General

Feel free to download and use the scripts listed here. You do so at your own risk: I accept no liability for anything that you may think was caused by any of these scripts. Always take the necessary precautions, the most important being to try out a script on copies of your working files, never on originals. When using scripts that work or may work on files in folders (such as the batch converter), consider zipping the files first or copying the contents of the folder somewhere else.

The scripts are in JavaScript and can be used both in Windows and on Macs. Several are in rough-and-ready form in that they use no interface, and variable information (style names, folder names, etc.) needs to be changed in the code. That's how I use most scripts. If you want an interface for any of the interfaceless scripts here, I'll add it for a fee.

The scripts are free to use, but acknowledgement will be appreciated. Any of these scripts can be customised; contact me for any special requirements (details at bottom of this page).

Downloading and installing scripts

To download a script, right-click Show script and choose Save Target/Link As at the foot of the script's description page, then place the script in the script folder (locations are given below). Some pages have a Download script button instead of a "Show script" button; just click that when you see it.

Files that you downloaded which have the extension .jsx are ready to be run. Some scripts, however, are zipped. When you unzip these .zip files, you get a file with the extension .jsxbin. Treat such a file as if it were a .jsx file: place it in the scripts folder and double-click them to run. (It's not possible to edit jsxbin scripts.)

Running a script

In Indesign, you run a script from the Script palette (Window > Automation > Scripts). This goes for .jsx scripts and for .jsxbin scripts. Scripts can be assigned to shortcut keys for easy access. You can also use the script launcher listed on the contents page (my preferred way of running scripts).

InDesign versions

Many CS2 scripts will run happily in CS3. When a CS2 script does not work in CS3, create a folder Version 4.0 Scripts and run the script from there. Only rarely will a CS2 script fail in CS3 whatever you do. This is the case with scripts that rely on the order in which you select objects (the align-object script is an example). This one requires different versions for CS2 and CS3.

CS3 and later are pretty similar. Virtually all CS3 scripts run in CS4. The other way around can be tricky.

Script locations

Where you store your Javascripts depends on your operating system and platform. The easiest way to find out where your scripts are is as follows. In InDesign, display the Scripts panel (Window > Automation > Scripts).

You can use any of the two folders you see there: scripts in Application can be run by all users, those in User only by the current user. Anyway, right-click one of the folders and in the fly-out pick Reveal in Explorer (PC) or Reveal in Finder (Mac).

In the window that opens now, click on the folder Scripts Panel. This is the folder where you store your scripts.

Modifying a script

Scripts are plain text files and can be edited in any plain-text editor (Notepad, BBEdit, etc.). A convenient way to edit a script after you've installed it is this: in the script palette, right-click the script's name (or click the fly-out) and pick "Edit script". This will fire up ESTK -- InDesign's JavaScript editor -- and load the script into it. Don't be intimidated by all kinds of windows you see or the different colours you see in the text: it's just plain text. Make any changes you want or are instructed to make, then save the script (File > Save) and exit the ESTK. (Note: scripts with the extension .jsxbin cannot be modified.)

Contact

You can reach me via the address here.