Adobe has long offered users the option of automating InDesign workflows through scripting. Although scripts may be writing in AppleScript (Macintosh only) or VBScript (Windows only), the most satisfactory scripting language is the cross-platform, and very widely used, JavaScript. One of the simplest and yet most useful operations that can be accomplished using scripting is the automation of Find/Change. InDesign’s Find/Change feature is one of the program’s most powerful features and it is one of those features which can be fully automated by scripting. In fact, you can achieve a lot more through scripting than you can by manually performing a Find/Change operation.

There are three commands in the InDesign scripting framework for performing Find/Change operations: findText(), findGrep() and findGlyph(). A good deal can be accomplished using the straightforward findText() command. However, if you need to make fairly complex changes, and if you have the time and patience to find the right regular expression, you can use the findGrep() command which is designed for performing searches for regular expressions.

Before performing a Find/Change operation, you need to set up the preferences that will be used. Firstly, you set the properties of the findChangeTextOptions object: parameters include caseSensitive, wholeWord, ignoreHiddenLayers and ignoreMasterPages. Next, you set up your findTextPreferences and changeTextPreferences parameters, the most important of which are findWhat and changeTo, respectively. It is also usually a good idea to clear out any preferences that may still be in play from a previous search. This is done by setting both the findTextPreferences and changeTextPreferences objects to nothing, using the commands: app.findTextPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing and app.changeTextPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing.

Just as when performing Find/Change manually, the findTextPreferences and changeTextPreferences objects offer all of the formatting parameters normally available with text objects.

One of the practical exercises which we give to students attending our InDesign scripting courses is to create a script which searches for the name of a company within a document, changes the format of the text to look like a regular web hyperlink (blue, bold, underlined) and then makes it a hyperlink. To change the format of the text, we simply use the appropriate properties of the changeTextPreferences object, such as fillColor, fontStyle and underline.

To learn more about InDesign training courses, visit Macresource Computer Training, an independent computer training company offering InDesign Classes in London and throughout the UK.

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Are you a graphic designer or working from home on your own design projects? If you are not using InDesign, you may be missing out on features which make it easier to design and publish your work electronically. However, InDesign training may be necessary for you to be able to properly and fully utilize the different features of this versatile program.

There are a number of different features to the program. InDesign is actually a part of a group of programs designed to help with print and web design. Like many other computer programs, there are different versions of this program. Depending on whether you are looking at web design or print applications, you can select from products which focus on these applications. The current version of these programs on the market today is the fourth one. It is often abbreviated to CS4 by people who are working in the design industry.

If you will be using InDesign, you need to decide where you want to take your training, and what your learning style is. You can take courses in person at a local college or you can take courses online. Adobe, the makers of InDesign and Creative Suite have a website where you can find listings for courses and tutorials.

The second thing to consider is what your learning styles and preferences are. Do you need one on one instruction from a live teacher? Online courses, while excellent, may not be for you then. You want to make sure that if you are dealing with an unfamiliar computer program you can speak with an instructor before any major problems or misunderstandings arise. This may be solved if you are taking an electronic class format that allows you to contact the instructor if needed. Where a live course is being held and who is teaching it are also important things to look at. You may want to make sure that you take a course from a school with a design or art department. They will have instructors who are more likely to be experienced with the program on more than a casual basis.

If you are looking for an InDesign training course and you have no background in design, it may not be a bad idea to brush up on your knowledge before taking a design program course. This is because knowing the elements of good design will help you use the program properly and it can help you stand the best chance of succeeding. Why? If you do not understand what goes into a good design or what the design process is, you may find it more difficult to submit projects and assignments that are graded well. It may be difficult for the teacher to tell whether you are having problems with the program or the design process that went into laying out and formatting that particular piece.

As mentioned earlier, you want to make sure that the course is teaching the version of InDesign that you want. It may seem like everyone would want to use the latest version of the program but if that is not what you will be using for work, you may find that learning about the new features may not be necessary. The newest version of InDesign has a number of unique features that previous versions did not. However, some companies may still be using an older version of the program, so you may want to find a course that covers those programs.

Professional development is a great thing to complete. Learning new skills and programs that are related to your job can be a wonderful way to make you a more valuable employee. It is not difficult to find a course which teaches InDesign and the time may be well worth it in the end.

The writer of this article is a trainer and developer with an independent computer training company offering Adobe InDesign training courses as well as Photoshop training at their central London training centre.