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Adobe InDesign: Bugs

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  1. Version of Adobe InDesign, InCopy or InDesign Server
  2. Steps to reproduce the issues
  3. Expected result
  4. Actual result
  5. Test file, screenshot, video or GIF capturing the issue (optional)
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54 results found

  1. Navigation Points Not Available to Scripting in InDesign 2021 (16.0)

    Problem Description:
    Querying navigation points inside a movie trigger errors from InDesign 16.

    Steps to Reproduce:
    1. Query movie.navigationPoints.length or movie.navigationPoints.count() with Extendscript.

    The following script shows this issue(s) with simple document containing a move and one button with a play at navigation point action applied.

    var btn = app.activeDocument.buttons[0];
    var beh = btn.behaviors[0];
    var mov = beh.movieItem;
    var navPts = mov.navigationPoints;
    try{
    alert(navPts.length); /doesn't exist/
    }catch(err) { alert([err,err.line])}

    try{
    alert(navPts.count()); /*Give incorrect error - Error: Request failed because the underlying functionality is no longer available in the current version of the application */
    }catch(err) { alert([err,err.line])}

    alert(navPts.everyItem().getElements().length);…

    64 votes

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    6 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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  2. InDesign 2024 starts with "CreateObject("InDesign.Application.2023")" in an environment where 2023 and 2024 coexist.

    Reproduction steps
    1. InDesign 2023 (18.x) is installed on Windows
    2. Install InDesign 2024 (19.0) there.
    3. Run the following code in VBScript.
    Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application.2023")

    Expected result
    InDesign 2024 (19.0) will start.

    Actual result
    InDesign 2023 (18.0) will start.

    cause
    InDesign 2024 installer is overwriting the 2023 registry.
    \HKCR\CLSID{231441AB-8969-4F6D-8CD1-B596C4047898}
    is the registry for InDesign 2023, but the InDesign 2024 installer has rewritten the contents to InDesign 2024. The same goes for related registries.

    25 votes

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    7 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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    The fix of the issue is now available in the latest InDesign 2024(v19.0.1.205). We recommend you upgrade to the latest version for the fix.

    If you are unable to see the update, go to the Creative Cloud application and click on the context menu on the top right and click on Check for App Updates.

    Adobe InDesign Team

  3. [ID-4236366]Scripts using BridgeTalk do not work on M1 Macs (regardless of CC version)

    ID version: InDesign CC 2021 (16.3.2)
    OS: macOS Big Sur 11.5.2
    Processor: Apple M1

    When I try to run a script that uses BridgeTalk and works with Photoshop, it does not work.
    Also, a simple script using BridgeTalk will not work as well.
    Those scripts do work in CC 2021 on Intel Mac and macOS Big Sur 11.5.2.

    25 votes

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    2 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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  4. External Object 'lib:AdobeXMPScript' not exist!

    Try to execute the attached code in the screenshot.
    And you will this error:

    Error Number: 52
    Error String: I/O Error

    18 votes

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    4 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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  5. ID 2020 bug - checkbox not shown.

    in ID2019 everything is Ok - the checkbox is visible. But in 2020 - not!

    var w = new Window("dialog");
    var list = w.add ("listbox", undefined, ["One", "Two", "Three", "Four"]);
    list.items[1].checked = true;
    w.show();

    8 votes

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    0 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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    Under Review  ·  amaarora responded

    Thanks for reporting the issue
    We are reviewing it

    -InDesign Team

  6. 7 votes

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    0 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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  7. AdobeXMPScript v 17.2.0.20

    Windows 10

    Adobe InDesign CC2022 (v 17.2.0.20)

    ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript = new ExternalObject( "lib:AdobeXMPScript" )

    returns

    ERROR: 52, I/O error
    Unable to load the AdobeXMPScript library!

    7 votes

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    4 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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  8. AppleScript Finder communication

    InDesign version 16.3.2 with OSX 10.14.6 or later

    Indesign script‘s with calls to the Finder or other Apple apps work running from Apple’s Script Editor, but break when running from InDesign’s Scripts panel. Get an Not Authorized to Send Apple Events to Finder error.

    This breaks when running from the Scripts panel, but worked with InDesign 2020:

    tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"
    tell application "Finder"
    activate
    display dialog "Hello"
    end tell
    end tell

    Calls to other Adobe apps are ok, so this still works from the panel:

    tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"
    tell application id "com.adobe.Photoshop"
    activate
    display dialog "Hello"
    end tell…

    6 votes

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  9. Applescript export and save commands not working

    InDesign 2025 - Applescript export and save commands not working.
    Tested on muliple mac OS versions

    4 votes

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    2 comments  ·  Scripting  ·  Admin →
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  10. [Scripting] Document.findObject() incorrectly targets activeDocument

    System: Indesign 18.4, MacOS 13.4.1

    To reproduce:
    1. Open two documents, each with a filled frame 100% tint.
    2. Run attached script "findObject bug.js"
    3. Note the console output.
    4. Refer to this forum post for notes and commentary.

    Expected result:
    doc.findObject() will return found items from both open documents.

    Actual result:
    doc.findObject() returns only items from active document.

    Note that using app.findObject() is not a viable workaround in some cases, such as the issue in this post.

    4 votes

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  11. masterSpread.primaryTextFrame can't be set in jsx

    See: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/create-primarytextframe/m-p/13362907#M503701

    The primaryTextFrame property under masterSpread doesn't seem to work. If there is an existing PTF on the spread, then mySpread.primaryTextFrame.isValid resolves as true, but it cannot be set to NothingEnum.NOTHING/null, and a non-PTF on the spread cannot be assigned to mySpread.primaryTextFrame.

    4 votes

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  12. Object Styles within Object Style Groups cannot be set to Document.pageItemDefaults (Scripting)

    See this thread in community forum: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/script-cannot-set-an-object-style-as-a-default-frame-style-if-this-style-is-inside-a-folder/td-p/13062809

    If an object style is within a group, it cannot be assigned as the appliedTextObjectStyle in Document.pageItemDefaults. Have not checked whether the same is true for appliedGraphicObjectStyle

    4 votes

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  13. appliedLanguage property of text-related objects returns language from application, not document

    When I do configuration for a language in a document, such as setting doubleQuotes, this language can be found in the document object's list of languages and has a different id than the language with the same name in the application object's list.

    But when I access text inside the document – regardless what I inspect, paragraph, words, character, textStyleRange – I expect to get the language properties as set in the document, but instead I get those as set in the app.

    I believe this to be a software bug.

    More information as well as a workaround can be…

    4 votes

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  14. InDesign incorrect font.version when SUBSTITUED

    In an InDesign document when a font.status is SUBSTITUED, both the xmpTPg:Fonts/Resource/stFnt:versionString and also font.version property show the value of the font which is used by InDesign for the substitute font, and not the original (now missing) font version.

    As anyone who has worked with font purchasing knows, the font version is extremely important. Both because of licensing reasons (previously purchased font licenses for font versions may need to be repurchased with newer versions), and also because even in a font produced by the same foundry or designer, a minor version change can include optical differences, spacing differences causing text…

    3 votes

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  15. ID crashes when call method "createHyperlinkQRCode" on Rectangle from "afterOpen" event handler

    ID 18.1 Windows 10

    I'm trying to develop a script that updates the QR code (creates anew in the same Rectangle ) when the document is opened.

    The Startup Script sets the event handler of the "afterOpen" event, where the "createHyperlinkQRCode" method is called on the found Rectangle object.

    In this case, InDesign crashes with an error
    <crash exception="EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" exceptionCode="0xc0000005" instruction="0x00007FFD49229914">

    Creating a QR code manually through the main menu does not cause errors. The error does not occur when the script calls the "createHyperlinkQRCode" method on the Document object. But in this case, I have to point with the…

    3 votes

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  16. 2 votes

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  17. undo() does work, but spawns pointless error

    // ----
    function inner() {
    
        var doc = app.activeDocument;
        var i = doc.layers.length;
            while (i-->1) {
            doc.layers[i].remove();
        }
    }
    
    function outher() {
    
        app.doScript(inner,ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT,[],UndoModes.SCRIPT_REQUEST,'outher');
        alert("pause");
        app.activeDocument.undo(); //<- wrong error, it actually works
    }
    
    app.doScript(outher,ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT,[],UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT,'inner');
    
    // ----
    

    Also, this error is not ingnorable: if you put undo() in a try-clause, it doesnt work.

    Alsoalso, the different undo-modes (https://developer.adobe.com/indesign/dom/api/u/UndoModes/) are NOT sufficient explained. At least write some whole sentences on how they actually differ.

    2 votes

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  18. email QR Codes don't work with MATMSG formatting

    InDesign 18.1 on Mac OS 13.2.1 Ventura - Data merge for email QR codes specifically doesn't work, and your documentation is frankly non-existent. Using the MATMSG format doesn't produce a working QR with Data Merge, but using HTML format mailto in Plain Text does. I'm sure I'll run into the wrong version VCARD problem soon, too.

    This is consistent using the MATMSG format in a .csv with data Merge. Using the manual entry isn't a workable option due to the quantity of codes being generated.

    2 votes

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  19. InDesign: Insert authors document's metadata without quotes

    Version
    Adobe InDesign up to 2023.

    Steps to reproduce the issues
    Setting the active document’s metadataPreferences.author with multiple authors, separated by comma or semicolon in a string via extendscript:

    app.activeDocument.metadataPreferences.author = "Elric Wade; Anne Emu; Sophie Kumpir";

    Expected result
    The authors should be placed into the "Author" metadata field, separated by comma or semicolon.

    Actual result
    The authors are placed into the "Author" metadata field, but all set within double quotes, so they appear to be one author, not multiple authors.

    Test file, screenshot, video or GIF capturing the issue (optional)
    See attached screenshot.

    Please make it possible to add…

    2 votes

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  20. matchPreviewBackgroundToThemeColor resets pasteboardMargins to [0,0]

    In a script, app.activeDocument.pasteboardPreferences.matchPreviewBackgroundToThemeColor to 1 causes app.activeDocument.pasteboardPreferences.pasteboardMargins to reset to [0,0].

    Furthermore, setting the pasteboardMargins doesn't work after setting app.activeDocument.pasteboardPreferences.matchPreviewBackgroundToThemeColor to 1.

    (While matchPreviewBackgroundToThemeColor is set to 0 everything works fine.)

    2 votes

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