gistfile1.js

#target illustrator
function init(){
// @include lukaszLibrary.jsx

// objects and methods

function Container(theChild){
    this.value = theChild; // reference to single child container
    this.symbolItems = []; //array of symbols
    this.parent = [];
}

// set up vars

var smallestChild = "this is the first smallest child found",
    parentSmallest = [],
    smallestChildrenCollection = [],
    tempChildToParentRelationship = [],
    smallestParentArea = 10000000,
    subLayers = app.activeDocument.layers.getByName("parent").pageItems;

// CHILD LOOP
for(var i = 0; i < subLayers.length; i++){
    var smallestChild,
        usedContainerIndexes = [],
        childContainer = subLayers[i],
        childContainerArea = childContainer.width * childContainer.height,
        collectionOfParents = [],
        myContainer;
  
    print("#################"+childContainer.name+" : CHILD compare ###################");
    
    // PARENT LOOP CHECK
    for(var j = 0; j < subLayers.length; j++){
        var parentContainer = subLayers[j],
            parentArea = parentContainer.width * parentContainer.height;
            
        if (i != j){
            print("-----"+parentContainer.name+" : PARENT compair -----"); 
            
            // SET PARENT AND CHILD RELATIONSHIP VARIABLES
            if(isIn(childContainer, parentContainer) &&  childContainerArea < parentArea && usedContainerIndexes.indexOf(j) === -1) {
                print(">> TEST :: "+childContainer.name+": SMALLEST CHILD // area:"+childContainerArea+" // "+smallestChild+" (index: "+j+") USED TO BE SMALLEST CHILD its parent is: "+parentContainer);
                myContainer = new Container(childContainer);
                smallestChild = childContainer;
                smallestChildrenCollection.push(childContainer);
                smallestParentArea = parentArea;
                usedContainerIndexes.push(j);
                //usedChildContainerIndexes.push(i);
                parentSmallest.push(parentContainer);
                // push multiple instances of parent container to smallest container class
                collectionOfParents.push(parentContainer);
            }
        }   
    } // END : PARENT
    myContainer.parent.push(collectionOfParents);
    myContainer.value = smallestChild;
    print("$$$$$$$$$$$$ SMALLEST CHILD FOR OBJECT: "+smallestChild);
} //END : CHILD

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

print("\n ---- \n !!! "+smallestChild.name+" is the smallest conatiner. it's position is: "+smallestChild.visibleBounds+"\n \n"+" items with children: "+parentSmallest);
print("\n ---- \nsmallest parent: "+theSmallestParent(parentSmallest));
print("\n ---- \nParent: "+parentSmallest+" Child: "+smallestChild);
print("\n ---- \n children collection"+smallestChildrenCollection);

printObj(myContainer);

var childContainer = null,   
    childContainerArea = null,
    parentArea = null,
    parentContainer = null,
    isSame = null;

} init();