#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE PDF#
#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE DRIVERS#
#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE UPDATE#
#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE DRIVER#
#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE FULL#

#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE UPDATE#

bi-directional data flow: you can also force changes in your InDesign document to update the database-in other words, you can use InDesign as a data entry tool.

If the database is updated, all it takes is a couple clicks in InDesign to synchronize with the datasource and all values in your layout update.

live-linked data: when data is inserted into your document from the datasource, it is linked.

ODBC compliant database (This could be MicrosoftSQL, Access, MySQL, FilemakerPro, Oracle, etc.) The three plugins reviewed here are Eas圜atalog, InCatalog, and Smart Catalog. Third comes the 3rd party plugin which allows InDesign to talk to the ODBC driver.

#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE DRIVER#

Once installed, you can use the driver to set up a connection on the computer to the database using the instructions that come with it.

#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE DRIVERS#

One popular driver provider is their drivers cost $35 for a single user. This is built into the Windows operating system unfortunately, Mac users must purchase them. The second component is the ODBC Driver, which allows the computer to communicate with the database. Now we turn to the computer on which InDesign is installed. Most modern DBMSs do, but you need to verify before proceeding. The database must support Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). You will need the necessary login and server information from your network administrator. It can be in any location visible to the computer on which InDesign is installed in other words, it can be on the same computer, on the local network, or on the Internet.

The first component to consider is the database itself. So why should you invest in one of these plugins? Because they allow: Let’s first break this down into the components you will need. If you work with a database and InDesign, why not allow them to interface directly? Chances are you’ve been spending countless hours getting data back and forth “the hard way.” While solutions to transfer data directly may be expensive “up front,” they save money in the long run. Paul Erdman ( ) is an Adobe Certified Instructor and the Chapter Representative of the Portland InDesign User Group.

#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE FULL#

Taking full advantage of this option often requires database export scripting knowledge in order to get just the right “flavor” of XML exported from the database so that InDesign will work well with it. InDesign is capable of mapping XML tags to paragraph and character styles, so that text can be imported into your document fully formatted. Please note that Data Merge does not create links to the original data source it only imports the data. Great for static layouts such as forms, certificates, business cards, name tags, mailers, etc. A utility included with InDesign that merges the content of a CSV with a template of your design. An often complex organization of data usually maintained by a database management system (DBMS) such as Oracle, Access, Filemaker, or MySQL. A tag-based system for encoding documents. Created by applications such as MS Excel primarily for calculations and managing flat (2 dimensional) data sets, as well as generating charts and graphs. This is easily done by highlighting all the text then going to the table menu and selecting “convert text to table.” When placing a CSV you may want to convert the tab or comma separated text to a table. CSVs can be exported from most databases and spreadsheet applications.Ĭonvert Text to Table. Since tabs are also commonly used as delimiters between columns, CSV is often the general designation for any text file containing a data set, even though this is technically inaccurate. Strictly speaking, this is a text file representing data where each value is separated by a comma and each row ends with a hard return. *see plugin discussion on following pages for more informationĬSV. XML Import Use with 3rd party plugins* Use with 3rd party plugins*

#EASYCATALOG SAVE CHANGES TO DATASOURCE PDF#

Use with 3rd party plugins* Place Excel sheet as a table to be able to edit in InDesign.Įxport Excel charts & graphs as PDF and place to preserve formatting. How it can be used in InDesign Data Merge

I’ll then discuss the essential components of a database-to-InDesign automated workflow and review several third party plugins. This basic introduction to InDesign/database integration begins with a summary of available data sources and InDesign’s built-in tools for working with them. Many of these processes are so inefficient that they cost thousands of dollars per year more, in the long run, than either hiring a developer to create a custom XML export script or purchasing a databaseto-InDesign plugin. Database to InDesign by Paul Erdman Over the years I’ve found that companies often have diverse (and sometimes quite unusual) workflows for getting information from databases into InDesign.

Easycatalog save changes to datasource