Using Extendscript Tools And Features - Adobe 27510753 - InDesign CS2 - PC Manual

Adobe InDesign CS2 Scripting Guide
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Using ExtendScript Tools and Features

ExtendScript is Adobe's extended implementation of JavaScript, and is used by all Adobe Creative Suite 2
applications that provide a scripting interface. In addition to implementing the JavaScript language according
to the W3C specification, ExtendScript provides certain additional features and utilities.
For help in developing, debugging, and testing scripts, ExtendScript provides:
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The ExtendScript Toolkit , an interactive development and testing environment for ExtendScript.
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A global debugging object, the Dollar ($) Object.
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A reporting utility for ExtendScript elements, the ExtendScript Reflection Interface.
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In addition, ExtendScript provides these tools and features:
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A localization utility for providing user-interface string values in different languages. See the "Localiz-
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ing ExtendScript Strings" section.
Global functions for displaying short messages in dialog boxes; see the "User Notification Helper Func-
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tions" section.
An object type for specifying measurement values together with their units. See the "Specifying Mea-
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surement Values" section.
Tools for combining scripts, such as a #include directive, and import and export statements. See
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the "Modular Programming Support" section.
Support for extending or overriding math and logical operator behavior on a class-by-class basis. See
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the "Operator Overloading" section.
ExtendScript provides a common scripting environment for all Adobe Creative Suite 2 applications, and
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allows interapplication communication through scripts.
To identify specific Adobe Creative Suite 2 applications, scripts must use application and namespace
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specifiers as described in the "Application and namespace specifiers " section.
Applications can run scripts automatically on startup. See the "Script Locations and Checking
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Application Installation" section.
For details about interapplication communication, see the Bridge JavaScript Reference, available with
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Adobe Creative Suite 2.
Using ExtendScript Tools and Features 43