InDesign script: footnotes loosing their style

Question

Ok, I know this had been already discussed here but no clear answer had been provided. I often need to import XML files into InDesign, many footnotes included. Of course, InD is not able to use tags automatically in this case. This script works well except all footnotes loose their styles. I know it could be because of the contents on lines 27 and 35. It is needed to use move instead. Unfortunately, I am not good at JavaScript and can't figure out how to implement that properly.

Application.prototype.main = function(){
if ( this.documents.length <= 0 ) return;
var tg = this.selection[0] || this.activeDocument;
if( 'appliedFont' in tg ) tg = tg.parent;
if( tg.constructor == TextFrame ){ tg = tg.parentStory ; }
if(! ('findGrep' in tg) ) return;

var fnPatterns = ["@foot@([\\s\\S]*?)@foot@", "@footnotes_begin@([\\s\\S]*?)@footnotes_end@"];
var count = 0;

for(patterCounter = 0; patterCounter < fnPatterns.length; patterCounter++){ 
    fnPattern = fnPatterns[patterCounter]; 

    var fnFinds = (function(){              
        this.findGrepPreferences = this.changeGrepPreferences = null;
            this.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = fnPattern;            
            var ret = tg.findGrep();
            this.findGrepPreferences = this.changeGrepPreferences = null;

        return ret;
    }).call(this);


    var fnFind, fnText, rg = new RegExp(fnPattern), ip, fnParent, fn, count;

    while( fnFind=fnFinds.pop() ){
        fnText = fnFind.contents.match(rg)[1];


        fnParent = fnFind.parent.getElements()[0];
        ip = fnFind.insertionPoints[0].index
        try {
            fnFind.remove();
            fn = fnParent.footnotes.add(LocationOptions.BEFORE, fnParent.insertionPoints[ip]);
            fn.texts[0].insertionPoints[-1].contents = fnText;
            ++count;
        }
            catch(_){}
    }
}

alert((count)? (count+" footnote(s) successfully added."): "No footnote added. Make sure you use the relevant pattern.");
}
app.doScript('app.main();', ScriptLanguage.javascript,
undefined, UndoModes.entireScript, app.activeScript.displayName);

Answer 1

The problem is exactly the same as in the question you linked to: you are manipulating a plain string translation in Javascript, not the native InDesign text object itself. Use move and duplicate methods on the text property of the found list instead.

A basic solution is to use

    fn = fnFind.footnotes.add(LocationOptions.AFTER, fnFind.insertionPoints[-1]);
    fnFind.texts[0].move (LocationOptions.AT_END, fn.texts[0]);

but this will copy the start and end markers as well. It takes a bit more to remove them; I based the following adjustments in your original script on your GREP patterns, but it may be safer to build an explicit list of prefix / suffix pairs, as you also can use them to construct the GREP searches.

The next problem, then, is if you copy ( duplicate , in InDesign's DOM) the found text, the original "found" text will now have the footnote attached to it! This is because one line earlier, you add the footnote to the "found" text . So you cannot use a simple remove to delete it; again, you need to manipulate the text object, but this time through its individual characters. My last adjusted line 'selects' the fnFind texts, minus its very last character (which is the newly added footnote), and deletes it.

var fnFind, fnPrefix,fnSuffix, rg = new RegExp(fnPattern), ip, fnParent, fn, count;

while( fnFind=fnFinds.pop() ){
    fnPrefix = fnFind.contents.match(/^@[^@]+@/)[0];
    fnSuffix = fnFind.contents.match(/@[^@]+@/)[0];

    // add footnote
    fn = fnFind.footnotes.add(LocationOptions.AFTER, fnFind.insertionPoints[-1]);
    // duplicate the text
    fnFind.texts[0].characters.itemByRange(fnPrefix.length,fnFind.texts[0].characters.length-fnSuffix.length-1).duplicate(LocationOptions.AT_END, fn.texts[0]);
    // remove the original
    fnFind.characters.itemByRange(0,fnFind.characters.length-2).remove();
    ++count;
}