Acrobat’s JavaScript is a great tool to extend the application, or to automate reoccurring tasks. There are several ways a JavaScript can be added to the application or a document (e.g. folder level scripts, validation scripts, event handling scripts, …), but regardless of how a script is written, chances are that the developer wants to test parts of the script in Acrobat’s Javascript console. This console window can be shown by either using the “Advanced>Document Processing>JavaScript Debugger…” menu item or Ctrl-J on Windows or Cmd-J on a Mac:

After the console or debugger window comes up, the user can then enter Javascript and execute it…

… that is, as long as a full keyboard with a numeric keypad is used. In Adobe’s documentation, we find the following instructions to execute Javascript typed into the console window:

The JavaScript console allows you to evaluate single or multiple lines of code. There are three ways to evaluate JavaScript code while using the interactive console:

• To evaluate a portion of a line of code, highlight the portion and press either the Enter key on the numeric keypad or press Ctrl + Enter.
• To evaluate a single line of code, make sure the cursor is positioned on that line and press either the Enter key on the numeric keypad or press Ctrl + Enter.
• To evaluate multiple lines of code, highlight those lines and press either the Enter key on the numeric keypad or press Ctrl + Enter.

That works fine as long as you have access to the numeric keypad, but on a MacBook or a MacBook Pro without that keypad. No key combination involving fn, ctrl, cmd or option with the Return or Enter key will result in the Javascript getting executed.

The virtual keyboard to the rescue: Mac OS comes with a handy keyboard viewer that allows us to send the correct key code to the application. To bring up the keyboard viewer, bring up the Mac OS System Preferences first and select the “Keyboard” category:

Make sure that the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewer in menu bar” is selected. Once this is done, you can access the keyboard viewer from the menu bar:

Now comes the tricky part: Write some Javascript in the console window and place the cursor on the line you want to execute or select the snippet of the Javascript that should be executed. In the following example I’m using code from Adobe’s Javascript API documentation:

  var menuItems = app.listMenuItems()
  for( var i in menuItems)
    console.println(menuItems[i] + "\n")

With the console prepped, bring up the keyboard viewer and start pushing keys – real keys that is: Hold down the “fn” and the “control” key, then move the mouse pointer to the “Enter” key on the keyboard viewer and click it…

… and voila, the script gets executed:

This is not the most straight forward method, but at least it’s possible to use the Javascript console to execute code when using a MacBook.

This is a review that I submitted to Adorama about a solar filter that I bought from them. As is pretty obvious, I’m not too happy with that product. It is actually pretty simple to make a filter (direct link to PDF file). Next time, I’ll go that route and not risk my only good eye…

Oh, and the formatting is horrible, it’s what Adorama’s system came up with.

Originally submitted at Adorama

Celestron Astro Solar Film Filter for C5′S & Nextstar 5 Telescopes.

Celestron Astro Solar Film Filter for C5′S & Nextstar 5 Telescopes.

 

Could be Dangerous!

By khkremer from Rochester, NY on 9/4/2008

 

 

 

2out of 5

Pros: It works

Cons: Dangerous

Best Uses: Astronomy

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

The filter works, no question about that. When the filter is on the scope, aimed at the sun, the filter gets of course warm. This will soften the glue that holds the foil to the ring. There is no reinforcement on the back of the ring to hold the filter in place. Once the glue lets go of the foil, it will flap in the wind and can potentially expose the eye to direct sunlight. This is very dangerous, and I have a hard time recommending this filter to anybody.

Once the foil is pressed on the ring again, the glue will stick again. The question is just for how long.

Celestron either has to use a different adhesive, or reinforce the foil on the back so that the filter stays in place even if some of the glue comes off.

(legalese)

A Spam email without the message body? How am I supposed to buy stuff from them – or claim the price I won?

I did not know they eat lilacs…

This groundhog was climbing up a lilac bush to reach to good parts… Does that make it a treehog?

(From my trip to the Lilac Festival 2008 in Rochester, NY)