[[Implemented] Data merge]

You should use PagePlusX9. Data merge has been present their for ten years I believe. Why wait (and pay) for Affinity to catch up?

[Open PagePlus (*.ppp) files]

14 hours ago, Salt said:

Affinity Publisher seems not too different from PagePlus in its use so should not be too difficult to learn.
However, I have been using PagePlus since the 1990s, currently on X9 which is excellent and more stable than its predecessors, and consequently I have created thousands of ppp files -  single page posters, numbered event tickets, merged membership cards, small publications (up to 44 page booklets), etc. All done without charge for various small local and national organisations and charities. I use many of these ppp files as templates for new work so not being able to open them directly in Affinity Publisher is quite a blow.  Yes the pdf route sort of works but the result takes a lot of editing time to achieve my original layout, especially where I have applied a lot of effects which seem to come out as curves in AP rather than text. If Affinity could support the import of ppp files more faithfully I'm sure it would attract many more PP users but for now I will probably use it only for brand-new work and stick to PP for my regular work.

That's what they are banking on. How about staying with PPX9 until Windows doesn't support it or until all the PPXP functions are incorporated into AFP rather than paying for them again through upgrades?

[Open PagePlus (*.ppp) files]

A feature by feature comparison between AP1 and PPx9 might reveal some significant loss of functionality. Having paid for it once,  in PP upgrades, we are now expected to pay for it again in each round of AP updates. Of course the Apple users will just be pleased to receive it, being unaware of the history.

(Pocket) Informant did this too when they rebuilt using 'modern' coding 

 

[Open PagePlus (*.ppp) files]

Chris K here ... indicates that Serif are building an File/Open facility for Indesign users. Chasing Apple users not Windows.

 

[Open PagePlus (*.ppp) files]

It is absolutely clear to me that by their actions Serif are only interested in 'professional' users and regard Windows users as 'amateurs'. This means they only target Apple users to whom they can sell both desktop applications and iOS apps.

The need to support Windows/PagePlus users would have been discussed very early on in project meetings and the supporters of a means of opening / converting ppp files clearly had their views dismissed. I guess the business logic is that when PagePlus users see how close APub is to why would they look to an inferior third party product that would be then have to learn? In addition those users have to gamble that future versions of Window support the ppp format.

[Open PagePlus (*.ppp) files]

Just now, beegeeblueboy said:

It was clear to me from the initial announcement of the Affinity range legacy Windows customers are of far less concern than Mac users. It’s all about the Apple customer base. 

They'll tell you the codebase is so different that backwards compatibility is not possible. True but the real answer is ‘it would cost us too much time and money to build a file converter utility

It looks like you just continue to use X9 for those documents and decide if you want to buy AD for new ones  

 

I would add that Serif’s decision on WebPlus was commercially sound so I have not gripes on that. MoviePlus though I have mixed feelings on. Feature rich and good value for money but for me too buggy

[Open PagePlus (*.ppp) files]

It was clear to me from the initial announcement of the Affinity range legacy Windows customers are of far less concern than Mac users. It’s all about the Apple customer base. 

They'll tell you the codebase is so different that backwards compatibility is not possible. True but the real answer is “ it would cost us too much time and money to build a file converter utility”

It looks like you just continue to use X9 for those documents and decide if you want to buy AD for new ones  

 

[Differences from PagePlus X9]

7 minutes ago, Chris_K said:

Hi beegeeblueboy

It is not a rebuild of PagePlus. Its a completely new separate DTP app, whilst they may end up doing the same things, it will not share features with PagePlus. Everything that is in Publisher is chosen because it is felt it is needed in the Affinity range rather than because it was in PP

Thanks Chris. 

I hope excluding features went through a rigorous business case justification so as not to alienate customers who use them. 

They won’t go back in but I hope the beta testers let their feelings be known. 

Many a company has lost business because it thought it knew better than its customers. 

[Differences from PagePlus X9]

I understand this is primarily a rebuild of the excellent PagePlus using new technology. Therefore my expectation would be as a minimum is that the features in X9 would be here and if they’ve been improved e.g. tables then that would be a bonus. May I ask though if there are any features that have been retired?

Thank you