Active Page Item Developer (APID) for InDesign
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Goal
Active Page Item Developer helps rapid software development for InDesign - it allows software developers to create professional solutions for InDesign CS/CS2/CS3 using simple ExtendScript (JavaScript).
Active Page Item Developer resolves the shortcomings that make 'pure' ExtendScript less viable for professional development.
If you are just looking for the free APID ToolAssistant (formerly known as Active Page Item Runtime or Active Page Item Developer Kernel) then you're on the wrong page. In that case, click here
How does Active Page Item Developer (APID) enhance ExtendScript?
- With Active Page Item Developer (APID), you can convert your solution to an encrypted form that is disguised as a plug-in, embedded into a document, or as a run-only standalone ExtendScript. These encrypted scripts behave pretty much like compiled plug-ins.
- For optional copy protection, APID provides a licensing system that ties into the InDesign serial number. The end-user needs a proper license from you before the scripts can be executed. You can also provide your potential customers with a time-limited demo of your solution.
- This protection scheme works both for stand-alone ExtendScripts and for so-called 'scripted plug-ins'.
- Standard ExtendScripts without APID are 'naked' - i.e. if you create a solution in ExtendScript without APID, your users would be able to freely open, inspect, copy, modify the scripts.
- APID defines an 'event model', where one page item can 'observe' another, and page items can 'listen' to events like open, close, save, idle, context menu,... For example, simply moving one page item can automatically trigger the execution of a script that makes other page items 'follow'. Without APID, ExtendScripts are 'static' entities - i.e. they need to be launched by the user via the Scripts palette, and are cannot be activated in an event-driven way.
- Active Page Item Developer opens up functionality that is not available in ExtendScript - for example, version 1.0 makes it possible to attach context menus to individual page items from ExtendScript. Future versions will add more functionality - e.g. creating floating palettes from ExtendScript,...
- ExtendScript has a number of substantial advantages, compared to using C++ for software development. It's easy to learn and use, it allows for fast development, it's cross-platform (Mac/Win), and there is no need to create different versions to support CS, CS2 and CS3. And there are no endless run/compile/debug cycles!
- Active Page Item Developer allows you to create your own Scripted Plug-Ins. To get a good idea of what can be achieved: check out some of our 'freebie' Plug-Ins - they were all created using this technology.
- We also have a version specially made for InDesign Server - contact us on sales@rorohiko.com for more info.
Download of Active Page Item Developer (APID)
If you are just looking for APID ToolAssistant then you're on the wrong page. In that case, click here.
Download Active Page Item Developer Toolkit (version 1.0.45 - Development toolkit. Fully functional, time-limited demo version, manuals and example files. Includes script compiler for standalone ExtendScripts. Includes versions for Mac, Windows, InDesign CS, InDesign CS2 and InDesign CS3. The APIDLicenseGenerator application is not included in the demo - this application is e-mailed to you after purchase.).
Click the link above, download and expand, and put the correct plug-in into your InDesign Plug-Ins folder. Restart InDesign to enable the Plug-In in case InDesign was already running.
How to purchase
We use PayPal as our payment processor, but YOU DON'T NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT to pay us.
You can pay with a standard Visa or Mastercard. PayPal made the option for credit card payment purposely a bit less than obvious - but if you read the payment screens carefully, you should be able to figure it out and pay us without being forced to register for PayPal.
There is an alternate approach to purchasing licenses for the APID ToolAssistant. You can also install the plug-in, bring up the About APID ToolAssistant window via the API - APID ToolAssistant... menu item, select the line with APID ToolAssistant in the listfield, and click the Get License... button at the bottom.
The APID Toolkit
The Active Page Item Developer Toolkit (APID Toolkit) can be purchased for US$149.00 (excl. tax/GST) and includes a single APID ToolAssistant license.
The APID ToolAssistant
End-users need to have a licensed copy of the APID ToolAssistant in order to use solutions that were created with APID Toolkit.
Licenses for APID ToolAssistant can be purchased in single quantities for US$25.00 (excl. tax/GST) per installed copy/serial number of InDesign.
If you have multiple copies of InDesign (e.g. InDesign CS as well as InDesign CS2 or CS3) on a single workstation, you'll also need to purchase multiple licenses for the APID ToolAssistant.
Multi-license bundles are also available at progressively lower per-license prices. E-mail us for the purchase of larger bundles; 1-user and 10-user bundles are available for on-line purchase.
|
ToolAssistant Bundle Size |
Price (excl. tax/GST) |
Price per license |
Purchasing |
|
1000 |
US$8099.0 |
US$8.10 |
E-mail sales@rorohiko.com |
|
100 |
US$1599.0 |
US$15.99 |
E-mail sales@rorohiko.com |
|
10 |
US$199.0 |
US$19.90 |
|
|
1 |
US$25.0 |
US$25.0 |
These are meant for use within a single company or entity. Multi-license bundles should not be split and re-sold separately.
Software developers can also bundle emdedded APID ToolAssistant licenses within the license files for their tools, allowing end-users to experience one-stop shopping.
Please contact sales@rorohiko.com for more info - there is a developer registration process to go through in order to approve a developer for APID ToolAssistant bunding.
Unlimited licenses
We also carry another version of the Active Page Item system, called Active Page Item Enterprise (APIE). The difference between APID and APIE lies in how solutions are deployed to multiple target workstations:
- Solutions developed with APID need a licensed version of APID ToolAssistant for each of the targeted workstations/copies of InDesign
- Solutions developed with APIE can instead use free, unlicensed versions of APID ToolAssistant, and do not incur a one-time per-seat cost.
If a very large amount of target workstations needs to be deployed, or if you want to avoid managing license files, you should consider licensing APIE. APIE is priced at US$15000.00 - that means that APIE becomes more interesting than APID once you need to deploy to about 2000 or more workstations.
Contact sales@rorohiko.com if you want to purchase an APIE license.
Version history
15-May-2008 Version 1.0.45
- APIR and APID Kernel have been merged into APID ToolAssistant. APID licenses remain valid for use with APID ToolAssistant.
- Added Document.multiPropertyAssign() event to scripting DOM
- Fixed sporadic crash-on-quit issues
- Send 'parent...' events to sub-elements, e.g. when a story is modified, anchored frames are now notified of the modification
- Stories can now be observed - it is easiest to assign them a label programmatically via their Story.label property.20-Mar-2008 Version 1.0.44
The APID Kernel was updated to version 1.0.44. The APID Toolkit is still at 1.0.43 but will be updated soon - we're still writing the documentation for the new features. Anyone who needs the updated toolkit earlier, please e-mail us at pluginsupport@rorohiko.com
- Support for combined APID/spln licensing, making it possible for end-users to license both the APIDKernel and an spln through a single license file aquired from the spln developer
- Beg window can bow be dismissed with the <Return> key
- New opcodes added to app.callExtension(0x90B6C,<opcode>,...):
kOpCode_RunScriptInEngine = 10007
kOpCode_GetDocGUID = 10008
kOpCode_FindDocGUID = 10009
- New events: modified-objectstyle, modified-textformat, subjectModified-objectstyle, subjectModified-textformat
- handleScriptEvent is now less restrictive - a password match is sufficient to allow cross-spln calls (previously, the whole componentID had to match)
- Support for shared, encrypted subroutine libraries
- Support for version numbers attached to .spln files
- Licensing scheme now extended to use InDesign serial number as well as a unique system identifier - which resolves the problem of multi-seat InDesign installations where many computers share the same InDesign serial number.
- Fixed issue that caused InDesign to sometimes crash when copying guides.
- Fixed some potential redraw issues.
- API 'About Window' now shows all .spln files even if no document has yet been opened.
- API 'About Window' has support for .spln version numbers
- Added scripted DocGUID support to allow scripts to better handle situations with two documents carrying the same name.
- Documents don't show unexpected 'modified state' after installing new or updated .spln files.5-Oct-2007 Version 1.0.43:
- New events on text frames:
modified-recomposed-nooverset
modified-recomposed-overset
modified-usertyping
- Allows context menus on text selections
- Allow nested context menus in InDesign CS3 and above
- Allow use of custom menu headers instead of default 'API' menu
- Allow configurable delay for system event codes (by default, all delays are 0, except for "modified-text", which has a delay of 3000 ms, i.e. 3 seconds). See $DELAY_<eventcode> in reference manual under section "5.2 Predefined keys"
- Allow launching external apps while locking InDesign in modal mode until external app finishes (used for external dialogs - see app.launchWith in reference manual and section 5.7 in cookbook)
- Support for InDesign CS3 named script engines - events can be targeted to a particular engine. See section 5.6 in cookbook.
- Support for clearing the undo stack in InDesign CS3 while running lengthy scripts (see app.callExtension in reference manual)
- New examples added to cookbook documentation
- Fixed issue that caused duplicate events on text frames in InDesign CS and CS2
30-Jun-2007 Version 1.0.42:
- Faster menu and context menu handling: introduced new events loadContextMenu and subjectLoadContextMenu that make context menu handling much more efficient.
- Data for scripted plugin files whose name starts with '@' is 'persistent' even if the file is not present or the file's modified date changes.19-May-2007 Version 1.0.41:
- Now supports app.setDataStore and app.getDataStore for persistent application-wide data storage
- Fixed conflict with Softcare's K4 - the docLoaded event is NOT issued any more on any documents that are not made visible. In essence, docLoaded now fires when the document layout window opens, and not when the document is opened.19-May-2007 Version 1.0.40 (not released):
- Faster menu handling by allowing grouping of menu items (look up $GROUP_EVENTS$ in the reference manual).25-Apr-2007 Version 1.0.39
- Added support for CS3
- Fixed conflict with CS2 ExtendScript Toolkit
27-Feb-2007 Version 1.0.38
- Fixed Win 2000 issue in the 1.0.37 version
- Supports compilation of standalone scripts. Now includes a drag/drop InDesignScriptCompiler; allowing a developer to manage licensing and demo versions of stand-alone ExtendScripts1-Dec-2006 Version 1.0.37
- Versions 1.0.34-1.0.36 were not released
- Resolved issue that caused 'missing links' dialog to be suppressed on opening of document.
- Added numerous new features: new print dialog events, progress bar management via application object, support for external programs (app.launchWith),... See reference manual for more info.22-Sept-2006 Version 1.0.33
- Attempt to resolved issue that caused 'missing links' dialog to be suppressed on opening of document. Issue was not fixed.24-Aug-2006 Version 1.0.32:
- Resolved conflict with HistoryLog en TextExporter.
- Resolved undesirable delays when executing close or save in a script and a docClose or docSave handler is present. The delays now only occur when close or save are executed from inside a handler script, not from a 'regular' script.
- APIDTemplate: debug version of plug-in is not condensed for ease of debugging, release version is condensed (ugly-printed).23-Aug-2006 Version 1.0.31:
- Not released. Speeded up operations when Edit-Select All is performed (Color2Gray tool).17-Aug-2006 Version 1.0.30:
- Not released. Fixed palette conflict with Softcare's K4 plug-in.14-Aug-2006 Version 1.0.29:
- Support for additional features of APID (external data store).
- New information added to Reference manual
- Enhanced APIDTemplate.indd - support for debug and release versions of a plug-in.12-Aug-2006 Version 1.0.28:
- Not released. Fixed potential conflict with other plug-ins6-Aug-2006 Version 1.0.27:
- Not released. InDesign CS2 server support31 Jul-2006 Version 1.0.26
- Fixed issues with Japanese CS2
- Fixed issue when modal dialog opens on document open (e.g. missing fonts).
- Added support for 'external...' event codes
- New documentation added to reference manual and cookbook (use of APIDTemplate, external event codes, using AppleScript to call the APID,...)31-Jul-2006 Version 1.0.25
- Improved progress bar facilities17-Jul-2006 Version 1.0.24
- Support for APIDToolkit
- Faster handling of save, close, quit
- Corrected handling of keyboard shortcuts assigned to menus managed by scripted plug-ins
- Support for enabling/disabling menus managed by scripted plug-ins25-Jun-2006 Version 1.0.23:
- Resolved crash with book files7-Jun-2006 Version 1.0.22:
- Resolved crashes with calling a document's save or close function from inside an event handler.
- Added support for menu bar menu items
25-May-2006 Version 1.0.21
- Resolved some timing issues related to contextual menus
- Resolved a conflict with AppleScript
- Resolved a crash which occured when using a progress bar in a contextual menu handler17-May-2006 Version 1.0.20
- Added support for showing progress bars (see reference manual).
- Added automated template for Scripted Plugins with external source code (so you can use an external editor to edit them)
- Can now use the <document>.save(...) method from inside a scripted event handler.
27-Apr-2006 Version 1.0.19
- Initial public release