Converting HTML Links to Hyperlinks in InDesign

Question

Hi--I'm new to this forum, so forgive any newbie-ness...
Working on a pretty intense automated page layout which creates a product cut sheet based from content that is on the web (using AppleScript). One feature I'm trying to build in is to convert typical HTML href tags to an actual hyperlink in InDesign.
I'm using GREP to find all the html tags, which works very well.
What I can't do (and it might be a limitation of GREP in ID) is store the 'change to' locations as variables in AppleScript. For example, I use:
--find the href tag
set find what of find grep preferences to "(?i)(<a href=\")(.+?)(\")(.*)(>)(.*)(</a>)"
--change to the stuff in the href=" " and the text I want to keep
set change to of change grep preferences to "$2 $6"
What I NEED is the ability to make $2 and $6 variables.
Any advice, tips, hints, tricks, and/or help?
Thanks all!

Answer 1

Sorry, it's been a while since I solved this, so its not too fresh. There may be pieces missing. Here's the exerpt of what I did to change real html marked-up text (which contains hyperlinks) into real, clickable InDesign hyperlinks. In a few words, I found the html hyperlinks in the text, and "marked it up" with my own "xml" type language (for later). Then I think I made an array of every link and location, then had InDesign go through and convert to hyperlinks.
---CONVERT HREFS TO HYPERLINKS------------------------------------------------------
    set find grep preferences to nothing
    set change grep preferences to nothing
    --FIND HYPERLINKS
    set include footnotes of find change grep options to false
    set include hidden layers of find change grep options to false
    set include locked layers for find of find change grep options to false
    set include locked stories for find of find change grep options to false
    set include master pages of find change grep options to true
    set find what of find grep preferences to "(?i)(<a href=\")(.+?)(\")(.*?)(>)(.*?)(</a>)"
    --set find what of find grep preferences to "(?i)(?<=<a href=\").+?(?=\")"
    set change to of change grep preferences to "<url>http://www.mywebaddress.com$2</url> <linked text>$6</lt>"
    set applied character style of change grep preferences to nothing
    tell specSheet
        change grep
    end tell
set find grep preferences to nothing
    set change grep preferences to nothing
    --FORMAT HYPERLINKS
    set include footnotes of find change grep options to false
    set include hidden layers of find change grep options to false
    set include locked layers for find of find change grep options to false
    set include locked stories for find of find change grep options to false
    set include master pages of find change grep options to true
    set find what of find grep preferences to "http://.+?(?=</url> <linked text>)"
    set change to of change grep preferences to ""
    set applied character style of change grep preferences to nothing
tell specSheet
        set myFoundItems to find grep
        set linkURL to get myFoundItems
    end tell
    set find what of find grep preferences to "(?<= <linked text>).+?(?=</lt>)"
    tell specSheet
        set myFoundTextLinks to find grep
        set linkNames to get myFoundTextLinks
    end tell
    set masterList to {}
    set numItems to count of linkURL
    set n to 1
    repeat numItems times
        set end of masterList to {item n of linkURL, item n of linkNames}
        set n to (n + 1)
    end repeat
    tell specSheet
        repeat with currentLink in masterList
            set hyperLinklocation to item 2 of currentLink
try
                set hyperLink1 to make hyperlink URL destination with properties {name:item 2 of currentLink as string, destination URL:item 1 of currentLink as string}
            on error
                set hyperLink1 to hyperlink URL destination (item 2 of currentLink as string)
            end try
            try
                set hyperLinkText to make hyperlink text source with properties {source text:hyperLinklocation, hidden:false, applied character style:character style "hyperlink"} --name:item 2 of currentLink as string,
            on error
                set hyperLinkText to hyperlink text source (item 2 of currentLink as string)
            end try
            try
                make new hyperlink with properties {destination:hyperLink1, source:hyperLinkText, hidden:false} --name:item 2 of currentLink as string}
            on error
                make hyperlink with properties {destination:hyperLink1, source:hyperLinkText, hidden:false}
            end try
        end repeat
        --set linksDone to "true"
    end tell
    set myFoundItems to {}
    set myFoundTextLinks to {}
end tell
tell application "Adobe InDesign CS5"
    --REMOVE MARKUP -URLS FROM COPY
    set find grep preferences to nothing
    set change grep preferences to nothing
    --Set the find options.
    set include footnotes of find change grep options to false
    set include hidden layers of find change grep options to false
    set include locked layers for find of find change grep options to false
    set include locked stories for find of find change grep options to false
    set include master pages of find change grep options to true
    set find what of find grep preferences to "<url>.+?</url> "
    set change to of change grep preferences to ""
    tell specSheet
        change grep
    end tell
    --Clear the find/change preferences after the search.
    set find grep preferences to nothing
    set change grep preferences to nothing
    --display dialog "URL text deleted."
    --LINKED TEXT TAGS REMOVAL AND CHARACTER FORMAT
    set find grep preferences to nothing
    set change grep preferences to nothing
    --Set the find options.
    set include footnotes of find change grep options to false
    set include hidden layers of find change grep options to false
    set include locked layers for find of find change grep options to false
    set include locked stories for find of find change grep options to false
    set include master pages of find change grep options to true
    set find what of find grep preferences to "<linked text>|</lt>"
    set change to of change grep preferences to ""
    --set applied character style of change grep preferences to "hyperlink"
    tell specSheet
        change grep
    end tell
    --Clear the find/change preferences after the search.
    set find grep preferences to nothing
    set change grep preferences to nothing
    --display dialog "Linked text tags removed, style applied."
end tell