Document Source Text repeat() shorthand

[ivg-design]

Summary

• document the receiver-less Source Text repeat(count) shorthand alongside explicit value.repeat(count) and text.sourceText.repeat(count) examples
• clarify that repeat() is not a global After Effects method and is undefined as a bare call on numeric properties
• note that Adobe does not explicitly document receiver-less dispatch for standard JavaScript methods

Why

After Effects treats Source Text as a JavaScript string. Live verification in AE 26.3 and 27.0 Beta shows that repeat(3) on Source Text behaves like value.repeat(3), while the same unqualified call is not defined on a numeric property.

The method itself is the standard ES2015 String.prototype.repeat() method. Adobe does not explicitly document receiver-less dispatch for standard JavaScript prototype methods, so this change scopes the behavior as a verified Source Text shorthand without presenting it as a new After Effects global, a TextDocument API, or a general rule for every String method.

Verification

• AE 26.3x87 (stable), JavaScript expression engine:
  • repeat(3), value.repeat(3), and text.sourceText.repeat(3) on Source Text each returned AbAbAb with an empty expressionError
  • bare repeat(3) on a Slider reported ReferenceError: repeat is not defined
  • explicit "X".repeat(3).length on the Slider returned 3 with an empty expressionError
• AE 27.0x8 Beta, JavaScript expression engine:
  • repeat(3), value.repeat(3), and text.sourceText.repeat(3) on Source Text each returned the expected repeated text with an empty expressionError
  • bare repeat(3) on a Slider reported ReferenceError: repeat is not defined
  • explicit "X".repeat(3) remained available on the Slider expression
• mkdocs build --strict