For the creatives in the world interested in creating your tool to help manage your workflows on the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem, I understand your . pain Some of the common pain points: : ExtendScript is based on an older version of JavaScript (ECMAScript 3), which lacks many modern features and conveniences found in the latest ECMAScript versions. This can make the development process feel outdated and less efficient. Outdated JavaScript Version : Common development tools like package managers (npm, yarn), bundlers (webpack, rollup), or modern frameworks (React, Vue) are not directly compatible with the ExtendScript environment, which can limit development practices. Lack of Modern Development Tools : Unlike web development, where developers manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM) for dynamic changes, ExtendScript for Illustrator does not allow for direct DOM manipulation, leading to different approaches for UI development. No Direct DOM Manipulation : ExtendScript tools for debugging are not as advanced as those available for modern JavaScript development. There is no built-in console for logging, and the ExtendScript Toolkit debugger can be less intuitive to use compared to browsers' developer tools or integrated development environment (IDE) debuggers. Limited Debugging Tools : The older version of JavaScript used in Illustrator's scripting environment does not support promises or async/await, which are now common patterns for handling asynchronous operations in modern JavaScript. Asynchronous Code Handling : For creating user interfaces, developers must use Adobe's ScriptUI, which has a different paradigm from HTML/CSS and lacks the styling flexibility and dynamic capabilities developers are accustomed to on the web. ScriptUI Framework : Scripts running in Illustrator have access to the file system, which is different from the sandboxed environment of a web browser. This requires a different approach to file handling and can pose additional security considerations. File System Access Whereas it can take only a to get a React app up and running, creating even a basic extension within Adobe is filled with issues. few minutes So let’s get started. To start, here are 3 resources to refer to for those who have a preference for different tech stacks: Article Name Link Tech stack CEP-React-Webpack https://reactjsexample.com/an-awesome-cep-extension-boilerplate-with-excellent-development-experience/ React, Webpack, TypeScript Vue CEP Sample Extension https://github.com/Inventsable/Simple-resolution-panel Vue, Extension Manifest v 9.0 Adobe Extension Testing https://github.com/NTProductions/adobe-extension-testing/tree/master JS, Adobe After Effects You can stop reading > and take a stab at these if you’d like. If you want a more theoretical path, look forward to the next part of this series. Adobe Illustrator® is a registered trademark of Adobe Inc., used here for illustrative purposes only.
