Best resources for learning InDesign scripting

Question

Hello,
I am teaching myself scripting in InDesign and having problems with the help systems.
I read the scripting docs from Adobe, examine free scripts and use the help in the ExtendScript Toolkit but I lack an education in javascript to really do well.
What books or online resources do you think could help me go from tinkerer to amateur scripter ?
Thanks in advance,
emmanuel.

Answer 1

In my experience as a learner, there is no substitute for trial and error. Olav Kvern's very helpful comments in his numerous examples (with very helpful explanatory comments) are a great start, because they enable anyone to start experimenting on their own. And I return to his examples practically every day. They answer such simple questions as "How do I open a new document?", as well as giving very clear, well-commented examples of stuff that I would otherwise find completely impossible -- such as "How do I rotate a text frame around the top-left corner?"
I'm no longer a complete beginner, but I am very much a learner still, and I think trail and error is THE way to learn anything, especially scripting. When I started off, it was about 99% error. Now I've got it down to about 75% error. But I nearly always end up with a script that works, after a struggle that is every bit as enjoyable as it is maddening, and it's a huge sense of achievement when I get there. Some gullible folks have even paid me money for this -- I have one in the pipeline for tomorrow!
Rather than reading too much stuff written by experts, I would urge you to experiment as much as possible, just by playing around to see what works and what doesn't work. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work first time. I'll bet even scripting experts (most of whom are on this list) fail on almost every first attempt. After you get one modest script to work, and then another, you'll build up a sort of "library of past scripting achievements" in your head (and in your scripts panel). Nowadays, every time I start a script, I think of how I successfully managed to do something like it before -- and I build from there.
Good luck with it -- Jeremy