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Participant
July 15, 2024
Question

Automate tables

  • July 15, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 169 views

Hello Everyone,

I´m designing a catalogue in InDesign. I put many tables with different information. In the future, the prices column will change. The new prices will be write in a Excel and it will be messy. Can I automate this somehow? For example, taking the value of another of the columns?

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2 replies

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 15, 2024

Preferences > File Handling > Create Links When Placing Spreadsheet Files

With this on, whenever later the spreadsheet column changes, you can refresh the link to update the info.

 

Caution: this may change formatting, so be sure to develop cell and table styles so that they can be re-applied as necessary to restore the look of the table if it changed.

Another possibility is to copy the spreadsheet price column and paste it into the selected table column to update the prices relatively quickly.

Mike Witherell
    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 15, 2024

    Based on the info you provided, you have a few options...

    1. Link to the Excel files and update the tables as needed. These need to be formatted with just cell and table styles to work properly. 

    2. Use a third-party database plugin that can use logic when importing Excel, CSV, or Tab-delimited files.

    3. Use a third-party database plugin that can link directly to the database and get "live" updates.

     

    Some of the database plugins include Em Software, Teacup Software, and 65bit software.

     

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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