Automating indesign

Question

Hi,
I am new to Indesign scripting. I have developed a tool using VB.NET for automating word, for exporting text to a Word document and changing styles in it.
Similarily, I want to export data to an Indesign Document.
I want to know, what are the requirements/downloads (sdks/APIs etc.) required to develop a tool for automating Indesign?
Thank you,
Surya.

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