont;
myParagraph.pointSize = 48;
myParagraph.justification = Justification.centerAlign;
function myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage){
var myPageWidth = myDocument.documentPreferences.pageWidth;
var myPageHeight = myDocument.documentPreferences.pageHeight
if(myPage.side == PageSideOptions.leftHand){
var myX2 = myPage.marginPreferences.left;
var myX1 = myPage.marginPreferences.right;
}
else{
var myX1 = myPage.marginPreferences.left;
var myX2 = myPage.marginPreferences.right;
}
var myY1 = myPage.marginPreferences.top;
var myX2 = myPageWidth - myX2;
var myY2 = myPageHeight - myPage.marginPreferences.bottom;
return [myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2];
}

2. Save the text as a plain text file with the file extension .idjs.
3. Execute the script in IDS.
4. Open and view the exported PDF with Acrobat or Adobe Reader