Adobe Creative Suite SDK Cookbook

Most Popular Recipes

• Communicating between JavaScript and the Creative Suite SDK using HostObject
  • Zak Nelson 
  •   May 17, 2010
  • Avg. rating 5.00
  
  

  Problem

  You need the ability to call JavaScript functions from the Creative Suite SDK (CS SDK) and vice versa.

  Solution

  In the following code, I'll explain how to use HostObject to communicate between JavaScript and the CS SDK. This will involve embedding your JavaScript in your swf and defining interfaces for communication between the two different contexts. Note, this recipe will not cover using CSXSInterface.evalScript but that is another viable method for communicating from the CS SDK to JavaScript.

• Inter-Application Communication with the Creative Suite SDK
  • Bob Stucky 
  •   January 27, 2011
  • Avg. rating 5.00
  
  

  Problem

  Based on Flash and ActionScript, the CS SDK has no equivalent statement to ExtendScripts "eval()" function. That is just one reason why using BridgeTalk with a CS SDK extension makes little sense in an ActionScript context. Without BridgeTalk, how do you talk between Creative Suite applications and extensions?

  Solution

  One solution is to use CSXSEvents between the CS SDK Extensions. This would work fine providing the host applications both support CSXS. But that leave Bridge and Air Applications out in the cold. Another solution is to set up socket communications between an extension and whatever wants to communicate with it. Using sockets makes it easy to communicate from Air applications to CS SDK Extensions.

• Using InDesign doScript UndoModes in ActionScript
  • Harbs. 
  •   January 30, 2011
  • Avg. rating 5.00
  
  

  Problem

  UndoModes in InDesign (CS4 and later) allow for multiple steps in a script to be saved as a single step in the undo stack. Using this capability in a CS SDK extension is not very straight-forward because you can't pass in ActionScript code to a doScript. doScript() accepts one of the three scripting languages which ActionScript is not one.

  Solution

  Use one of the native scripting languages as the argument of the doScript(). There are many ways of approaching this as described below.

• ComboBox that uses a NativeMenu (Air API)
  • Bob Stucky 
  •   June 25, 2010
  • Avg. rating 5.00
  
  

  Problem

  When using a ComboBox, the menu for the ComboBox is clipped by the stage. If you need wide menu items, you have little choice by place the ComboBox so that this isn't an issue.

  Solution

  This example extends a ComboBox to use the NativeMenu class (flash.display.NativeMenu) to display the menu for the ComboBox, eliminating this problem.

• Synchronizing Extension Data Models between CS Applications
  • Bob Stucky 
  •   July 26, 2011
  • Avg. rating 5.00
  
  

  Problem

  So you've made this really cool extension that runs under more than one CS product. That being the case, it's quite possible your user will have the extension open in more than one CS app at a time. If that should happen, it might (depending on what your extension does) be nice to have the extensions show the same data all the time across all instances of the extension.

  Solution

  This recipe will demonstrate one way to use CSXS Events to synchronize data models between two instances of the same extension running under different CS products.