A script for turning in-text notes into footnotes in InDesign

notes-to-footnotes.js

Application.prototype.main = function(){
  if (this.documents.length <= 0) return;
  var tg = this.selection[0] || this.activeDocument;
  if ('appliedFont' in tg) tg = tg.parent;
  if (tg.constructor == TextFrame) { tg = tg.parentStory; }
  if (!('findGrep' in tg)) return;

  /* Here it is neecessary to choose a pattern for wrapping the note, we are not parsing
  here, hence the rough technique! */
  var fnPatterns = ["@foot_beg@([\\s\\S]*?)@foot_end@", "@footnote_begin@([\\s\\S]*?)@footnote_end@"];
  var count = 0;

  for(patterCounter = 0; patterCounter < fnPatterns.length; patterCounter++){
    fnPattern = fnPatterns[patterCounter];

    var fnFinds = (function(){
      this.findGrepPreferences = this.changeGrepPreferences = null;
      this.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = fnPattern;
      var ret = tg.findGrep();
      this.findGrepPreferences = this.changeGrepPreferences = null;

      return ret;
    }).call(this);

    var fnFind, fnPrefix,fnSuffix, rg = new RegExp(fnPattern), ip, fnParent, fn, count;

    while (fnFind = fnFinds.pop()){
      fnPrefix = fnFind.contents.match(/^@[^@]+@/)[0];
      fnSuffix = fnFind.contents.match(/@[^@]+@/)[0];

      try {
        // add footnote
        fn = fnFind.footnotes.add(LocationOptions.AFTER, fnFind.insertionPoints[-1]);
        // duplicate the text
        fnFind.texts[0].characters.itemByRange(fnPrefix.length,fnFind.texts[0].characters.length-fnSuffix.length-1).duplicate(LocationOptions.AT_END, fn.texts[0]);
        // remove the original
        fnFind.characters.itemByRange(0,fnFind.characters.length-2).remove();
        ++count;
      }
      catch(_){}
    }
  }
  alert((count)? (count+" footnote(s) successfully added."): "No footnote added. Make sure you use the relevant pattern.");
}
app.doScript('app.main();', ScriptLanguage.javascript,
    undefined, UndoModes.entireScript, app.activeScript.displayName);

Would you mind pasting here a couple of such notes? I could review their shape and figure out a pattern, if possible.

In fact, don’t worry: I only have a couple of footnotes with nested braces so I will just deal with them manually.

I have another more important problem: it seems like your script is cutting the last two characters of each footnote. I was able to get one character back by removing the "-1" from fnPrefix.length,fnFind.texts[0].characters.length-fnSuffix.length-1

but I can’t find where the second character could be removed in your script? (also I don’t know if this is the expected behavior of your script, or if I’m missing something here).

I'd say the problem might be here: fnFind.characters.itemByRange(0,fnFind.characters.length-2).remove();
I am sorry, I have no chance to test it (I don't have InDesign at the time). This script is rather old and its behavior might be associated with the overall behavior of footnote-related logic in the application. I'd been using it often a couple of years ago without a hassle.