Data merging one off elements

Hello. I've been trying to figure out a way I can solve the following problem, but I'm not that proficient with iD yet. I have the following layout structure:
Big title
Small title
Copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy
Chapter 1: Something
Copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy
Chapter 2: Something else
Copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy copy
This needs to repeat... but not always in the same way. For example; I might not have another 'big title' each time. Now I can find a way to repeat the chapters as they're always the same, but how do you do titles in between these repeating regions where another big or small title is needed?
Thanks

I uploaded another ZIP file. I think it would be an easier workflow for your clients.
The ZIP contains an Excel file just in case you want to see how it would need to be formatted. But it also contains a Word file.
In the word file, there is your sample data I altered for the previous XML ZIP archive. In the Word file, I removed all the non-used paragraph styles. They should map to ID's styles from the previous archive file.
Just start a new ID file. Load the styles from the ID file for the XML example. Place the Word file--but make sure you show the import options. Make them appear like the screen shot:
You should end up in the same place as with the XML import.
I think giving your clients a Word document with limited styles would be far easier for them. The net result is the same.
I would only go the XML route if you are using a database or there is some other reason unclear from what has been presented.
http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/temp/PhilllAU-2.zip
Take care, Mike

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How to get data from one ui element?

hi all
I have a DropDownByIndex and I know how I can get the value selected
thanks

HI,
suppose the dropdownbyindex is bind with the attribute "testName" in the node "Test".
so the context is like
Test
.....testName
so to get the selected value do like this
wdContext.nodeTest().getTestElementAt(wdContext.nodeTest().getLeadSelection()).gettestName();
hope it clear!
Regards,
ramesh

IDCS6 MACOSX JS: Data Merging many txt files one after another

Hello everybody.
I have a situation where I have to data-merge many text files to the one actual indesign "base" file. The formats of the databases are all the same, the point of difference is a code in the second field of the database that refers to a mailing zone (not a zip/postcode, a "distribution centre" code that has 56 or so possibilities). I would prefer to data merge one file and then somehow split the resulting PDF via Acrobat, but the length of the resulting mailing zones is inconsistent and something that can't be done though the "split document" feature in acrobat.
The database starts out as one massive file but using a one-line code, can be split into its mailing zones into separate text files.
My ultimate question: is there any way to data merge more than one file at once (e.g. one after another) and give them their names based on the names of the input text file?
Ole Kvern had a script to Data Merge one file without the UI. I have altered the last line slightly so that it outputs to a PDF based on [High Quality Setting]:
if(app.documents.length != 0){
        var myDocument = app.activeDocument;
        app.dataMergeOptions.removeBlankLines = true;
        //Select a source file.
        var myDataFile = File.openDialog("Select a data file")
        var exported = "file location(redacted for the sake of this post)"
        if(myDataFile != ""){
                myDocument.dataMergeProperties.selectDataSource(myDataFile,);
                myDocument.dataMergeProperties.exportFile(exported,"[High Quality Print]",);
I figure the answer has to do with the variable "myDataFile" and rather than being simply open a dialog, it would be somehow selecting an array of text files, but this is where I am out of my depth.
Any insights or other thoughts that may not involve trying to do many merges at once but may somehow revolve around one large merged PDF?
Many thanks
Colin

I've answered my own question, but the answer lies outside of Adobe InDesign – it uses bookmarks within Adobe Acrobat.
1) Data Merge the art/data to one large PDF file.
2) In the resulting PDF file, manually search out the mailing zones and apply bookmarks to each first instance only of each mailing zone. In this case, it is a manual process of find/replace to find one of 70 possible mailing zones that may be used in any database. Each bookmark should be named with its respective code. It is a manual process, but it would take 5 minutes so this is acceptable.
3) Using "Split Document" from the pages panel, make sure the "top level bookmarks" radio button is checked, and in the Output Options make sure that the "Use bookmark names for files" radio button is checked.
I'm aware that this was a rather obscure question that only a fraction of users on this forum may wish to know an answer for, but hopefully this workaround helps someone else in a similar situation.
Colin

Data merge - can you insert multiple fields at once?

Hi,
I'm using InDesign CS4.
I'm automating a series of reports using Data Merge from a CSV file. Each row in the CSV file holds the data for each individual report - 135 reports in total.
The thing is, each report contains a text comments from some research interviews - but some reports have maybe 10 or so comments, others have over 600! The fields are called comment001, comment002 ... right up to comment620 (or so).
InDesign only seems to let me insert fields from the Data Merge one at a time - it won't let me Shift-select a range of fields ... the alternative is to manually insert about 620 fields one click at a time!! Ouch...
Does anyone know of a way around this?
(Hope I've explained the problem properly!)
Cheers,
F13

We see a few Adobe employees from time to time, notably Dov Isaacs and occasionally Matthew Laun (from the InDesign development team), but they are here on their own time and in an unofficial capacity, though they are extremely helpful when they do drop in. Employees are encouraged, at least on the ID team, to monitor the forums, but not necessarily to participate, so they probably do see most of the reported problems, but their jobs are to do development, not provide tech support, and I for one would rather they spend their time fixing bugs and developing new features than have them actively engaging in these threads.
And rest assured that Adobe appreciates the work that the user community is doing here. It's no secret that we are far better than the free telephone tech support, largely becasue we work with the programs every day while the suppot contractor only has relatively untrained folks reading from the knowledebase unless you can get escalated very high up the chain.
As for the feature request, by all means file it. I think you are correct that it would be nice, though I can see some issues, too, like how do you decide how multiple fields will be strung together (one after another would be the same as your concatenation problem and using separate lines might not be approprtiate in all cases, either). The place to file is Adobe - Feature Request/Bug Report Form

Multiple data merge results on one page

Good morning everyone,
I am trying to set-up the menus for my upcoming wedding, where everyone has already chosen what they are having. I have created a .csv file with four columns - Name, Starter, Main, Dessert.
As I am printing these off at home, I want them to be half A4 size (105mm x 297mm), with two menus per page.
However, by doing the normal Data Merge, I end up with having the same menu twice on each page. So both menus on the page are for the same person.
How do I set it up so that I can have two different menus, the next entries in the .csv file, on the same page?
Thanks in advance.
Simon

Sounds like you tried to put two menus onthe page and run a multi-record merge.
To merge multiple records you use only one set of placeholders on your page. Put it in the upper left position. ID will duplicate it as many timeas as will fit using the spacing parameters you specify. It's often helpful to use an empty frame with no stroke to define the area to make setting the sapcing easier. Group it with your text frame(s).

How can I transfer/merge the backup-data of one iphone onto another iphone?

I have two iphones and want to merge the backup-data from one to the other without destroying any data on the new one. How can I do it and will this data be replaced automatically or merged?
Thanks for your help!
Toni

As long as you use the same account, you can sync the same apps, contacts, music and other media content. Set up at least one contact and event on your new phone, to be able to merge your contacts and calendars. You can't transfer settings of your 3rd party apps, because this data is stored in your backup, and restoring from your backup will erase your new phone's data.
See also: "About backups" http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
You can also transfer your mail account settings using the option in the info pane in itunes, as well as the option to replace contacts, calendars, bookmarks and notes during the following sync.

Why won't data merge allow more than one data source at a time?

I need to number tickets, 8 up on a tabloid page, in InDesign (CS5)
I have found out how to use data merge, but it won't allow me to select more than one data source at a time, therefore, making me use 800 sheets of paper instead of 100. That's not acceptable!! Is there a way to merge the pdfs if I make 8 different ones in the places they need to be? Each file that I export will have 100 pages, so is there a way to merge the files to put all eight tickets on each sheet, sequentially? This is driving me nuts!!!!!!!

Past users have solved this frustrating problem. You can find their solutions with a Google search like "InDesign data merge multiple sequential items on one page" without quotes.
HTH
Regards,
Peter
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices
Frankie at Quad wrote:
I need to number tickets, 8 up on a tabloid page, in InDesign (CS5)
I have found out how to use data merge, but it won't allow me to select more than one data source at a time, therefore, making me use 800 sheets of paper instead of 100. That's not acceptable!! Is there a way to merge the pdfs if I make 8 different ones in the places they need to be? Each file that I export will have 100 pages, so is there a way to merge the files to put all eight tickets on each sheet, sequentially? This is driving me nuts!!!!!!!

Multiple indesign files for product brochure one data merge file

I have multiple indesign files for product brochure and there are price changes for various products.
attached is a screen shot of the folder where all the indesign files are located as you can see each one has been laid out as a spread.
Rather than opening each individual indesign file to amend prices can i quickly? or is there a way of compliling all documents into one file and quickly updating the price with the data merge file.
thanks in advance.

Absolutely not.
(1)     PDF/VT-1 files must also be PDF/X-4 files. The “create PDF via distillation of PostScript” method precludes this since PostScript supports neither live transparency nor color management.
(2)     The efficiencies of PDF/VT-1 require use of Forms XOjects and Image XObjects in the PDF file. That requires direct PDF creation that you get from PDF export. This is not available via any route that uses stink'in PostScript as an intermediary.
(3)     Adobe most strongly endorses PDF creation from InDesign via the export function, not printing to PostScript and distilling. Such PostScript is optimized strictly for printing and not for PDF file creation.
          - Dov

Scripting a file name change as a data merge element.

My goal of the work being done with InDesign is to utilize the Data Merge functionality of InDesign and the, already available, ability to create a new document per record in your data source where the docuement name is changed based on data contained in the data source.
A very simple example of this would be the following:
EXAMPLE
======================
Given the following data source in excel:
First_Name
Last_Name
ResultingFileName
George
Smith
c:\A45.pdf
Mary
Lopez
c:\C99.pdf
Steve
Barns
c:\tmp\XM96TR.pdf
Along with a simple two text box InDesign documents, I would perform a standard data merge with First_Name linked to one text box and Last_Name linked to another. By setting the “Record Limits Per Document” to 1, I would end up with three different documents. By default, the documents would be named Untiltled-1, Untiltled-2 and Untitled-3.
Untitled-1 would contain George and Smith. Untitled-2 would contain Mary and Lopez and Untitled-3 would contain Steve and Barns.
At this point in time, I would run the new created script, which would do the following:
            Rename Untitled-1 to A45 and/or save Untitled-1 as C:\A45.pdf
            Rename Untitled-2 to C99 and/or save Untitled-2 as C:\C99.pdf
            Rename Untitled-3 to XM96TR and/or save Untitled-3 as c:\tmp\XM96TR.pdf
I am open to modifying the manner in which the data merge source is created. For example, separating the path and the file name into separate columns. In addition, I am flexible in putting preset information and/or file save types into the data merge document.
Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]
Thanks in advance for the help.
Matt

Hi Matt,
I think it’s better to use an XML-based approach for your task.
I’ve never scripted Data Merge process, but I don’t see a straightforward way of doing it. May be you can create the 3rd textbox on pasteboard or a non-printing layer, which will contain the file path from ‘ResultingFileName’ field, and the contents from which can be used for naming & saving the current file and exporting it to pdf-file. But this approach is so clumsy.
Instead, you’d better to keep your data in excel file, or even better Access or some other database program.
Export the data from it in XML-format.
Then import it to an InDesign file and process it by script. XML support is very powerful in InDesign: you can process your data by xml-rules. I once made a script for a newspaper, which processed data for classified ads. The script applied all formatting, changed colors for different headings and placed images.
Kasyan

Delete Transactional data for one (1) Cost element

Hi All.
How to Delete Transactional data for one (1) Cost element?
i know T code OKC3 but it is saying I can delete only at controlling area level,
I want to delete only data (Transactional) for one cost element .
Please let me know, Thank you ,
Paartha,

it is not possible to delete the data, if u want u can repost from one cost element to the another cost element if u are feeling the entry was posted to wrong cost element.
Otherwise if u want restrict the transactions further to that cost element, u can restrict through cost elmenet master where in u can select the direct postings and secondary postings etc.,
regards
madhav

Problems importing a datasource for a Data Merge? It might be one word...

For the life of me, I could not figure out why this one CSV file was not importing correctly into InDesign CS6. I could see the datasource in the Links panel but nothing showed up in the Data Merge panel.
Through trial and error, I figured it out.
In the CSV file, one of the column headers used the word table. It's what the client gave me, so I never thought much about it. Once I changed the word table to seating, the CSV imported properly into my InDesign file and all was right with the world.
One word, I couldn't believe it...
Hopefully this will save you from all the trouble I went through.
Cheers!

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I am trying to create DS and ConnectionPOOL for the MSSQL server from the Oracle SOA suite server
when I am trying to create the connpool I got the following error and Itried the solution mentioned in the url : http://buttso.blogspot.com/2008/07/configuring-datasource-for-mysql-using.html
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Data Merge specific cells, multiple (unlimited) entries on one page

HELP!
I've used the mail merge in the past with publisher to create labels and the like....in it on a single page I would code
<<address>> and in another part of the page <<next entry, address>> <<next entry, address>>
and so on and it would fill every area with the next entry in the excel file ad nauseum till complete. It was a simple way to extract specific continuous bits of information and apply it to a document on a single page.
I haven't been able to find anything similiar with Data Merge but there must be a way since InDesign has been more powerful than publisher in every way so far. Here is a sample of what I am creating
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ewkwgmerz89ggf/Sample.pdf
Basically I have a book where every year my boss has been hand retyping the ENTIRE calendar not just into what you see in the sample above but through out an entire day planner also. I'd like to streamline the process but everytime I try and place a data point it says (for example) <<Day of Month>> and page 1 will ONLY take data point 1. I'm aware of the multiple selections per page function but it wants to lay it out in a grid that doesn't match my document and I have 365 data points to plug in to 2014 and another 365 for page 2 (2015)
Is there anyway to tell indesign I want <<Day of month, row 2, column 2>> in one box and <<Day of Month, row 3, column 2>> ....<<Day of Month, row 366, column 2>> All on one page so that I can place them precisely through out the document? This would allow me to make a simple adjustment to the CSV each year and then fill in the remainder with nothing more than a click.
Any help would be appreciated because I'd LOVE to save 20 hours of work every year and huge numbers of mistakes. This has to be something SUPER simple but no tutorial I've found covers it, they all mention the multiple entries per sheet option and that does NOTHING like what I want. I'd have to create 12 documents, data merge them, and then place them into the primary document and that is terrible workflow. Through out the final document not everything is in a comfortable grid like this so it would be even less useful.
We use CS3 in case that is relevant for the topic.
Thanks,
Tinker

I'm looking now but not finding anything promising. The calendar scripts all were for formatting very specific calander shapes and I need to be able (on one page) to have 7 entries in a non symmetrical layout (5 works days, then the weekends one over the other). Do you have any recommendations for scripts you like?
Maybe I'll create a document the holds the information a few date entires per page then place that into the master cropped and moved around as needed. I'm still looking through the exchange for something that makes the tool a little more powerful for me. I'll post it here if I find something that does what I need as that doesn't sound like a very efficient workflow.

Data merge skipping one cell

Hello, having a problem in IDCS4 where data merge is skipping a cell in the EXCEL tab-del .txt file. i've saved both documents different ways (the txt through word, text edit, excel, etc.) done inx and save as with the id file. I'm doing business cards and its skipping one of the "titles", going into the next row - so everybody after that has the wrong title. i've tried adding a fake line or 2 with crap data to get it to reset, ive duplicated the column, but those doesnt work. theres no funky characters in that cell, i've rearranged everything and it always skips the second rows "titles" cell. saved as INX to IDCS3 and it works perfectly - using the same .txt file. any ideas? thanks in advance.
ok done some more testing
if i have the title seperated into another text box, it works correctly, while the other one still doesn't - everything is styled the same, and i have no options checked in the merge prefs.

I'll hop on the obvioius guess and ask "Does that title have a comma in it?"
When building data merge CSV files I make a textbox on the pasteboard, paste all of the data out of excel, do a find for the comma character and replace it with a word I know isn't used in my file "marklar" from south park, then replace the tabs with commas and paste that into a plain text editor, save that out as CSV. In any case I suggest when working with data merge to never use CSV as your working editing file as Excel has a tendency to format cells for no apparent reason when opening CSV. Short of having manual calculation set and knowing that everyone who touches the files also does there is room to be burned.
Edit: Mac 2008 Excel is what I have.

Data merge objects spilling off the page

I'm doing a data merge with multiple records per page-there are supposed to be six 4x3 inch nametages per page. I created the master page with
merge text field and did the merge. The first 6 come out fine, but subsequent labels are spilling off the page, such that label 7 and 8 are right underneath 5 and 6 and going off the page. Page 2 of the document is ending up with label 24-25, but label 7-8 should be starting off page 2.
Thanks,
-Jeff

function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
jdahl2 wrote:
The first 6 come out fine, but subsequent labels are spilling off the page, such that label 7 and 8 are right underneath 5 and 6 and going off the page. Page 2 of the document is ending up with label 24-25, but label 7-8 should be starting off page 2.
Thanks,
-Jeff
Adjust the spacing between rows, and the top margin from the Multiple Record Layout tab. (It is dependent on your frame height.)
A 6 up layout took me about 2 minutes, 17,000 + records, with the placeholder created on the master page. Contradictory to some other post's in this thread, master pages are fine for setting placeholders, are my norm and are the recommended method. (It allows the subsequently created document to serve as another source master.)

Data Merge, multiple records, one text box, one page

I need to my data to merge in one text box on multiple lines.
Example:
My TXT file:
Name
Mary
Bob
Paul
I want my InDesign file to look like this: (one text box, one page)
Mary
Bob
Paul
I don't want multiple pages or multiple text boxes. I hope this makes sense.
TIA

Sorry, that's not how it works in Data Merge.
Your list will require multiple records per page, or a restucturing of the data (a better choice, in this case) so you have Name1, Name2, Name3 or something similar.
Have you considered just placing the text file?
How many records are you really using?

Data merging one off elements

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