TOC and multiple identical entries

That’s seems like more of an index. You could probably do a grep search for the duplicates and remove them. But if it’s not too big of a catalog, it my be easier to just do it manually. But I am not a grep person. Perhaps the grep users will have a better idea.

This is for an index, but I wonder if it (or some other Kahrel script) would work: https://www.kahrel.plus.com/indesign/index_update.html

This script might suit your needs. It creates an index based on character styles: https://www.indiscripts.com/category/projects/IndexMatic

You can leave everything the way you want and use the following cleanup FindChangeList.txt script support to clean up the file in one fell swoop.

If you’re not familiar with FindChangebyList check it this article, it’s very simple.

Just replace the default FindChanngelist text support file contents with the following lines:

grep	{findWhat:"(?s)(\\b\\d{8,}\\b)(.+?)(\\d{1,3})(.+?)(\\1(.+?)(\\d{1,3})(.+?))+"}	{changeTo: "", appliedFont:"Times New Roman", fontStyle:"Italic"}	{searchBackwards:false, includeLockedStoriesForFind:false, includeLockedLayersForFind:false, includeHiddenLayers:false, includeMasterPages:false, includeFootnotes:false, kanaSensitive:true, widthSensitive:true} //Find duplicates and apply temporary formatting

grep	{findWhat:"(\\d{1,3})(\\r)", appliedFont:"Times New Roman", fontStyle:"Italic"}	{changeTo: "$1,"}	{searchBackwards:false, includeLockedStoriesForFind:false, includeLockedLayersForFind:false, includeHiddenLayers:false, includeMasterPages:false, includeFootnotes:false, kanaSensitive:true, widthSensitive:true} //Delete returns & add commas

grep	{findWhat:"(?<=,)(\\d{8,}).+?(?=\\d)", appliedFont:"Times New Roman", fontStyle:"Italic"}	{changeTo: ""}	{searchBackwards:false, includeLockedStoriesForFind:false, includeLockedLayersForFind:false, includeHiddenLayers:false, includeMasterPages:false, includeFootnotes:false, kanaSensitive:true, widthSensitive:true} //Delete all unnecessary characters

grep	{findWhat:",$", appliedFont:"Times New Roman", fontStyle:"Italic"}	{changeTo: ""}	{searchBackwards:false, includeLockedStoriesForFind:false, includeLockedLayersForFind:false, includeHiddenLayers:false, includeMasterPages:false, includeFootnotes:false, kanaSensitive:true, widthSensitive:true} //Delete last comma  

What this basically does is find any instances of duplicate entries, apply a temporary font (Times New Roman, Italic), then find any text with said formatting and delete any returns and replace with commas. Then delete all unnecessary text and delete the last comma.

Just Note: When the script is done, there will be local Times New Roman formatting on all the fixed instances so make sure to select all text and press on the Clear Overrides in Selection button on the bottom of the paragraph styles panel.

Hi,
I’m having the same issue but my entries are roman letters and digit, I was wondering how to change the expression to make it works.
An example on entry would be : STEINEMANN – Arpentage et marquage 585.

Thanks a lot!

Hi,

Here a screen shot https://www.dropbox.com/s/thjsg2fepzvsewx/example.png?dl=0, I’d like for example to have just one entry for SIKA, etc.

Thank you very much!

This time I made it easier. It’s just a regular script that you have to execute, it doesn’t require the FindChangebyList script.

Read here on how to save the script.

I’m not sure if it works as expected, so please let me know.

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Fix Duplicate TOC Entries");

function main() {
    var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
    cleanPrefs();
    app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "(?s)(\\b\\w+?\\b)(\\s+?)(\\d{1,3})(\\s+?)(\\1(.+?)(\\d{1,3})(.+?))+";
    var foundText = myDoc.findGrep();
    for (var i = foundText.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        var curEntry = foundText[i];
        app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "\\r(?=.)";
        app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = ",\\s";
        curEntry.changeGrep();
        app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "(?<=,\\s)(\\w+?).+?(?=\\d)";
        app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "";
        curEntry.changeGrep();
        }      
    cleanPrefs();
    }

function cleanPrefs() {
    app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
    }

Hi,

Thank you for your quick answer! I tried the script but I had the following error message : https://www.dropbox.com/s/2yvpii8nxjdvrkz/error_message.png?dl=0

So I tried to replace the expression in the FindChangedlist text support by the expression in your script. The first line of the text file is :

grep {findWhat:”(?s)(\\b\\w+?\\b)(\\s+?)(\\d{1,3})(\\s+?)(\\1(.+?)(\\d{1,3})(.+?))+”} {changeTo: “”, appliedFont:”Times New Roman”, fontStyle:”Italic”} {searchBackwards:false, includeLockedStoriesForFind:false, includeLockedLayersForFind:false, includeHiddenLayers:false, includeMasterPages:false, includeFootnotes:false, kanaSensitive:true, widthSensitive:true} //Find duplicates and apply temporary formatting

I let the remaining lines the same as you posted before. The output from this operation was https://www.dropbox.com/s/fpo9hkh100l84wt/output2.png?dl=0

It gets better…

Thanks

The reason the script failed is because you probably copied the code from your email, and when you do that some characters don’t come through as they should. Try copying the code from my post directly, and try again.

You’re right, it does something now. But there is a problem, it works on simple entries but when there is a space or a commercial caracter or carater like é (it is in french) it does not work. Furthemore, sometimes there is a number in the entry. I don’t know how to modify the expression and I can maybe introduce some special caracter before the page number to make the task easier.
Here an example of input and output :
input https://www.dropbox.com/s/6sb3wsh6lopda1x/example2.png?dl=0
output https://www.dropbox.com/s/vf4fj5ujp95uw23/output3.png?dl=0

Thanks a lot!

To be able to do it correctly I need to have an actual file to test on. Please copy the TOC to a new document and upload it here.

Hi,
Here : https://www.dropbox.com/s/d3bpbh26w1bnxjo/index.indd?dl=0

Thank you!

Hi all,

not a script, but I had the same question at the weekend, so I did it in this way:

Find what: (^.+)(\s?\t.+)\r\1\t
Change to: $1$2,

The last character in ‘Change to’ is a space!

The GREP find always two lines. So ‘Change all’ needs to be executed multiple times.

Kai

Kai, your GREP string only seems to work in sets of two and not when there are multiple instances.

Valentin, here’s the updated script that should work as expected. But be aware that it will not work when there’s a regular space between the entry and the number, only a tab is allowed. So make sure that all the entries have proper tabs before the number.

Please let me know if this does work.

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Fix Duplicate TOC Entries");

function main() {
    var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
    cleanPrefs();
    app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "(.+?)\\s\\d+\\r(\\1\\s\\d+\\r)+";
    var foundText = myDoc.findGrep();
    for (var i = foundText.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
       var curEntry = foundText[i];
        app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "\\r(?=.)";
        app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = ",\\s";
        curEntry.changeGrep();
        app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "(?<=, )(.+?)\\t(?=\\d+)";
        app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "";
        curEntry.changeGrep();
        }      
    cleanPrefs();
    }

function cleanPrefs() {
    app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
    }

Hi Ari,

this is true. That’s why I said, you must execute it multiple times.
It does not take longer than the script to install ;-)

Kai

Hm, tried it also on the testfile and everything was found?!

Take the first entry (“Bacs à plantes en béton”)for an example. After I ran the GREP the maximum amount of times, it still is divided in two entries. The culprit seems to be a space that was added in the process at the beginning of the first entry. But this occurs throughout the document with multiple entries.

Do we have the same testfile? There is no space at the beginning of the first entry! To me it is logical, that the lines must be identical, if I want to find doubles ;-)

ah: Ari, if you get a space at the beginning, you don’t use my exact GREP!

Yep! You’re right!

What happened was that when I copied your “Change To” string, along came a preceding space! (I should’ve been more careful, because this happens so often!). It does work now as expected. Thanks!