How can I add a complex text object (multi-line, with symbols or partial formatting) in Grapher via automation?

This article contains a sample script for creating a new plot window and adding multiple complex text boxes. These show how to use multiple lines, how to insert symbols, how to use bold or italic for a portion of the text, how to add the current date and time, how to change the font for some characters in the text string, and how to create a text string with user inputs.

To run this script:

1. Click here to download the BAS file: textobject.BAS
2. Click Automation | Scripts | Run, select the BAS file from your downloads directory, and click Open.

OR:

1. Copy the script below.
2. Open Grapher and turn on the Script Manager by clicking View | Display | Script Manager.
3. Press Ctrl+A to select all of the existing lines in the Script Manager and then press DELETE.
4. Press Ctrl+V to paste it into the Script Manager.
5. Click the Start/Resume icon () in the Script Manager.

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Sub Main
	'Declare the variable that will reference the application
	Dim GrapherApp As Object

	'Creates an instance of the Grapher Application object
	' and assigns it to the variable named "GrapherApp"
	Set GrapherApp = CreateObject("Grapher.Application")

	'Make Grapher visible
	GrapherApp.Visible = True

	'Declare Plot as Object
	Dim Plot As Object

	'Creates a new plot window
	Set Plot = GrapherApp.Documents.Add(grfPlotDoc)

	'Declares Shapes as an object
	Dim Shapes As Object

	'Assigns the Shapes collection to the variable named "Shapes"
	Set Shapes = Plot.Shapes

	'Add a text object that contains two lines
	Shapes.AddText(5,4,"This is a text block" + vbCrLf + "with two rows.")

	'Add another text object that shows how to insert a symbol
	Shapes.AddText(2,6,"This is a bullet \a183 more text")

	'This example shows how to include bold , italics and strikethrough text
	Shapes.AddText(2,1,"This is {\b bold}, {\i italic} and {\strike strikethrough} text.")

	'This example shows how to insert the current date/time
	Shapes.AddText(2,7,"\date  \time ")

	'Insert user input data
	Min = "10"
	Max = "25"
	Shapes.AddText(2,3,"[" + Min + "] to [" + Max + "]")

	'Change font
	Shapes.AddText(2,5,"This is some text {\f" + Chr(34) + "Wingdings" + Chr(34) + " in a different font } than the rest.")


End Sub

Updated October 11, 2018