Read XML file with JSX

Question

I would like to be able to read an XML file in an InDesign script and create a new document by looping through its nodes and extracting content from them. I've never done this before and I can't seem to find the right information on how to do it. Can someone give me a snippet to get me started? Thanks!

Answer 1

Read the "Integrating XML into JavaScript" chapter in "JavaScript Tools Guide".
Below is a script I made a while ago. It can give you idea how to start writing your own script. It reads an xml-file, creates a new document from the template, relinks links listed in the xml-file comparing the width, height and resolution with data in the xml-file.
// Copyright 2011, «Студия Форма»
// October 3, 2011
// Written by Kasyan Servetsky
// http://www.kasyan.ho.com.ua
// e-mail: [email protected]
//==================================== GLOBALS ==========================================
var gErrMsgArr = [];
//=======================================================================================
Main();
//=================================== FUNCTIONS  =========================================
function Main() {
    var montage, doc, docFile, component, noErrors, pdfPath, pdfFile, targetPagesLength, destinationFolder;
    var currentFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Выберите текущую папку");  //new Folder("/D/Evgen/");
    if (currentFolder == null) exit();
    var currentFolderPath = currentFolder.absoluteURI + "/";
    var xmlFile = new File(currentFolderPath + "!sforder.xml");
    if (!xmlFile.exists) exit();   
    var outFolderPath = "~/Desktop/Output/";
    var outFolder = new Folder(outFolderPath);
    if (!outFolder.exists) outFolder.create();
    xmlFile.open("r");
    var xmlStr = xmlFile.read();
    xmlFile.close();
    var root = new XML(xmlStr);
    default xml namespace = "http://www.forma-studio.com/order";
    var linksArr = [];
    var componentList = root.xpath("/order/product/components/component");
    var componentsLength = componentList.length();   
    for (var c = 0; c < componentsLength; c++) {
        component = componentList[c];
        linksArr.push({ name : component.images.image.file_name.toString(),
                            width : parseInt(component.images.image.size.width),
                            height : parseInt(component.images.image.size.height),
                            resolution : parseInt(component.images.image.resolution),
    var montageList = root.xpath("/order/product/montages/montage");
    var montagesLength = montageList.length();
    for (var i = 0; i < montagesLength; i++) {
        montage = montageList[i];
        app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.neverInteract;       
        app.open(new File(montage.layout_filename));
        doc = app.activeDocument;
        docFile = new File(outFolderPath + montage.result_filename + ".indd");
        doc.save(docFile);
        app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.interactWithAll;
        targetPagesLength = parseInt(montage.page_count);
        if (!isNaN(targetPagesLength)) {
            //$.writeln("About to remove pages - " + doc.name + " - " + montage.page_count);
            while (doc.pages.length > targetPagesLength) {
                doc.pages.lastItem().remove();
        UpdateAllOutdatedLinks(doc);
        noErrors = ProcessDoc(doc, linksArr, currentFolderPath);
        if (noErrors) {
            destinationFolder = new Folder(montage.destination);
            VerifyFolder(destinationFolder);
            pdfPath = montage.destination + "/" + montage.result_filename + ".pdf"
            pdfFile = new File(pdfPath);
            doc.exportFile(ExportFormat.PDF_TYPE, pdfFile, false, "[High Quality Print]");
        doc.close(SaveOptions.YES);
function ProcessDoc(doc, linksArr, currentFolderPath) {
    var link, linkFile;
    var noErrors = true;
    var links = doc.links;
//~     $.writeln("--------------------------");
//~     $.writeln(doc.name);
    for (var i = links.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
        link = doc.links[i];
        for (var o = 0; o < linksArr.length; o++) {
            if (link.name == linksArr[o].name) {
                linkFile = new File(currentFolderPath + linksArr[o].name);
                if (linkFile.exists) {
//~                     $.writeln("\t" + o + " - " + linkFile.name + " - linkFile.exists");
                    if (CheckLink(link, linksArr[o], doc) == false) noErrors = false;
                    link.relink(linkFile);
                else {
                    $.writeln(o + " - " + linkFile.name + " - linkFile doesn't exist");
                    noErrors = false;
//~     $.writeln("--------------------------");
    return noErrors;
function CheckLink(link, linkObj, doc) {
    var errMessage;   
    var result = true;
    var image = link.parent;
    var actualPpi = image.actualPpi;
    var md = link.linkXmp;
    var reportFilePath = doc.fullName.absoluteURI.replace(/\.indd$/i, ".txt");
    var width = parseInt(md.getProperty("http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/", "exif:PixelXDimension"));
    var height = parseInt(md.getProperty("http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/", "exif:PixelYDimension"));
    if (actualPpi[0] != linkObj.resolution && actualPpi[1] != linkObj.resolution) {
        errMessage = link.name + " - resolution is NOT correct: " + actualPpi[0] + "/" + actualPpi[1] + " ppi instead of " + linkObj.resolution + "\r";
        if (IsInArray(errMessage, gErrMsgArr) == false) {
            gErrMsgArr.push(errMessage);           
            //$.writeln(errMessage);
            WriteToFile(errMessage, reportFilePath);
            result = false;   
    if (height != linkObj.height) {
        errMessage = link.name + " - height is NOT correct: " + height + " pixels instead of " + linkObj.height + "\r";
        if (IsInArray(errMessage, gErrMsgArr) == false) {
            gErrMsgArr.push(errMessage);           
            //$.writeln(errMessage);
            WriteToFile(errMessage, reportFilePath);
            result = false;   
    if (width != linkObj.width) {
        errMessage = link.name + " - width is NOT correct: " + width + " pixels instead of " + linkObj.width + "\r";
        if (IsInArray(errMessage, gErrMsgArr) == false) {
            gErrMsgArr.push(errMessage);           
            //$.writeln(errMessage);
            WriteToFile(errMessage, reportFilePath);
            result = false;   
    return result;
function UpdateAllOutdatedLinks(doc) {
    var link;
    for (var i = doc.links.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
        link = doc.links[i];
        if (link.status == LinkStatus.LINK_OUT_OF_DATE) link.update();
function WriteToFile(text, reportFilePath) {
    file = new File(reportFilePath);
    file.encoding = "UTF-8";
    if (file.exists) {
        file.open("e");
        file.seek(0, 2);
    else {
        file.open("w");
    file.write(text);
    file.close();
function GetDate() {
    var date = new Date();
    if ((date.getYear() - 100) < 10) {
        var year = "0" + new String((date.getYear() - 100));
    else {
        var year = new String((date.getYear() - 100));
    var dateString = (date.getMonth() + 1) + "/" + date.getDate() + "/" + year + " " + date.getHours() + ":" + date.getMinutes() + ":" + date.getSeconds();
    return dateString;
function ErrorExit(error, icon) {
    alert(error, gScriptName + " - " + gScriptVersion, icon);
    exit();
function IsInArray(string, arr) {
    for (x in arr) {
        if (string.toLowerCase() == arr[x].toLowerCase()) {
            return true;
    return false;
function VerifyFolder(folder) {
    if (!folder.exists) {
        var folder = new Folder(folder.absoluteURI);
        var arr1 = new Array();
        while (!folder.exists) {
            arr1.push(folder);
            folder = new Folder(folder.path);
        var arr2 = new Array();
        while (arr1.length > 0) {
            folder = arr1.pop();
            if (folder.create()) {
                arr2.push(folder);
            } else {
                while (arr2.length > 0) {
                    arr2.pop.remove();
                throw "Folder creation failed";