Application¶

app

Description¶

The Adobe® Illustrator® application object, referenced using the pre-defined global app object, which contains all other Illustrator objects.

Properties¶

Application.activeDocument¶

app.activeDocument

Description¶

The active (frontmost) document in Illustrator.

Type¶

Document

Application.browserAvailable¶

app.browserAvailable

Description¶

If true, a web browser is available.

Type¶

Boolean; read-only.

Application.buildNumber¶

app.buildNumber

Description¶

The application's build number.

Type¶

String; read-only.

Application.colorSettingsList¶

app.colorSettingsList

Description¶

The list of color-settings files currently available for use.

Type¶

Object; read-only.

Application.coordinateSystem¶

app.coordinateSystem

Description¶

The coordinate system currently in use, document or artboard.

Type¶

CoordinateSystem

Application.defaultColorSettings¶

app.defaultColorSettings

Description¶

The default color-settings file for the current application locale.

Type¶

File object; read-only.

Application.documents¶

app.documents

Description¶

The documents in the application.

Type¶

Documents

Application.flattenerPresetList¶

app.flattenerPresetList

Description¶

The list of flattener style names currently available for use.

Type¶

Object; read-only.

Application.freeMemory¶

app.freeMemory

Description¶

The amount of unused memory (in bytes) within the Illustrator partition.

Type¶

Number (long); read-only.

Application.locale¶

app.locale

Description¶

The application's locale.

Type¶

String; read-only.

Application.name¶

app.name

Description¶

The application's name (not related to the filename of the application file).

Type¶

String; read-only.

Application.pasteRememberLayers¶

app.pasteRememberLayers

Description¶

If true, the paste operation maintains the layer structure.

Type¶

Boolean; read-only.

Application.path¶

app.path

Description¶

The file path to the application.

Type¶

File object; read-only.

Application.PDFPresetsList¶

app.PDFPresetsList

Description¶

The list of preset PDF-options names available for use.

Type¶

Object; read-only.

Application.PPDFileList¶

app.PPDFileList

Description¶

The list of PPD files currently available for use.

Type¶

Object; read-only.

Application.preferences¶

app.preferences

Description¶

Illustrator's preference settings.

Type¶

Preferences

Application.printerList¶

app.printerList

Description¶

The list of installed printers.

Type¶

Array of Printer

Application.printPresetsList¶

app.printPresetsList

Description¶

The list of preset printing-options names available for use.

Type¶

Object; read-only.

Application.scriptingVersion¶

app.scriptingVersion

Description¶

The version of the Scripting plug-in.

Type¶

String; read-only.

Application.selection¶

app.selection

Description¶

All currently selected objects in the active (frontmost) document.

Type¶

Array of Objects; read-only.

Application.startupPresetsList¶

app.startupPresetsList

Description¶

The list of presets available for creating a new document.

Type¶

Object; read-only.

Application.textFonts¶

app.textFonts

Description¶

The installed fonts.

Type¶

TextFonts

Application.tracingPresetList¶

app.tracingPresetList

Description¶

The list of preset tracing-options names available for use.

Type¶

Array of Strings; read-only.

Application.typename¶

app.typename

Description¶

The class name of the referenced object.

Type¶

String; read-only.

Application.userInteractionLevel¶

app.userInteractionLevel

Description¶

What level of interaction with the user should be allowed when handling script commands.

Type¶

UserInteractionLevel

Application.version¶

app.version

Description¶

The application's version.

Type¶

String; read-only.

Application.visible¶

app.visible

Description¶

If true, the application is visible.

Type¶

Boolean; read-only.

Methods¶

Application.beep()¶

app.beep()

Description¶

Alerts the user.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.concatenateMatrix()¶

app.concatenateMatrix(matrix, secondMatrix)

Description¶

Joins two matrices together.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	First matrix
`secondMatrix`	Matrix	Second matrix

Returns¶

jsobjref/Matrix.

Application.concatenateRotationMatrix()¶

app.concatenateRotationMatrix(matrix, angle)

Description¶

Joins a rotation translation to a transformation matrix.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	Matrix
`angle`	Number (double)	Angle

Returns¶

jsobjref/Matrix.

Application.concatenateScaleMatrix()¶

app.concatenateScaleMatrix(matrix[, scaleX][, scaleY])

Description¶

Concatenates a scale translation to a transformation matrix.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	Matrix
`scaleX`	Number (double), optional	X Scale
`scaleY`	Number (dobule), optional	Y Scale

Returns¶

Matrix

Application.concatenateTranslationMatrix()¶

app.concatenateTranslationMatrix(matrix[, deltaX][, deltaY])

Description¶

Joins a translation to a transformation matrix.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	Matrix
`deltaX`	Number (double), optional	X Delta
`deltaY`	Number (dobule), optional	Y Delta

Returns¶

Matrix

Application.convertSampleColor()¶

app.convertSampleColor(
    sourceColorSpace,
    sourceColor,
    destColorSpace,
    colorConvertPurpose
    [, sourceHasAlpha]
    [, destHasAlpha]
)

Description¶

Converts a sample-component color from one color space to another.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`sourceColorSpace`	ImageColorSpace	Color space of source color
`sourceColor`	ColorComponents	Source color to convert
`destColorSpace`	ImageColorSpace	Destination color space
`colorConvertPurpose`	ColorConvertPurpose	The purpose of the convert
`sourceHasAlpha`	Boolean, optional	Whether the source has alpha
`destHasAlpha`	Boolean, optional	Whether the destination has alpha

Returns¶

Array of ColorComponents

Application.copy()¶

app.copy()

Description¶

Copies current selection to the clipboard.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.cut()¶

app.cut()

Description¶

Cuts current selection to the clipboard.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.deleteWorkspace()¶

app.deleteWorkspace(workspaceName)

Description¶

Deletes an existing workspace.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`workspaceName`	String	Name of workspace to delete

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.getIdentityMatrix()¶

app.getIdentityMatrix()

Description¶

Returns an identity matrix.

Returns¶

Matrix

Application.getIsFileOpen()¶

app.getIsFileOpen(filePath)

Note

This functionality was added in Illustrator XX.X (CC2017)

Description¶

Returns whether the specified filePath is open

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`filePath`	String	File path to check

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.getPPDFileInfo()¶

app.getPPDFileInfo(name)

Description¶

Gets detailed file information for specified PPD file.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`name`	String	File name to get info for

Returns¶

PPDFileInfo

Application.getPresetFileOfType()¶

app.getPresetFileOfType(presetType)

Description¶

Returns the full path to the application's default document profile for the specified preset type.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`presetType`	DocumentPresetType	Preset type to get file of

Returns¶

File object

Application.getPresetSettings()¶

app.getPresetSettings(preset)

Description¶

Retrieves the tracing-option settings from the template with a given preset name.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`preset`	String	Preset name to get settings from

Returns¶

DocumentPreset

Application.getRotationMatrix()¶

app.getRotationMatrix([angle])

Description¶

Returns a transformation matrix containing a single rotation.

Note

Requires a value in degrees.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`angle`	Number (double), optional	Angle to get matrix of

Returns¶

Matrix

Example¶

Rotate the object 30 degrees counterclockwise:

app.getRotationMatrix(30);

Rotate 30 degrees clockwise:

app.getRotationMatrix(-30);

Application.getScaleMatrix()¶

app.getScaleMatrix([scaleX][, scaleY])

Description¶

Returns a transformation matrix containing a single scale.

Note

Requires a value in percentage.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`scaleX`	Number (double), optional	X scale to get matrix of
`scaleY`	Number (double), optional	Y scale to get matrix of

Returns¶

Matrix

Example¶

Scale the object to 60% of its original size:

app.getScaleMatrix(60, 60);

Double the object's bounds:

app.getScaleMatrix(200, 200);

Application.getScriptableHelpGroup()¶

app.getScriptableHelpGroup()

Description¶

Gets the scriptable help group object that represents the search widget in the app bar.

Returns¶

Variant

Application.getTranslationMatrix()¶

app.getTranslationMatrix([deltaX][, deltaY])

Description¶

Returns a transformation matrix containing a single translation.

Note

Requires a value in points.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`deltaX`	Number (double), optional	X Delta
`deltaY`	Number (dobule), optional	Y Delta

Returns¶

Matrix

Example¶

Move the object 100 pt. to the right and 200 pt. up:

app.getTranslationMatrix(100, 200);

Move them left and down:

app.getTranslationMatrix(-100, -200);

Application.invertMatrix()¶

app.invertMatrix(matrix)

Description¶

Inverts a matrix.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	Matrix to invert

Returns¶

Matrix

Application.isEqualMatrix()¶

app.isEqualMatrix(matrix, secondMatrix)

Description¶

Checks whether the two matrices are equal.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	First matrix to check
`secondMatrix`	Matrix	Second matrix to check

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.isSingularMatrix()¶

app.isSingularMatrix(matrix)

Description¶

Checks whether a matrix is singular and cannot be inverted.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`matrix`	Matrix	Matrix to check

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.loadColorSettings()¶

app.loadColorSettings(fileSpec)

Description¶

Loads color settings from specified file, or, if file is empty, turns color management off.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`fileSpec`	File object	File to load settings from

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.open()¶

app.open(file[, documentColorSpace][, options])

Description¶

Opens the specified document file.

Note

If you open a pre-Illustrator 9 document that contains both RGB and CMYK colors and documentColorSpace is supplied, all colors are converted to the specified color space.

If the parameter is not supplied, Illustrator opens a dialog so the user can choose the color space.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`file`	File object	File to open
`documentColorSpace`	DocumentColorSpace, optional	Color space of document
`options`	anything	todo

Returns¶

Document

Application.paste()¶

app.paste()

Description¶

Pastes current clipboard content into the current document.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.quit()¶

app.quit()

Description¶

Quits Illustrator.

Note

If the clipboard contains data, Illustrator may show a dialog prompting the user to save the data for other applications.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.redo()¶

app.redo()

Description¶

Redoes the most recently undone transaction.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.redraw()¶

app.redraw()

Description¶

Forces Illustrator to redraw all its windows.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Application.resetWorkspace()¶

app.resetWorkspace()

Description¶

Resets the current workspace.

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.saveWorkspace()¶

app.saveWorkspace(workspaceName)

Description¶

Saves a new workspace.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`workspaceName`	String	Name of workspace to save as

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.sendScriptMessage()¶

app.sendScriptMessage(pluginName, messageSelector, inputString)

Description¶

Sends a plug-in-defined command message to a plug-in with given input arguments, and returns the plug-in-defined result string.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`pluginName`	String	Name of plugin to send message to
`messageSelector`	String	Message to send to the plugin
`inputString`	String	Data to pass into the command

Returns¶

String

Application.showPresets()¶

app.showPresets(fileSpec)

Description¶

Gets presets from the file.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`fileSpec`	File object	File to get presets from

Returns¶

PrintPresetList

Application.switchWorkspace()¶

app.switchWorkspace(workspaceName)

Description¶

Switches to the specified workspace.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`workspaceName`	String	Name to switch to

Returns¶

Boolean

Application.translatePlaceholderText()¶

app.translatePlaceholderText(text)

Description¶

Translates the placeholder text to regular text (a way to enter Unicode points in hex values).

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`text`	String	String to translate

Returns¶

String

Application.undo()¶

app.undo()

Description¶

Undoes the most recent transaction.

Returns¶

Nothing.

Example¶

Duplicating the Active Document¶

// Duplicates any selected items from
// the active document into a new document.

var newItem;
var docSelected = app.activeDocument.selection;

if (docSelected.length > 0) {
    // Create a new document and move the selected items to it.
    var newDoc = app.documents.add();
    if (docSelected.length > 0) {
        for (var i = 0; i < docSelected.length; i++) {
        docSelected[i].selected = false;
        newItem = docSelected[i].duplicate(newDoc, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
        }
    } else {
        docSelected.selected = false;
        newItem = docSelected.parent.duplicate(newDoc, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
    }
} else {
    alert("Please select one or more art objects");
}