insert_text() treats all content as single paragraph, limiting formatting flexibility

[matrayu]

Problem

The insert_text() function currently treats all inserted content as a single continuous paragraph, preventing granular style application.

Current Behavior

insert_text(
    text_frame_index=0, 
    text="CHAPTER 1\n\nNew York Harbor\n\nIn the beginning...",
    page_index=0
)

Result:

• ✅ All content inserted successfully
• ❌ All content treated as one paragraph
• ❌ Cannot apply different styles to different sections
• ❌ Chapter title gets same formatting as body text
• ❌ Scene breaks ("* * *") cannot be centered separately

Desired Behavior

Should preserve paragraph structure from the text input:

• Paragraph 1: "CHAPTER 1" → Apply "Chapter Title" style
• Paragraph 2: "New York Harbor" → Apply "Location" style
• Paragraph 3: "In the beginning..." → Apply "Body Text" style

Workaround

Use insert_formatted_paragraphs() instead:

insert_formatted_paragraphs(
    text_frame_index=0,
    page_index=0,
    paragraphs=[
        {"text": "CHAPTER 1", "style": "Chapter Title Large"},
        {"text": "New York Harbor", "style": "Chapter Location Italic"},
        {"text": "In the beginning...", "style": "Body First Drop"}
    ]
)

Limitation of workaround: Requires pre-parsing text into paragraphs with style assignments.

Proposed Solutions

Option 1: Parse newlines as paragraph breaks in insert_text()

Modify insert_text() to:

1. Split text by \n\n (double newlines)
2. Create actual InDesign paragraphs for each section
3. Allow subsequent apply_paragraph_style() calls to target specific paragraphs

Option 2: Add optional paragraph style mapping parameter

insert_text(
    text_frame_index=0,
    text="CHAPTER 1\n\nNew York\n\nIn the beginning...",
    paragraph_styles=["Chapter Title", "Location", "Body Text"]
)

Option 3: Document current behavior clearly

Update tool documentation to clarify:

• insert_text() is for uniform formatting only
• Use insert_formatted_paragraphs() for mixed formatting
• Provide clear examples of when to use each

Impact

Severity: Medium
Workaround exists: Yes (insert_formatted_paragraphs())
Affects: Users expecting paragraph-aware formatting from plain text insertion

Files Involved

• adobe_mcp/indesign/server.py - insert_text() tool
• uxp-plugins/indesign/commands/text.js - insertText handler
• Documentation to update if behavior is intentional

Related

• Tool added in commit f188798
• insert_formatted_paragraphs() added in commit 8ea7aed as solution