gistfile1.js

var subLayers = app.activeDocument.layers.getByName("parent").pageItems;

var smallestParentArea = 10000000;

var smallestChild = "this is the first smallest child found";
var parentSmallest = []; 
//loop through all sublayers to find children
for(var i = 0; i < subLayers.length; i++){
    var smallestChild,
        childContainer = subLayers[i],
        childContainerArea = childContainer.width * childContainer.height
       
    print("#################"+childContainer.name+" : CHILD compare ###################");
    
    //compare all subLayers to other sublayers    
    for(var j = 0; j < subLayers.length; j++){
        var parentContainer = subLayers[j],
            parentArea = parentContainer.width * parentContainer.height;
        // check to see if it is comparing to itself, skip if it is
        if (i != j){
            // check to see if childContainer is in another layer
            print("-----"+parentContainer.name+" : PARENT compair -----"); 
            var usedContainerIndexes = [];
            if(isIn(childContainer, parentContainer) &&  childContainerArea < parentArea && usedContainerIndexes.indexOf(j) === -1) {
                //if(smallestChild =="string"){ smallestChild.name };
                print(">> TEST :: "+childContainer.name+": SMALLEST CHILD // area:"+childContainerArea+" // "+smallestChild+" (index: "+j+") USED TO BE SMALLEST CHILD");
                smallestChild = childContainer;
                smallestParentArea = parentContainerArea;
                usedContainerIndexes.push(j);
                parentSmallest.push(parentContainer);
                print("parent is:"+parentContainer.name+"\n");
            }
        }
    }
}

function findSmallestObject() {
}


function isIn(child, parentItem){
    var childVB = child.visibleBounds,
        childLeft = childVB[0],
        childTop = Math.abs(childVB[1]),
        childRight = childVB[2],
        childBottom = Math.abs(childVB[3]);
    var parentVB = parentItem.visibleBounds,
        parentLeft = parentVB[0],
        parentTop = Math.abs(parentVB[1]),
        parentRight = parentVB[2],
        parentBottom = Math.abs(parentVB[3]);
        
    $.write(child.name+" :  [ left: "+childVB[0]+" , top: "+Math.abs(childVB[1]) +" , right: "+childVB[2] +", bottom: "+Math.abs(childVB[3])+"]  \n\n" );
    $.write(parentItem.name+" :   [ left: "+parentVB[0]+", top: "+Math.abs(parentVB[1]) +" , right: "+parentVB[2] +" , bottom: "+Math.abs(parentVB[3])+"]  \n\n" );
    //return true if child is in parent
    return childLeft >= parentLeft && 
           childTop >= parentTop && 
           childRight <= parentRight && 
           childBottom <= parentBottom;
}

//check what the smallest container is:

for(var i = 0; i < parentSmallest.length; i++){
    var smallestParent;
    var parent = parentSmallest[i];
    var parentArea = parentSmallest[i].height*parentSmallest[i].width;
    $.writeln("\n\n"+parentSmallest[i].name+" %% PARENT NAME %%, area: "+parentArea);
    for(var j = 0; j < parentSmallest.length; j++){
        if (i != j){ //don't check against itself
            var child = parentSmallest[j];
            var childArea = parentSmallest[j].height*parentSmallest[j].width;
             $.writeln(parentSmallest[j].name+" %% CHILD NAME %%, area: "+childArea);
                if(childArea < parentArea){
                    $.writeln(">>>>"+parentSmallest[j].name+" is now the smallest");
                    smallestParent = child;
                }
        }
    }
}
var arr = {};

for ( i=0; i < things.thing.length; i++ )
    arr[things.thing[i]['id']] = things.thing[i];

things.thing = new Array();
for ( key in arr )
    things.thing.push(arr[key]);
    
    
$.writeln("\n\n"+layersArray+" new array");

$.writeln("!!! "+smallestChild.name+" is the smallest conatiner. it's position is: "+smallestChild.visibleBounds+"\n \n"+"its parent(s) is/are: "+parentSmallest);
$.write("\n\n smallestparent:"+smallestParent);

$.writeln("\n\n"+layersArray+" new array");
//clear variables because ES is stupid sometimes
var childContainer = null,   
    childContainerArea = null,
    parentArea = null,
    parentContainer = null,
    isSame = null;