InDesign script to alternate text color every other line in a text box

Question

I have a very long list of names that I need to alternate the CMYK color value every other line.

I found this script online that changes the tint every 3rd line:

var i, p;
for (i=0; i<app.selection[0].paragraphs.length; i++) {
  p = app.selection[0].lines[i];
  if (i%3 === 2) { p.fillTint = 50; }

}

I tried changing the script to change the CMYK value doing this:

var i, p;
for (i=0; i<app.selection[0].paragraphs.length; i++) {
  p = app.selection[0].lines[i];
  if (i%2 === 1) { p.colorValue=[0,100,100,0]; }

}

But using "colorValue" is not supported. How can I change the script to make every other line in a text box change the color value?

Answer 1

Credit to Kasyan Servetsky for creating the script.

var i, p, color;  
for (i=0; i<app.selection[0].paragraphs.length; i++) {  
    p = app.selection[0].lines[i];  
    color = makeColor("C=0 M=100 Y=100 K=0", ColorSpace.CMYK, ColorModel.process, [0, 100, 100, 0]);  
    if (i%2 === 1) {   
        p.fillColor = color;  
    }  
}  

function makeColor(colorName, colorSpace, colorModel, colorValue) {  
    var doc = app.activeDocument;  
    var color = doc.colors.item(colorName);  
    if (!color.isValid) {  
        color = doc.colors.add({name: colorName, space: colorSpace, model: colorModel, colorValue: colorValue});  
    }  
    return color;  
}

Answer 2

How about:

for ( var i=0; i < app.selection[0].paragraphs.length; i++ ) {

  var p = app.selection[0].lines[i],
      even = i % 2 === 1;

  if ( even ) {

    p.fillColor = "My Swatch Name";

    // Or one of these two:
    // p.applyParagraphStyle( app.activeDocument.paragraphStyles.itemByName("My Paragraph Style"), true );
    // p.applyCharacterStyle( app.activeDocument.characterStyles.itemByName("My Character Style"), false );

  }

}

Answer 3

I suggest this version Kudos to indisnip.wordpress.com

//  found on http://bit.ly/h5EobK indisnip.wordpress.com ->
//  how to apply:
//
//  add CMYK color
// myColorAdd(app.activeDocument, "My Custom Color", ColorModel.PROCESS, [80,50,30,10]);
//
//  add RGB color
// myColorAdd(app.activeDocument, "My Custom Color", ColorModel.PROCESS, [33,66,99]);
//
//  add HEX color
// myColorAdd(app.activeDocument, "My Custom Color", ColorModel.PROCESS, "ABCDEF");
//
// add color directly
// add CMYK col or to document
// and assign it  to selected object
//app.selection [0].fillColor = myColorAdd(app.activeDocument, "My Custom Color", ColorModel.PROCESS,  [80,50,30,10]);
color_maker = function(myDocument, myColorName, myColorModel, myColorValue) {
  if (myColorValue instanceof Array === false) {
    myColorValue = [(parseInt(myColorValue, 16) >> 16) & 0xff, (parseInt(myColorValue, 16) >> 8) & 0xff, parseInt(myColorValue, 16) & 0xff];
    myColorSpace = ColorSpace.RGB;
  } else {
    if (myColorValue.length == 3)
      myColorSpace = ColorSpace.RGB;
    else
      myColorSpace = ColorSpace.CMYK;
  }
  try {
    myColor = myDocument.colors.item(myColorName);
    myName = myColor.name;
  } catch (myError) {
    myColor = myDocument.colors.add();
    myColor.properties = {
      name: myColorName,
      model: myColorModel,
      space: myColorSpace,
      colorValue: myColorValue
    };
  }
  return myColor;
};
var main = function() {
  if (app.documents.length === 0) return;
  var doc = app.activeDocument;
  if (doc.selection.length === 0) return;
  var sel = app.activeDocument.selection[0];
  for (var i = 0; i < sel.lines.length; i++) {
    if (i % 2 === 0) {
      var col = color_maker(doc, 'my color ' + i, ColorModel.PROCESS, [0, 0, 0, Math.random() * 100]);
      sel.lines[i].fillColor = col;
    }
  }
};
main();