Replace swatches and text?

Question

Is it possible (with javascript code) to do the following?
1.  Prompt user to select a color from a predetermined set of colors (hard coded in the script) via a dropdown list
2.   Take the value that the user selects, and replace the color of all  items that use the swatch called "Primary" with the user selected color  (which is already a swatch name in the document)
3.  Find and  replace all text in the document from "Primary" to the text that the  user had previously selected from the drop down (it was also a swatch  name).
4.  Prompt the user to select another color (secondary  color) from a predetermined set of colors (hard coded in the script) via  a dropdown list
5.  Again, take the value that the user selects  here and replace the color of all items that use the swatch called  "Secondary" to the user selected swatch name.
6.  Find and replace  all text in the document from "Secondary" to the text  that the user  had previously selected from the drop down (it was also a  swatch name).
7.  Remove all unused swatches.
Steps 1 & 4 could be combined, if Javascript allows...but I don't know if it does or not.
Let me know if you think this is possible please.
Thanks!

Answer 1

In my made-up test document this worked but Im not sure what mileage you will get… Worth a test anyhows…
#target illustrator
// Global Variables
var aSel,bSel
// Main Window Dialog
function csDialog() {
     var fabGroup = app.activeDocument.swatchGroups.getByName('Fabrics');
     var allFabs = fabGroup.getAllSwatches();
     var fabNames = Array();
     for (var i = 0; i < allFabs.length; i++) {
          fabNames.push(allFabs[i].name);
          if (i < allFabs.length-1) fabNames.push('-');
     var csdlg = new Window('dialog', 'Tim\'s Fabric Picker…',[0,0,300,205]);
     // Panel 1
     csdlg.Pnl = csdlg.add('panel', [15,15,285,72], 'Pick your "Primary" fabric swap:');
     csdlg.Pnl.cs1 = csdlg.Pnl.add('dropdownlist', [15,20,255,37], fabNames);
     // Panel 2
     csdlg.Pn2 = csdlg.add('panel', [15,92,285,149], 'Pick your "Secondary" fabric swap:');
     csdlg.Pn2.cs3 = csdlg.Pn2.add('dropdownlist', [15,20,255,37], fabNames);
     // Standard Buttons     
     csdlg.cancelBtn = csdlg.add('button', [15,164,125,186], 'Cancel', {name:'cancel'});
     csdlg.okBtn = csdlg.add('button', [175,164,285,186], 'OK', {name:'ok'});
     // Panel 1 call backs
     csdlg.Pnl.cs1.onChange = function() {
          aSel = csdlg.Pnl.cs1.items[parseInt(this.selection)];
     // Panel 2 call back
     csdlg.Pn2.cs3.onChange = function() {
          bSel = csdlg.Pn2.cs3.items[parseInt(this.selection)];
     // Button call back
     csdlg.okBtn.onClick = function() {
          csdlg.close(1);
          colourSwapper(aSel,bSel); // Here call the process
     csdlg.center();
     csdlg.show();
// Main active document commands go here
function colourSwapper(a,b) {
     var uIL = app.userInteractionLevel;
     app.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevel.DONTDISPLAYALERTS;
     var docRef = app.activeDocument;
     recurseLayers(docRef.layers);
     alert('Now run Action:\r"Delete Unused Panel Items"');
     app.userInteractionLevel = uIL;
// Main active document check function
function activeDoc() {
     if (app.documents.length == 0) {
          alert('NO document open?');
          return;
     } else {
          csDialog();
activeDoc();
function recurseLayers(objArray) {
     for (var i = 0; i < objArray.length; i++) {
          var l = objArray[i].locked;
          if (l) objArray[i].locked = false;
          var v = objArray[i].visible;
          if (!v) objArray[i].visible = true;
          changeText(objArray[i].textFrames);
          changeColours(objArray[i].pathItems);
          if (objArray[i].layers.length > 0) {
               recurseLayers(objArray[i].layers)
          if (objArray[i].groupItems.length > 0) {
               recurseGroups(objArray[i].groupItems)
          if (objArray[i].compoundPathItems.length > 0) {
               loopCompounds(objArray[i].compoundPathItems)
          objArray[i].locked = l;
          objArray[i].visible = v;
function recurseGroups(objArray) {
     for (var i = 0; i < objArray.length; i++) {
          var l = objArray[i].locked;
          if (l) objArray[i].locked = false;
          var h = objArray[i].hidden;
          if (h) objArray[i].hidden = false;
          changeText(objArray[i].textFrames);
          changeColours(objArray[i].pathItems);
          if (objArray[i].groupItems.length > 0) {
               recurseGroups(objArray[i].groupItems)
          if (objArray[i].compoundPathItems.length > 0) {
               loopCompounds(objArray[i].compoundPathItems)
          objArray[i].locked = l;
          objArray[i].hidden = h;
function loopCompounds(objArray) {
     for (var i = 0; i < objArray.length; i++) {
          var l = objArray[i].locked;
          if (l) objArray[i].locked = false;
          var h = objArray[i].hidden;
          if (h) objArray[i].hidden = false;
          changeColours(objArray[i].pathItems);     
          objArray[i].locked = l;
          objArray[i].hidden = h;
function changeColours(objArray) {
     for (var i = objArray.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
          var l = objArray[i].locked;
          if (l) objArray[i].locked = false;
          var h = objArray[i].hidden;
          if (h) objArray[i].hidden = false;
          if (objArray[i].fillColor instanceof SpotColor) {
               if (objArray[i].fillColor.spot.name == 'Primary') {
                    objArray[i].fillColor = app.activeDocument.swatches.getByName(aSel).color;
               if (objArray[i].fillColor.spot.name == 'Secondary') {
                    objArray[i].fillColor = app.activeDocument.swatches.getByName(bSel).color;
          objArray[i].locked = l;
          objArray[i].hidden = h;
function changeText(objArray) {
     for (var i = objArray.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
          var l = objArray[i].locked;
          if (l) objArray[i].locked = false;
          var h = objArray[i].hidden;
          if (h) objArray[i].hidden = false;
          if (/Primary/.test(objArray[i].contents)) {
               objArray[i].contents = objArray[i].contents.replace('Primary', aSel)
          if (/Secondary/.test(objArray[i].contents)) {
               objArray[i].contents = objArray[i].contents.replace('Secondary', bSel)
          objArray[i].locked = l;
          objArray[i].hidden = h;
I left quite a bit of stuff that deals with hidden and locked items… If you don't require this it can be easily stripped out…