Automating InDesign from C++/MFC

Question

Hi, I would like to be able to control InDesign via COM (aka Scripting Interface in Adobe InDesign parlance).
I've done this quite a few times for other apps including Acrobat Reader.
Normally it's possible to create an MFC C++ class from the TLB file.
For InDesign the only TLB/TypeLib file which I can find is "Resources for Visual Basic.tlb" buried deep in the Documents and settings folder. Seems to be rebuilt every time InDesign is run to take account of COM interface to plugins. All very well but the typelib Wizard in Visual C++ IDE doesn't read the file let alone generate the classes.
I've managed to do a 'half baked' test using
#import "Resources for Visual Basic.tlb"
that works but it's not as clear and certainly not as easy to see my way around.
Specifically I'm trying to control printing using print presets via COM.
I see it's possible from the VB examples.
Is there a core TLB in InDesign somewhere that I could use to generate the MFC classes?
Has someone done this before (in C++ of course)?
Does anyone have any experience or examples?
Many thanks
Caerwyn Pearce

Answer 1

I don't know how to generate MFC classes of InDesign.
But I am sure you can control InDesign with a "smart" pointer style.
(I don't know what is called this "smart" way.)
// import Type Library
#import "Resources for Visual Basic.tlb"
int findPreset( InDesign::_ApplicationPtr& app, const char* presetName, PrinterPresetPtr& preset)
int rt=-1;
PrinterPresetsPtr pres = app->PrinterPresets;
for(long m=1;m<=pres->GetCount();m++){
PrinterPresetPtr p = pres->Item[m];
if(p->Name == _bstr_t(presetName) ){
preset = p;
rt=0;
break;
return rt;
// inddPath : path of a InDesign document
// printSet : name of print set
void printOut( const char* inddPath, const char* printSet )
do{
InDesign::_ApplicationPtr app;
app.CreateInstance( L"InDesign.Application.CS2_J" ); //Japanese version
InDesign::DocumentPtr doc;
doc = app->Open( _bstr_t(inddPath), VARIANT_TRUE/*show*/ );
//fint Preset
PrinterPresetPtr preset;
if(findPreset(app,preset)!=0){
break;
_variant_t showDialog( true ); // show print dialog?
_variant_t showGrid( false ); // show grid? only Japanese version???
doc->PrintOut( showDialog, preset.GetInterfacePtr() , showGrid );
}while(0);
Hope this helps.
-Satoru