Download Active Page Item Developer for Mac - Create professional solutions for InDesign using simple ExtendScript. MacUpdate Mac Author Tools Software Downloads

DESCRIPTION

Active Page Item Developer helps rapid software development for InDesign - it allows software developers to create professional solutions for InDesign CS/CS2/CS3/CS4 using simple ExtendScript (JavaScript).

Active Page Item Developer resolves the shortcomings that make 'pure' ExtendScript non-viable for professional development.

How does Active Page Item Developer (APID) enhance ExtendScript?

With Active Page Item Developer (APID), you can convert your solution to an encrypted form that is disguised as a plug-in, or embedded into a document. These encrypted scripts are not open for inspection.
For optional copy protection, APID provides a licensing system that ties into the InDesign serial number. The end-user needs a proper license from you before the scripts can be executed. You can also provide your potential customers with a time-limited demo of your solution.
Standard ExtendScripts without APID are 'naked' - i.e. if you create a solution in ExtendScript without APID, your users would be able to freely open, inspect, copy, modify the scripts
APID defines an 'event model', where one page item can 'observe' another, and page items can 'listen' to events like open, close, save, idle, context menu,... For example, simply moving one page item can automatically trigger the execution of a script that, for example, makes other page items 'follow'.
Without APID, ExtendScripts are 'static' entities - i.e. they need to be launched by the user via the Scripts palette, and are cannot be activated in an event-driven way.
Active Page Item Developer opens up functionality that is not available in ExtendScript - for example, version 1.0 makes it possible to attach context menus to individual page items from ExtendScript. Future versions will add more functionality - e.g. creating floating palettes from ExtendScript,...
ExtendScript has a number of substantial advantages compared to using C++ for software development. It's easy to learn and use, it allows for fast development, it's cross-platform (Mac/Win), and there is no need to create different versions to support CS as well as CS2. And there are no endless run/compile/debug cycles!
Active Page Item Developer allows you to create your own Scripted Plug-Ins. To get a good idea of what can be achieved: check out some of our 'freebie' Plug-Ins - they were all created using this technology.

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WHAT'S NEW

Version 1.0.46:

CS4 compatibility
Improved speed on document load if multiple .spln files are installed.
Fixed a few crashes
The 'delete' event is currently inoperative.
Scripted page adornments. You can now use scripting (ExtendScript / AppleScript / VBScript) to add little text labels or little icons page items to show additional info to the end-user. These adornments are non-printing. They can be either text (a string), a little PNG image, or both (text on top of a PNG image). Very cool, very useful.
Added a bunch of new 'story' events
Custom context-click menus now also work without having any page items selected
Guides can now also have context-click menus
You can now install your .spln files anywhere in the plug-ins folder, and APIDToolAssistant anywhere else - making .spln files now behave a lot more like 'real' plug-ins.
You can now set a PNG logo to be shown in the 'beg' dialog for your spln
You can access the file path of your .spln file from an event handler script (e.g. to access associated resources)
There are new functions around document GUID: you can call a function to find the GUID of the frontmost document, the active document (these are not necessarily the same), or the containing document GUID of any page item.
The Undo/Redo menu now shows the proper names of your scripted menu items instead of the bland 'Undo Scripted Operation'.
You can now dynamically remove menus that you've added
You can now control the showing of checkmarks in menus and context menus
You now have more control over the order of placement of menu items
You can now access InDesign's serial number from scripting (e.g. to implement seat/license-dependent functionality)
Previously, using an .spln file caused a copy of the complete encrypted script to be embedded in every single document. That does not happen any more - which greatly reduces the footprint APID leaves on document sizes.
You get 'modified' events when a page item is detached/attached/reattached from/to a master page.
More info can be found at:
http://www.rorohiko.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=APIDDoc
(work in progress)

REQUIREMENTS

Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, InDesign CS/CS2/CS3/CS4.