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Scripter

Here is documentation about the current scripting component in Scribus:

• Scripter API -- Routines which can be used in scripts to control Scribus
• Databases -- Scripts can interact with database software like MySQL or SQLite

This wiki is capable of letting users download raw code embedded into the pages and have it appear syntax highlighted.

• So as to cite python script code with proper syntax hilight, use the following tag <syntaxhighlight lang='python'> instead of using the usual HTML tag <pre>.
• See example and other possible tags : Wikitext for Raw Code Download

Note : A new script engine is currently being integrated into Scribus. The next steps will be to get the script engine to work (should already be ok), get the editor to work, revise the structure of the API, add new functions to the API and mostly : port scripts to the new scripter. See Scripter NG non-complete documentation about architecture

Pure Python Functions

The open() function is a pure python function and does not involve any Scribus code. Here are some pages with advices on how to handle unicode file names in python:

- http://docs.python.org/tutorial/inputoutput.html - http://www.evanjones.ca/python-utf8.html - http://boodebr.org/main/python/all-about-python-and-unicode

The string returned by the Scribus fileDialog() function is always Unicode UTF-8 encoded.

If file is not closed after python error within Scribus: This is up to you to handle python exceptions, Scribus cannot do that in your place

Script snippets

This section contains snippets you can use to create your own scripts.

It features:

• reading a file
• updating a status bar
• selecting a frame
• pausing the screen update

Script Template

Here is a script template with all setups. Use it as a starting point for writing your own script, fill in your application specific code. script template main(). There is also a template called boilerplate.py within Scribus Script directory.

Troubleshooting Scripts

Iterate over all elements on a page

page = 1
pagenum = scribus.pageCount()
content = []
while (page <= pagenum):
    scribus.gotoPage(page)
    d = scribus.getPageItems()
    for item in d:
        // do something
    page += 1

Get content like text from a frame

content = []
d = scribus.getPageItems()
for item in d:
    if (item[1] == 4):
        contents = scribus.getAllText(item[0])
        if (contents in content):
            contents = 'Duplication, perhaps linked-to frame'
            content.append(contents)
        elif (item[1] == 2):
            imgname = scribus.getImageFile(item[0])

ITEM TYPE

• ItemType1 = 1,
• ImageFrame = 2,
• ItemType3 = 3,
• TextFrame = 4,
• Line = 5,
• Polygon = 6,
• PolyLine = 7,
• PathText = 8,
• LatexFrame = 9,
• Multiple = 99

Auto-Output all Scripter Commands

From Scribus User http://meiradarocha.jor.br Mailinglist Feb. 2012

d = dir(scribus)
for j in d:
   try:
       exec 'res = '+j+'.__doc__'
       if res[0:5] == 'float':
           print '\nCONSTANT:\n',j,'\nVALUE: float'
           exec 'print '+j+'\n'
       elif res[0:5] == 'int(x':
           print '\nCONSTANT:\n',j,'\nVALUE: integer'
           exec 'print '+j+'\n'
       elif res[0:5] == 'tuple':
           print '\nTUPLE:\n',j,'\nVALUE:'
           exec 'print repr('+j+')\n'
       elif res[0:4] == 'str(':
           print '\nSTRING:\n',j,'\nVALUE:'
           exec 'print repr('+j+')\n'
       else:
           print '\nFUNCTION:\n'+j+'\n\nSYNTAX:'
           print res
   except: pass

Image Manipulation

• Objects: Images -- Example Scripts that manipulate images in a Scribus document

Beginners Scripts

Script (w/ Screenshot)	Scripter commands demonstrated
Elementary Rectangle Elementary Rectangle generated from python	newDocument, createRect, setCornerRadius, setLineWidth, setFillColor, setLineColor, saveDocAs
Drawing Circles with Radii Drawing Circles with Radii generated from python	newDocument, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, zoomDocument, saveDocAs
Making a dot gradient Making a dot gradient generated from python	newDocument, createEllipse, setLineWidth, setFillColor, setFillShade, saveDocAs, currentPage, setHGuides, messageBox, statusMessage, progressReset
Adding 'DRAFT' to a document Adding 'DRAFT' to a document generated from python	haveDoc, createLayer, getActiveLayer, setActiveLayer, createText, setUnit, setText, setTextColor, setFontSize, rotateObject
Making layout grid with guides	haveDoc, valueDialog, getUnit, setUnit, getPageSize, getPageMargins,
Creating Markers for positioning and cutting	defineColor, createEllipse, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor, createLine, getPageSize, createRect
Creating Markers - another version	valueDialog, getColor, getLayers, createLayer, setActiveLayer, setHGuides, setVGuides, getHGuides, getVGuides, createText, setTextColor, insertText, setFontSize, setLineSpacing, defineColor, createRect, groupObjects, createLine, setLineColor, setLineWidth, createEllipse, haveDoc, messageBox
Bleed, create markers and export a document to pdf
Drawing Lines and Python "For loops"	newDocument, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillShade, createRect, saveDocAs
Making margins in Guttenberg way	haveDoc, getUnit, setUnit, getPageSize, getPageMargins, setMargins, messageBox, statusMessage, progressReset
Generate a ten page layout with three columns on each page
Generating a Postnet barcode	haveDoc, setUnit, valueDialog, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor
Generating a Code39 Barcode	haveDoc, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor, createText, setFont, setFontSize, setTextAlignment, valueDialog, messageBox, docChanged
createColor(), A Standard Form with Barcodes and Custom Entries	newDoc, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor, createLayer, setActiveLayer, createText, setFont, setFontSize, setTextAlignment, selectText, setTextDistances, valueDialog, messageBox
Automatically Creating a Graph	haveDoc, valueDialog, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor, createText, setTextColor, setText, setTextAlignment, setFont, setFontSize, rotateObject
Creating a Graph, Part 2	haveDoc, valueDialog, setUnit, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor, createText, setTextColor, setText, setTextAlignment, setFont, setFontSize
Advanced Graphing	fileDialog, haveDoc, setUnit, valueDialog, createLine, setLineWidth, setLineColor, setFillColor, createPolyLine
Making a Pie Chart	valueDialog, messageBox, haveDoc, importSVG – much of the script involves mathematical calculations
Import an image in the way office-programs do	getPageSize, fileDialog, createImage, setScaleImageToFrame, setFillColor, setLineColor, getImageScale, sizeObject, haveDoc, messageBox This is an old script (Scribus 1.3.3.3), so be sure to check the precise names of commands. If you find errors, let us know or edit the wiki page to correct.
Drawing a grid	messageBox, createLine, setLineColor, haveDoc, statusMessage, progressReset There is a minor usage of Scribus commands here, but it does show how to set up a Tkinter dialog for multiple variable entry.
Importing addresses from a text file	newDoc, newPage, createText, setText, setTextAlignment, setFont, setFontSize This is almost a script fragment even though it could work on its own. What it shows is the basic operation to import information from a simple structured text file and incorporate into a document. Could be adapted for mail merge, for example.
Scale an Image to Fill a Frame Proportionally	haveDoc, selectionCount, getSelectedObject, setScaleImageToFrame, getImageScale, scaleImage, docChanged
Align an Image in its Frame
Image Wizard: Scale and Align an Image
Image Wizard Advanced
Split Image Across Gutter
Discovering an Item's Properties	not sure if this script works
Un-Flip all Selected Items	haveDoc, selectionCount, getSelectedObject, setProperty, moveObject, docChanged
Remove Magenta Color	replaceColor, docChanged This is a "script-let" really, but quickly shows how to change or delete colors in a document. No checking for errors.
Extracting All Text from a Document	haveDoc, fileDialog, messageBox, pageCount, getPageItems, gotoPage, getAllText, getImageFile
Convert RGB value to Hex	valueDialog, messageBox This is a utility that just happens to run in Scribus, using the valueDialog and messageBox to do what the title says.
Color Chart	getPageSize, getPageMargins, createText, setFontSize, setTextAlignment, insertText, getColorNames, statusMessage, progressTotal, getColor, progressSet, haveDoc, openDoc, fileDialog, messageBox, getColorsFromDocument, newDocument, setUnit, deleteColor, defineColor, valueDialog, newPage, createRect, setFillColor, setLineColor
Book Spine Calculator	messageBox, valueDialog
create tables out of csv data
Reduce the size of Scribus generated PDFs
Convert Typewriter Quotes to Typographic Quotes
Autoquote2 – a new and improved Autoquote.py
copyObject() and pasteObject()	haveDoc, selectionCount, messageBox, valueDialog, getSelectedObject, pageCount, currentPage, gotoPage. Also shows use of Python split function for parsing the input from valueDialog. copyObject and pasteObject are new commands that you will only have once you follow the directions to install them into your svn directory and rebuild Scribus.
Convert RGB imported colors to CMYK	getColors(), defineColor(), replaceColor(), deleteColor()
Convert all colors to CMYK	getColors(), defineColor(), replaceColor(), deleteColor()

Basic scripts

Scripts which give you ideas how you can solve your tasks.

• Poor man's mail merge
• Enlarge2Page - Enlarge an object to the size of the page.
• Making Guides at an Object's Borders
• Using the new applyMasterPage() command
• Swap Images

Full functional scripts

Scripts that are ready for achieving specific tasks

• Export all text from a Scribus file
• Resize selected objects
• Import XML and apply styles
• Align to the left page margin (after adding a new page in a double page document)
• Bullets Make bulleted list
• Bullets and numbered lists
• Scribus Generator Extend Scribus with Mail Merge functionality
• Image crop, resize and CMYK conversion. Save and reload in TIFF format
• Image crop, resize and color conversion GUI
• Apply basic ligatures to a document
• Import CSV Data
• Automatic story formatting
• Clean-up the imported text based on the Slovak typographic rules

Scripting new Scribus' functions

Scripts which sketch new features which may be included in future releases of Scribus

• Adjust the text frame size according to various factors

Extension scripts and PyQt

• Extension script discussion
• Experimental PyQt projects

Python issues

• Known Scripter Issues

Other

• Extension_script_repository
• Web optimised PDF — learn how to minimize PDF size, make your life easier with the included Perl script (runs outside of Scribus)
• Imagemagick Imposition – a bash script doing simple imposition of PNG files exported from Scribus
• Printing_4-up_tickets_to_hard_copy_printer Shows a) automatic numbering in text boxes and b) hard-copy printing from script
• Using createParagraphStyle
• Alessandro Rimoldi's blog series on scripter functions - a_l_e's blog
• Windows Full Python Integration