XML import request

[Samwise]

I make a LOT of use of InDesign's XML import capability. The granularity to which I can define character and paragraph styles that automatically get defined when importing has made my workflow faster than I ever thought possible (and I have XML records that can be scraped to build databases). If you could provide XML import in some fashion, I could fire Adobe and be perfectly happy with your product.
Barring an import capability, is there any information on the Affinity File Format that has been published, or is it all proprietary?

Thanks in advance for your replies

[John Potts]

I'm also interested in this, specifically support of processing a DITA or DocBook XML formats. However, a defined Affinity format that Samwise mentioned I could use XSLT to achieve would be useful as well.

[bob0]

I am actually considering to switch from InDesign+Photoshop to Affinity Publisher+Photo.

With InDesign, my workflow heavily depends on XML import.

Is there a way to import XML data in a document like in InDesign?

[MikeW]

20 minutes ago, bob0 said:

... Is there a way to import XML data in a document like in InDesign?

No.

[Seneca]

7 minutes ago, MikeW said:

No.

While you are absolutely right, it sounds too harsh.

Let's say not yet. :-)

[000]

Small "yes, maybe, I don't know" from me.

I currently copy and paste XML code into Publisher, then use GREP find and replace to assign paragraph and character styles -- works for me so far, but I only use it for small-ish projects because some other features in Publisher need more polishing and general enhancements before I'm going trust it with larger jobs.

It's also noteworthy that the find-replace commands cannot be saved as macro or script, so I keep them in a separate text file and copy-paste them into the find-replace fields one-by-one and also select the styles that I want to apply individually each time. Not ideal, but I want to use Publisher as much as possible and will appreciate it even more, when some automation features arrive at some later point.

No comparison to InDesigns XML capabilities, but a feasible workaround for the time being.

[MikeW]

7 minutes ago, Seneca said:

While you are absolutely right, it sounds too harsh.

Let's say not yet. :-)

Reality is often harsh.

Not yet gives hope. The next question I suspected would be Do you know when? To which the answer, the fuller answer, would be No I do not know when and Serif has never, to the best of my knowledge, indicated XML will ever be added.

So the simple answer No is apt.

[David Kadavy]

Up until now I have been convinced that I would lay out my next book in Publisher instead of InDesign. But I can't imagine doing that without an XML import. After formatting an entire 60,000 word book in my word processing program, I'm supposed to go through it line by line to add the proper styles – essentially formatting the entire thing again? No way!

Damn, that's disappointing – I was looking forward to making the switch.

[Seneca]

28 minutes ago, David Kadavy said:

After formatting an entire 60,000 word book in my word processing program, I'm supposed to go through it line by line to add the proper styles – essentially formatting the entire thing again? No way!

If you formatted your document using Paragraph Styles and Character Styles you don't need to do it again.

All styles are copied over to Publisher and you can continue editing your project from there.

[David Kadavy]

Thanks for the idea. I see that if I import RTF via Google Docs those styles – along with their respective style names – do import. Is there a way to import so that existing styles that I have designed within Publisher will automatically be applied to what I import?

[Seneca]

25 minutes ago, David Kadavy said:

Is there a way to import so that existing styles that I have designed within Publisher will automatically be applied to what I import?

Your best bet at the moment is to use Find and Replace facility from within Publisher to find styles you assigned in a Word processing app and replace it with styles you created in Publisher. Unless you have hundreds of styles this should not be that much of a problem.

Publisher is not smart enough to assign styles available in Publisher with the style names imported from external sources. I hope you are aware that Publisher can import .docx files as well.

[David Kadavy]

Thanks. Is there a reason I might prefer .docx over .rtf?

[walt.farrell]

27 minutes ago, David Kadavy said:

Thanks. Is there a reason I might prefer .docx over .rtf?

When you import DOCX into Publisher it will maintain text style information better than when you import RTF. I'm not sure if that is due to the characteristics of RTF files, or something in Publisher's support of them.

[loukash]

On 7/27/2019 at 4:05 AM, Samwise said:

I make a LOT of use of InDesign's XML import capability. The granularity to which I can define character and paragraph styles that automatically get defined when importing has made my workflow faster than I ever thought possible (and I have XML records that can be scraped to build databases). If you could provide XML import in some fashion, I could fire Adobe and be perfectly happy with your product.

Same here, thus bumping this thread.

[Chris88]

I just want to add my voice to this request. I chose the Affinity suite because you can own it outright; I've never used Adobe's products and I really don't want to. So far the Affinity suite has enabled me to do all the things I want to do. However, I am starting a small publishing house and would like to develop an XML-first workflow, which is standard now across the industry because it facilitates the production of different editions for diverse platforms from the same core text. Affinity Publisher's lack of an XML import function forces me to consider purchasing a subscription to Adobe InDesign, even though for the sake of simplicity and competition and out of preference for your non-subscription model, I'd much prefer a pure Affinity workflow.

[pquadrat]

Dear Developers, Users & Fans of Affinity,

I'm newly in Affinity products since v.1.9 but have been working several years within the context of Adobe products and other (C1 etc.). Using the Affinity products, I became some kind of a fan of them.

Coming from the view of my work, I want to underline the need for syntactical XML import in Affinity Publisher, as in my company, we have established a Single Source Publishing Workflow based on Database and especially highly syntactical XML-Data, publishing into Web, other electronical Media up to Folders and Books since somewhat before 2010(!). There are many reasons for leaving the "Adobe Pathway" or proprietary other products like QuarkXPress.

So, in (semi)professional context, import of syntactical XML is very important.

Thanks and have a good day.

[PaoloT]

On 9/3/2020 at 6:17 PM, walt.farrell said:

When you import DOCX into Publisher it will maintain text style information better than when you import RTF. I'm not sure if that is due to the characteristics of RTF files, or something in Publisher's support of them.

That's promising, since DOCX is an XML file, only with its own schema. RTF is an older file format, loosely related to the old DOC format, that is much more difficult to read.

Paolo

 

[Nedde]

Is it true, that within 3 years nothing had happend regarding the import of XML in Publisher? I am quite a fan of Affinity but/and this would be a great and essential thing for me as designer. Thank you!!!