Data Merge text in a single text frame

[anto]

Why we need it:
To create dictionaries, catalogs, when the explanations of different words have different lengths and it is impossible to do this using frames.
A similar function is implemented in Word and is called "Catalog".

How can this be done in Publisher?
Using a text frame for the entire page and a data source, you can merge the data using standard Publisher tools and get N pages of data.

Next, you need to combine all the text frames into one, so that the text flows from one frame to another.
To do this, you can use the Select Object-->Text Frame function. It will select all the text frames in the document.

What do you need to implement?
A button or the ability to link several text frames into one, that is, to allow text to flow across all selected frames.

 

Empty pages that remain when the text is merged can be deleted.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 4 by anto
added video

[anto]

It's not the first time users want to make catalogs that the Publisher doesn't allow. Please pay attention to this feature.

One of requests.

 

[anto]

Here is another one

 

[bbrother]

I agree with @anto

It would be great to have this functionality in APub. 

+1 from me for Data Merge text in a single text frame.

[fdelaneau]

This could be indeed very useful. I was looking for this option lately and was getting frustrated when I finally realized that it was simply not possible for now.

Ideally I would love for Data Merge to be able to behave more like web templates and allow for more depth to the data structure.
Here is for exemple a JSON structure data for a restaurant menu :
 

{
	"Dishes": [
		{
			"name": "Pizza",
			"price": 12,
			"priceUnit": "€"
		},
		{
			"name": "Pasta",
			"price": 10,
			"priceUnit": "€"
		}
	],
	"Drinks": [
		{
			"name": "water",
			"quantity": 50,
			"quantityUnit": "cl",
			"price": 2,
			"priceUnit": "€"
		},
		{
			"name": "Orange juice",
			"quantity": 25,
			"quantityUnit": "cl",
			"price": 2,
			"priceUnit": "€"
		}
	]
}

Supporting single text frame would be nice and allow to split the above exemple in 2 files but combining them into a single file would be even better.

I recently had a project with the same text across multiple formats resulting in multiple files to edit for each text change… and of course the client had numerous last minute changes. If I could have a master file for all my texts it would have made things so much easier. 

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, fdelaneau said:

Here is for exemple a JSON structure data for a restaurant menu :

I don’t think I’ll be visiting your restaurant in a hurry! 2€ for 25 cl of orange juice is bad enough, but also 2€ for 50 cl of water??

 

[fdelaneau]

 

6 hours ago, Alfred said:

I don’t think I’ll be visiting your restaurant in a hurry! 2€ for 25 cl of orange juice is bad enough, but also 2€ for 50 cl of water??

 

Welcome to Paris

[2ddpainter]

@anto

I am not shure if it's helpful, but when I read this post
I thought you might want to check out "Nodebox 3" (PC/Mac) free.

Nodebox is a program that allows you to create vector graphics using nodes.
It also allows data entry as .csv the result can be saved as .SVG or .PDF.

Here are some examples from their help page
https://www.nodebox.net/node/documentation/using/data-visualization

There is also an online version called “Nodebox Live”.