Affinity Publisher - Data Merge Issue

[Karen_]

Hi everyone,

I'm using affinity publisher data merge tool and it seems to be having some trouble reading my CSV file as columns (ex. table 1 - list of names, etc). When I click the preview button, the auto populated version is correct, however the generated version is missing values. Please see attached images. 

Thank you. 

 

[Karen_]

[anto]

Could you attach file afpub and csv, at least some part of data?

[Old Bruce]

I think your spreadsheet is sideways. It looks like this

and it should look like this (please excuse the autofill names, these are not real people)

[Karen_]

Yes! Attached it here.Seating Chart_Example.csvExample.afpub

[Karen_]

@Old Bruce If I do it this way, I'm not able to list the names as columns under the proper table number it seems. The fields aren't showing up correctly as "table 1, table 2, table 3" etc.

 

 

[Old Bruce]

@Karen_, each row is a record. You are having them in columns.

Here is how I would do it. Note that I have some Blank rows in the CSV Spreadsheet, this is to isolate the Wedding Table. After you generate the file you will have to go in and delete the empty text frames and move the head table to the centre as per your first screenshot.

Seating chart etc.zip

[Karen_]

@Old Bruce Thank you! I can see how laid it out. It's much simpler than what I have been doing and much less time consuming. Much much appreciated.

[anto]

You can use also as you have created. Change only Record offset to -6, -8, -7

Look at video. I get one more line, i do not know why.

 

 

[Karen_]

@anto Thank you very much. I'm not sure what the offset does exactly. If I'd also like to include letters beside each name, would I be able to do so using the same table I created?

[anto]

36 minutes ago, Karen_ said:

If I'd also like to include letters beside each name

What do you mean? Could you give example?

[Karen_]

@anto Yes, I'd like to use the same format as @Old Bruce however, in this case there are three parameters. Example, the alphabet, number, and name. 

Currently, I am creating individual data frames.

 

TEST.csv

[anto]

For now it is very difficult to create catalog in Publisher. Maybe in future it will be possible.

You can create this in 5 clicks in Word using Catalog option and then Place your document in Publisher.

Look at video

 

 

[lacerto]

In these kinds of situations it might be more flexible and versatile just using simple text flows with column breaks (and possibly tabs), using the text frame features of Publisher. This kind of workflow would allow easier editing after the initial flow has been done.

Wedding.docx

Wedding_textflow_with_column_breaks.afpub

[Karen_]

@anto @lacerto 

Thank you both for your input. 

@lacerto 

Interesting way of going about it. I have not tested this feature. It may definitely be easier. 

[lacerto]

4 minutes ago, Karen_ said:

Interesting way of going about it. I have not tested this feature. It may definitely be easier. 

It is pretty easy to create the source as it basically only needs to be a list where table names are marked with a paragraph style (the guests can just be left as "Normal" style or renamed as "Guest"). When imported, each paragraph will be tagged with a paragraph style, and you would modify the styles as you wish in Publisher (e.g., I changed the font size to 48 points and centered all paragraphs, made spacing tighter by using smaller paragraph leading, and made table names bold.

TableName paragraph style has a column break Flow setting defined so that text will automatically flow from table to table (four columns of table text frames) when the text is flown across the frames. 

[Karen_]

@lacerto If possible, would you be able to create a short video demo? Thank you.

[lacerto]

13 minutes ago, Karen_ said:

If possible, would you be able to create a short video demo? Thank you.

Here is a demonstration of creating a column-based text flow in Publisher by placing a Word document containing table and guest names as paragraph styles.

I also attached a Publisher document I created earlier to replace your Publisher example file with data merge layout controls. It has document history saved so you can use the History panel to see gradual changes I made to create a column-based layout.

Wedding_textflow_with_column_breaks_with_history.afpub

[Karen_]

@lacerto This is amazing. Thank you so much.