Is it possible to read MS Document or Excel in indesign script?

Question

I have following code. My script can read external file liken(txt) and place it to InDesign file but if I try to change .txt --> .doc I get some weird characters It looks like .js or .jsx doesn't know to read it What I can do in this case?

this works

var variable ="hello world"

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var titleTextFrame = doc.textFrames.add(); 
titleTextFrame.contents = variable; 
titleTextFrame.geometricBounds = [20, 80, 80, 150]; 


    var inputFile = File("~/Desktop/text.txt");
    
    var inputData;
    inputFile.open("r");
    inputData = inputFile.read().toString();
    inputFile.close();
    
  
alert(inputData);

var textLorem = doc.textFrames.add();
textLorem.contents = inputData; 
textLorem.geometricBounds = [30, 80, 80, 150];

this doesn't work

 var inputFile = File("~/Desktop/text.doc");

You need to use the method 'place(file)'. – Yuri Khristich Feb 04 '22 at 13:37 — Yuri Khristich, Feb 04 '22 at 13:37

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 04 '22 at 13:38

If you want to place files like DOC, etc you have to use method place(file):

var variable ="hello world"

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var titleTextFrame = doc.textFrames.add();
titleTextFrame.contents = variable;
titleTextFrame.geometricBounds = [20, 80, 80, 150];

var inputFile = File("~/Desktop/text.doc");

var textLorem = doc.textFrames.add();
textLorem.geometricBounds = [30, 80, 80, 150];
textLorem.place(inputFile);       // <-------------------- here

It doesn't make sense to read DOC files directly with file.read() method.

Is it possible to read MS Document or Excel in indesign script?

1 Answers1