Indesign Script to test Character Variants in Indesign

Sami Artur Mandelbaum

Indesign is capable to access any opentype feature from a script.
Here a script to test a font with Character Variant in Indesign:

if( app.selection.length ) // do we have a selection?
if( app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("opentypeFeatures") )
if( app.selection[0].opentypeFeatures.toSource()=="[[\"cv01\", 1]]" )
    app.selection[0].opentypeFeatures = []; // reset to nothing
else
   app.selection[0].opentypeFeatures=[["cv01",1]];



Copy this text to text editor and save wit jsx extension, ex: CV01.jsx.
Copy the file to indesign scripts directory.
Usually this directory in windows is: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign 2021\Scripts\Scripts Panel\Scripts.
This is a simple script and You need to change the number of the "CVxx features" for every diferent "CVxx" and save with a different name.
This script is for "Character Variant 01"
Clicking one time to CVxx "On" and another to CVxx "Off".
I have test this feature using source code pro: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Source+Sans+Pro#standard-style
I know this is a simple script but please tell me what do you think?
Regards
Sami

Stefan Peev

@Sami Artur Mandelbaum Thank you! It works on my own font with CV features (Windows 8.1, Indesign CS6). I suggest to publish the script on GitHub.

Sami Artur Mandelbaum

https://github.com/samiartur/Character-Variant-Java-Script-for-Indesing

Stefan Peev

@Sami Artur Mandelbaum The link return error 404!

Sami Artur Mandelbaum

I am sorry @Stefan Peev, it's my first time in Github.
Now I change the repository to public, try again, pleae.

Stefan Peev

The link is OK now, @Sami Artur Mandelbaum. Thank you again!

John Hudson

Did you mean to spell InDesign incorrectly in the GitHub URL (Indesing) and readme (Indesin)? That will make it harder to find for people searching for InDesign related content.

Sami Artur Mandelbaum

Thank You @John Hudson, I made a correction, I hope it is right this time, the link still the same.

John Hudson

Since the repo is a new one, I think the best thing to do would be to rename the repo, which will fix the URL and the reference. You can rename a repo by going into the settings.

Sami Artur Mandelbaum

I made a change in readme.md, I hope is right this time.
It really hard for me making changes in Github.
Sami

John Hudson

Well, the spelling in the readme is now incorrect in the same way as in the repo name and URL, so I suppose that is a kind of consistency. 

Sami Artur Mandelbaum

I've made a second Indesign script with a prompt.
Now You can digit the number of the Character Variant (always 2 algarisms) in your text selection.
To remove the feature click again and digit "00" or remove the numbers.
It is still a very simple script but now You don't need to create a script for every Character Variant feature number.
New link:
https://github.com/samiartur/Character-Variant-Java-Script-for-Indesign
Please let me know what you think.
Sami

Stefan Peev

@Sami Artur Mandelbaum It works. Thank you!