[CS3][JS] Uniquely identifying documents with common names - possible?

Question

Hi!
Is there no way to refer directly to a document in app.documents when there are several documents with the same name open at the same time (located in different folders)?
I have tried to assign unique labels to the documents when opening them, but have not succeeded in referring to documents by their labels, only by name - and the name not being unique, I get just one document reference (the first).
I also tried using the documents.itemByRange function, supposedly returning an array of all documents in the range defined by the parameters sent to the function. However, sending in the same name in the "from" and "to" parameters, returned only one document:
app.documents.itemByRange('test.indd', 'test.indd').getElements().length
Result: 1
//(I would have expected to get both of them)
// Referring directly by the name:
app.documents.item('test.indd').getElements().length
Result: 1
// Checking the name of the documents by their indexes:
app.documents.item(0).name
Result: test.indd
app.documents.item(1).name
Result: test.indd
Do you really have to loop through all open documents and check their fullName to be able to uniquely identify a document if the names are not unique?
Kind regards,
Andreas Jansson

Answer 1

Hi Dave,
Make that three or four... ;)
Kris at Rorohiko created a method to get unique references to two
different documents with the same name. It's usable if you have the free
APID ToolAssistant version 1.0.44 or higher. (it doesn't need to be
licensed...)
Here's an excerpt from the reference manual:
The get doc GUID function is used as follows:
guid =
app.callExtension(0x90B6C,10008,document);
This function returns a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) for a
document. This is a string of the form
{nnnnnnnn-nnnn-nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn}
where all 'n' stand for a hexadecimal digit.
These GUID allow you to work with same-name documents that
are concurrently open without getting tangled in the confusion
that occurs when using resolve calls.
As long as a document is not moved from its original location on
disk, it will keep the same GUID. Two documents with the same
name but different paths will have different GUID.
Opening, closing, (re)saving to the same location will NOT
change the GUID.
Moving a document to another location will change the GUID.
The find open doc by GUID function is used as follows:
doc = app.callExtension(0x90B6C,10009,guid);
This function retrieves a reference to an already open document
based on its GUID string.
These GUID strings are unique and persistent and allow
persistent references to same-name documents without resolvelike
issues (but the documents are meant to be 'unmovable' i.e.
they cannot be renamed or moved to another folder). Once the
document is open, it can be retrieved via its GUID.
HTH,
Harbs