Data merge is skipping pages

[LeahKiser]

I am having this problem with *multiple* files - I have chosen the shortest example here for help.  The data merge is skipping pages, and not randomly. The skips are occurring in a regular pattern: page, page, skip, page, page, skip, etc.  I don't see anything wrong with the data file. I am baffled as to how to fix this. I've included a screenshot of the merge pattern and of the master page, as well as the CSV file (comma delineated). Any help would be appreciated.  Peace, Leah

CSV fridays 3Q 2022.csv 3Q 2022 6.26 x 9.25 Friday Pages.afpub

[LeahKiser]

So, to follow up, I did the merge again on this file and basically manually deleted pages and added pages until all the records were there. (i.e. flogged into submission.) But for this file's bigger siblings, that is not a practical solution. If someone could identify what is wrong with the master page or the data file that is causing the problem in the first place that would be great.  This is what the file is *supposed* to look like after merger, and it's not what I keep getting. Thanks.

[LeahKiser]

So here is the skip pattern on a sister file - the dates on each page are correct, but affinity publisher just skipped over pages, omitting the days on those pages, and then picking up on the next page as if nothing had happened, jumping right over the missing dates. It makes no sense to me. 

CSV Data Table 3Q 2022 Weekly Overview.csv 3Q 2022 6.26 x 9.25 Overview Pages.afpub

Edited June 9, 2022 by LeahKiser
typo

[LeahKiser]

On the weekly overview, it looks as if the data for the missing days might actually be there - just not visible. I don't know what to make of this, but it's starting to look like a problem with Affinity, not my data. The program may not be replicating the master pages properly.

[firstdefence]

I think Ive worked out why the skipping pages occur, basically you need to start with two pages and have it set up as Facing pages start on the left.

If you have 3 pages it will generate a blank page after every record.

Take a look at this and see if it sorts out the issue for you.

3Q 2022 6.26 x 9.25 Friday Pages Edited document.afpub

[LeahKiser]

The data is actually there, it's just not displaying. I have done quarterly journal for several years now, the last year and a half using Affinity. This is a new problem. It is not loading the master page properly.

[LeahKiser]

17 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

I think Ive worked out why the skipping pages occur, basically you need to start with two pages and have it set up as Facing pages start on the left.

If you have 3 pages it will generate a blank page after every record.

Take a look at this and see if it sorts out the issue for you.

3Q 2022 6.26 x 9.25 Friday Pages Edited document.afpub

As I suspected, your idea didn't work at all. It literally skipped over days, same as before. Notice the dates and the order they're in.

[GaryLearnTech]

I believe I have cracked it, @LeahKiser.  Specify your data merge as follows, in particular, the Merge Pages section at the lower right.  On my Mac, the Data Merge dialog box isn't initially displayed at full height, so it might not be obvious that there's additional functionality tucked away that's critical in this instance.  Hover over the lower boundary and drag down a little to reveal the options shown below.  Specifying the page range consistently generates the results I think you're after, for both examples.

 

One other thing - do yourself a favour and stop labelling your data (at least the data from your current sources) as CSV.  It's not comma separated - it's tab separated.  Same idea, but different implementation.  I've always just called such data sources "tab delimited", but Serif describes them on the man pages as ".tsv" files, which I suppose is fair enough.  Rename your data source file accordingly and the import process will go more smoothly.  You won't have to manually change the Delimiter field at the top right of the Data Merge screen - it automatically defaults to "tab" if your naming convention is foo.tsv.

[LeahKiser]

Well, we're closer @GaryLearnTech  It didn't skip pages!  Yea! But, it did skip data records.  Sadness.

CSV Data Table 3Q 2022 Weekly Overview.csv 3Q 2022 6.26 x 9.25 Overview Pages.afpub

Edited June 9, 2022 by LeahKiser
left off two files

[GaryLearnTech]

I've attached the PDF version of my product (I had to go back to your earlier Publisher file to regenerate this).  Every page has Monday to Sunday arrayed across the top.  And I'm pretty certain that every date from June 27th through to October 2nd is correctly presented - along with the associated Hebrew calendar data, where provided.

What is it that you’re missing?  You're saying it's skipping data records - but you're not saying which ones.  I can't see anything wrong in my file here, so I can't work out what you reckon is missing when you try it.  Can you be more specific?

 

3Q 2022 6.26 x 9.25 Overview Pages.pdf

[LeahKiser]

@GaryLearnTech  When I try it it is skipping from, for example, June 30th on the left page to July 8th on the page next to it - missing a whole week.

No idea why. The screenshot in the last message shows the effect...

[GaryLearnTech]

Hi @LeahKiser - sorry, I see that jump in your earlier screenshot now.

I don't think it's so likely that you being on a Windows machine while I'm on a Mac is likely to be significant.

What version of Publisher are you using?  The difference in our experiences makes me wonder if you're on an older version?

What Data Merge settings are you using?

There are some slight anomalies in your data file.  There are six fields for each record, but you've only got five column headers.  Only two rows, as far as I can see, use the sixth field: Aug-12 (Ketubot 37) and Sep-23 (Ketubot 79).  Adding a suitable column title and the associated data merge field may sort things out on your end.

[LeahKiser]

@GaryLearnTech thanks, I will try it tomorrow.  Have a headache now, lol.

[lacerto]

I suppose data merge can be set up in a number of different ways.

This would be one possibility (unless I have misunderstood completely your goal):

1) Do not place Data Merge Layout controls on the master page, but on the first actual page to receive data. The master pages only have elements that stay identical on all pages (and do not get generated with merged data).

2) As @firstdefencesuggested above, set up the document to start on the Left page (File > Document Setup) so that data will be merged generating one spread at a time (instead of three pages): the number of pages in the setup document determines the number of pages that each record of data source generates, and you'd want that to be two. Or, alternatively, create a document where the left and right sides of a spread are placed on the same page. (But if you want the final document to have separate pages, then you'd keep the current layout.)

3) After the merge is complete, change the layout of the merged document so that the document starts on the right page, and add one empty page at the start of the document, then change the first page so that it does not get the box from the master.

 

[Old Bruce]

@LeahKiser,

Looking at the CSV files you have uploaded I noticed they are in fact Tab Separated Values files. Not sure if this is the source of all the problems.

[lacerto]

1 hour ago, Old Bruce said:

Looking at the CSV files you have uploaded I noticed they are in fact Tab Separated Values files. Not sure if this is the source of all the problems.

No, it is not. CSV can have alternative separators to nominal "comma", so it is perfectly ok to have semicolon or tab as a separator character.

[Old Bruce]

3 minutes ago, lacerto said:

No, it is not. CSV can have alternative separators to nominal "comma", so it is perfectly ok to have semicolon or tab as a separator character.

Publisher will accept CSV or TSV files, try after changing the C to a T. Also in my limited experience I think you have to tell the merging application what to use as a separator. Otherwise it will default to what is implied by the extension.

[LeahKiser]

@GaryLearnTech  OK, I think I figured it out. The problem had to do with the date column and the fact the cells were formatted in date/number instead of text/all.  I don't know why. I changed everything to text and got it to work.  Both of those spreadsheets had a date column format in it whereas the other parts of the planner didn't.  I can't explain it, but it definitely solved the problem to remove the auto-formatting and change everything to straight text. You might file that away in your list of weird cases for future reference, lol.  Peace, L

[lacerto]

11 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

Also in my limited experience I think you have to tell the merging application what to use as a separator. Otherwise it will default to what is implied by the extension.

Yes, you need to specify the separator, if it is not a comma, the app does not sense it. The extension does not necessarily "imply" a comma. E.g. Excel produces by default separators specified by regional settings of the operating system (list separator), and e.g. the Finnish settings specify a semicolon. Many other apps behave identically. That also means that by default many apps cannot read CSV files that have comma as a separator because they assume the operating system specified list separator (Affinity apps do not assume that).