Targeting Illustrator versions

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hi

Is there a way of targeting a particular CS version of Illustrator? I have a script that runs only on CS5 and I have another that runs only on CS3. However, I can’t seem to find a way to tell the script to perform on the version I want it to.

Before you ask…No, I can’t just work in one or the other version… Long story. :slight_smile:

Thanks

#2

I’m facing the same problems but only in Quark. So maybe my solution can help you or not

The differences in version number relies in the first 8 bytes of an Quark document. This small part shows in which version in Quark the document was saved last. So what I need to do is:

  • read 8 first byte of file
  • determine the right Quark version
  • if there is a version running of Quark and version is right then stop procedure
  • close every running version of QuarkXpress
  • startup the right version of quark using a do shell script (you could use the shell’s open command here, i’m just starting quark in the background)

The quark code itself looks always a bit clumsy

set theApp to "QuarkXpress"
using term from application "QuarkXpress" --otherwise the code won't compile
tell application theApp
tell document 1 to return count of text boxes
end tell
end using terms from

I use using terms from to make sure that the code can be compiled purely based on terminology. But I’m not sure if you need that for indesign as well.

#3

Thanks for your response.

I’ll give it a try. Although I am unsure on shell scripting.

#4

Use the full HFS path:

tell application "Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator CS3:Adobe Illustrator.app"
	...
end tell

Out of interest, what causes your CS3 script to break on CS5?

#5

Its more the other way round. I have to use CS3 for my work because of few third party plug ins we use that only work in CS3. However I have a script in CS5 that changes the art board size. Something that cannot be scripted in CS3.

Thanks for your response. I’ll give it a try.

#6

It works! Thanks.