Data Merge: Cannot get multiple records per page

Question

I am working with a client who is trying to do a directory in Indesign. There are about 1,800 people with information like address, title, employer, phone, etc. This info is on an Excel spread sheet. I made a text, tab delimited and a CSV file from the spreadsheet. I set up a two column text box on each page and want these entries to fill the columns. I am only able to get one person's information per page. Multiple records per page yields no different result. I also had the multiple records option grayed out on a couple tries. I have tried this many times, even tried setting up a simple spread sheet with 9 items. No luck. HELP! I'm brand new to this feature.
Chris

Answer 1

the data merge function in indesign doesn't make "next record" merges  like word does, but instead merges to fields within fixed text boxes, so  one frame = one data merge result. when doing mailing labels in word,  there is a field called "next record" which then calls in the next piece  of information.
the "next record" field is a vital field which indesign doesn't have and  i'd like… but that doesn't answer your question. i can see four ways  of doing what you want to do:
1) do a mail merge in word and use the "catalog" feature and do the  merge in word. format the word file appropriately using stylesheets, and  once the merge is made, save the file and close it. THEN, place the  file in indesign and then change the imported stylesheets into something  which resembles more like what you want.
2) use indesign's data merge but make sure that multiple record  layout is selected in the first dialog box when creating merged  document; and that when previewing the records, the records appear to be  in one column (even though they are still in separate text frames).  merge the document, and in the new document, select all the text frames  in the page and then run the MergeTextframes_ID.jsx script which can be  found at http://ajarproductions.com/blo…..-indesign/ .this  will have to be done page by page and then rethreaded each page, but  it's a workaround
3) if the data in the datamerge is a csv, convert the csv to xml. if  the csv is small (less than 100K) there is a converter online where the  contents of the csv is copied into the converter. it is at http://www.creativyst.com/Prod/15/ . The next step is complicated and needs some knowledge of XML. my  advice is to get hold of a book called "Designer's Guide to Adobe   InDesign and XML" by James Maivald, and specifically read chapter seven  and base your merge on this.
4) visit the third party providers link within the indesign page of the adobe site and have a look at products marketed there... i think teacup software and cacidi software sell products which do more advanced merges within indesign. they're not free though but are designed to handle big catalogues.
hope that helps.
colly