Welcome
Welcome to Michèle’s FirstParagraph plugin, designed to add meaning full information to the top of pages: page number, current chapter and last section header.
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General information
Plugin name: FirstParagraph
Version: 1.0.0 – 8/18/26
Fee: Free
Availability: Adobe Marketplace
Source code in book: Adobe InDesign Automation of Nonfiction Books via JavaScript
Requirements
The FirstParagraph plugin’s algorithm relies on a Regular Paragraph paragraph style, a First Paragraph paragraph style and a Drop-Caps character style.
- The Regular Paragraph paragraph style named DSL – DFLT base has settings according to what the user wants his/her regular paragraphs to look like.
- First Paragraph paragraph style named DSL – DFLT first paragraph is a regular paragraph except that its drop-caps section has been activated. Its drop-cap settings should be whatever he InDesign user deems best. Its General Based On setting points to the DSL – DFLT base.
- The Drop-Caps character style named DSL – CHAR drop caps defines what the highlighted drop-cap should look like. It is used by the DSL – DFLT first paragraph paragraph style in its drop-caps settings.
Restrictions The names of the three styles above are hard coded. They will be customizable in a future version of this plugin.
What it does
The FirstParagraph plugin cycles through the book to set a drop-caps on the first paragraph of a chapter. It does so by applying the DSL – DFLT first paragraph style on the chapter’s first paragraph. It also cycles through the rest of the chapter to ensure that the drop-caps format has not been applied to other paragraphs.
Running this plugin requires that the InDesign user should define Paragraph Styles as defined in the Requirements section above.
Please note that a dialog box displays the HOMEDIR full path to enable the plugin user find the FirstParagraphsReadme.txt file.
For more information
You will find source code in my InDesign automation book so that you could roll your own FirstParagraphs plugin.
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