bridgetalk-class

BridgeTalk class

Static properties and methods of this class provide a way for your script to determine basic messaging system information before you create any specific message objects. Static methods allow you to check if an application is installed and is already running, and to launch the application. A callback defined on the class determines how the application processes incoming messages.

You can access static properties and methods in the BridgeTalk class, which is available in the global namespace. For example:

var thisApp = BridgeTalk.appName;

Note

You must instantiate the BridgeTalk class to create the BridgeTalk message object, which is used to send message packets between applications. Dynamic properties and methods can be accessed only in instances.

---

Attributes

The BridgeTalk class provides these static properties, which are available in the global namespace:

BridgeTalk.appInstance

BridgeTalk.appInstance

Description

The instance identifier of an application launched by the messaging framework, the instance portion of an application specifier; see Application specifiers.

Used only for those applications, such as InDesign, that support launching and running multiple instances.

Type

String. Read only.

---

BridgeTalk.appLocale

BridgeTalk.appLocale

Description

The locale of this application, the locale portion of an application specifier; see Application specifiers. When a message is sent, this is the locale of the sending application.

Type

String. Read only.

---

BridgeTalk.appName

BridgeTalk.appName

Description

The name of this application, the appname portion of an application specifier; see Application specifiers. When a message is sent, this is the name of the sending application.

Type

String. Read only.

---

BridgeTalk.appSpecifier

BridgeTalk.appSpecifier

Description

A lower-case string containing the complete specifier for this application; see Application specifiers.

Type

String.

---

BridgeTalk.appStatus

BridgeTalk.appStatus

Description

The current processing status of this application. One of:

• busy: The application is currently busy, but not processing messages. This is the case, for example, when a modal dialog is shown.
• idle: The application is currently idle, but processes messages regularly.
• not installed: The application is not installed.

Type

String. Read only.

---

BridgeTalk.appVersion

BridgeTalk.appVersion

Description

The version number of this application, the version portion of an application specifier; see Application specifiers. When a message is sent, this is the version of the sending application.

Type

String. Read only.

---

BridgeTalk.onReceive

BridgeTalk.onReceive

Description

Returns

callback function that this application applies to unsolicited incoming messages. The default function evaluates the body of the received message and returns the result of evaluation. To change the default behavior, set this to a function definition in the following form:

BridgeTalk.onReceive = function( bridgeTalkObject ) {
    // act on received message
};

The body property of the received message object contains the received data. The function can return any type. See Handling unsolicited messages.

Note

This function is not applied to a message that is received in response to a message sent from this application. Response messages are processed by the onResult, onReceived, or onError callbacks associated with the sent message.

Type

Function

---

Methods

The BridgeTalk class provides these static methods, which are available in the global namespace:

BridgeTalk.bringToFront()

BridgeTalk.bringToFrontapp)

Description

Brings all windows of the specified application to the front of the screen.

In Mac OS, an application can be running but have no windows open. In this case, calling this function might or might not open a new window, depending on the application. For Adobe Bridge, it opens a new browser window.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
app	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application

Returns

Nothing

---

BridgeTalk.getAppPath()

BridgeTalk.getAppPathapp)

Description

Retrieves the full path of the executable file for a specified application.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
app	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application

Returns

String

---

BridgeTalk.getDisplayName()

BridgeTalk.getDisplayNameapp)

Description

Returns a localized display name for an application, or null if the application is not installed. For example:

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
app	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application

Returns

String

Example

BridgeTalk.getDisplayName("photoshop-10.0");
=> Adobe Photoshop CS4

---

BridgeTalk.getSpecifier()

BridgeTalk.getSpecifierappName[, version][, locale])

Description

Retrieves a complete application specifier.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
appName	The base name of the application to search for.
version	Number	Optional. The specific version number to search for.
		If 0 or not supplied, returns the most recent version.
		If negative, returns the highest version up to and including the absolute value.
		If a major version is specified, returns the highest minor-version variation. For example, if Photoshop CS versions 9, 9.1, and 10 are installed:
		BridgeTalk.Specifier( “photoshop”, “9” ) => [“photoshop-9.1”]
locale	String	Optional. The specific locale to search for. If not supplied and multiple language versions are installed, prefers the version for the current locale.

Returns

Application specifier for a messaging-enabled application version installed on this computer, or null if the requested version of the application is not installed.

Example

For example, assuming installed applications include Photoshop CS4 11.0 en_us, Photoshop CS2 8.5 de_de, Photoshop CS2 9.0 de_de, and Photoshop CS2 9.5 de_de, and that the current locale is en_US

BridgeTalk.getSpecifier ("photoshop");
    => ["photoshop-11.0-en_us"]

BridgeTalk.getSpecifier ("photoshop", 0, "en_us");
    => ["photoshop-11.0-en_us"]

BridgeTalk.getSpecifier ("photoshop", 0, "de_de");
    => ["photoshop-9.5-de_de"]

BridgeTalk.getSpecifier ("photoshop", -9.2, "de_de");
    => ["photoshop-9.0-de_de"]

BridgeTalk.getSpecifier ("photoshop", 8);
    => ["photoshop-8.5-de_de"]

---

BridgeTalk.getStatus()

BridgeTalk.getStatus(targetSpec)

Description

Retrieves the processing status of an application.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
targetSpec	Application specifiers	Optional. A specifier for the target application. If not supplied, returns the processing status of the current application.

Returns

String, one of:

• BUSY: The application is currently busy, but not processing messages. This is the case, for example, when a modal dialog is shown.
• IDLE: The application is currently idle, but processes messages regularly.
• PUMPING: The application is currently processing messages.
• ISNOTRUNNING: The application is installed but not running.
• ISNOTINSTALLED: The application is not installed.
• UNDEFINED: The application is running but not responding to ping requests. This can be true of a CS2 application that uses an earlier version of the messaging framework.

---

BridgeTalk.getTargets()

BridgeTalk.getTargets([version],[locale])

Description

Retrieves a list of messaging-enabled applications installed on this computer.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
version	Number	Optional. The specific version number to search for, or null to return the most appropriate version (matching, most recent, or running), with version information.
		Specify only a major version number to return the highest minor-version variation.
		For example, if Photoshop CS versions 9, 9.5, and 10 are installed
		BridgeTalk.getTargets( “9” ) => [photoshop-9.5]
		Specify a negative value to return all versions up to the absolute value of the version number. For example
		BridgeTalk.getTargets( “-9.9” ) => [photoshop-9.0, photoshop-9.5]
locale	String	Optional. The specific locale to search for, or null to return applications for all locales, with locale information. If not supplied when version is supplied, returns specifiers with version information only.

Returns

Returns an array of Application specifiers.

• If version is supplied, specifiers include the base name plus the version information.
• If locale is supplied, specifiers include the full name, with both version and locale information.
• If neither version nor locale is supplied, returns base specifiers with neither version nor locale information, but tries to find the most appropriate version and locale; see Application specifiers.

Example

For example, assuming installed applications include Photoshop CS3 10.0 en_US, Photoshop CS4 11.0 en_us, and Illustrator CS4 14.0 de_de

BridgeTalk.getTargets();
    => [photoshop,illustrator]

BridgeTalk.getTargets( "10.0" );
    => [photoshop-10.0]

BridgeTalk.getTargets( null );
    => [photoshop-11.0, illustrator-14.0]

BridgeTalk.getTargets( null, "en_US" );
    => [photoshop-10.0-en_US, photoshop-11.0-en_US]

BridgeTalk.getTargets( null, null );
    => [photoshop-10.0-en_US, photoshop-11.0-en_us, illustrator-14.0-de_de]

---

BridgeTalk.isRunning()

BridgeTalk.isRunning(specifier)

Description

Checks whether a given application is running and active on the local computer.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
specifier	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application

Returns

Boolean

---

BridgeTalk.launch()

BridgeTalk.launch(specifier[, where])

Description

Launches the given application on the local computer. It is not necessary to launch an application explicitly in order to send it a message; sending a message to an application that is not running automatically launches it.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
specifier	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application
where	Unknown.	Optional. If the value “background” is specified, the application’s main window is not brought to the front of the screen.

Returns

Boolean. true if the application has already been launched, false if it was launched by this call.

---

BridgeTalk.loadAppScript()

BridgeTalk.loadAppScript(specifier)

Description

Loads the startup script for an application from the common StartupScripts folders. Use to implement late loading of startup scripts.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
specifier	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application

Returns

Boolean. true if the script was successfully loaded.

---

BridgeTalk.ping()

BridgeTalk.ping(specifier, pingRequest)

Description

Sends a message to another application to determine whether it can be contacted.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
specifier	Application specifiers	A specifier for the target application
pingRequest	Identifying key string, one of:	Specific type of return value.
	- STATUS: Returns the processing status; see getStatus().
	- DIAGNOSTICS: Returns a diagnostic report that includes a list of valid ping keys.
	- ECHO_REQUEST: Returns ECHO_RESPONSE for a simple ping request.

Returns

String

---

BridgeTalk.pump()

BridgeTalk.pump()

Description

Checks all active messaging interfaces for outgoing and incoming messages, and processes them if there are any.

Note

Most applications have a message processing loop that continually checks the message queues, so use of this method is rarely required.

Returns

Boolean. true if any messages have been processed, false otherwise.