How to Automatically Update Multiple Tables in InDesign from a Single Excel File

[Lisa34190183os20]

Hello,

I am making a product catalog which has hundreds of pages. On each page, there are one or several tables with prices.

Is there a way to update the prices automatically from one Excel file (that has all the products) ?

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[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Can you show us a screenshot from your Excel?

[Lisa34190183os20]

Actually, I haven't made it yet so I can do as I want, but probably something like this but with 2 000 products : 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

If you want this data to be split into a separate Tables in InDesign - you won't be able to just use DataMerge - unless, you'll split one long table manually.

What would be the "key" - data in which column will be the "signal" to split data into separate tables in InDesign?

Anyway, you'll need some commercial product to do it - if you want to be able to update prices.

Then there is a case of how this 3rd party tool will know where to place those separate tables?

[Lisa34190183os20]

I thought that maybe, the reference of each product would be the "key". I already have all the separate tables in InDesign and I juste have to update the prices.

I thought there might be like in Excel, a formula like "VLOOKUP" ?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I thought there might be like in Excel, a formula like "VLOOKUP" ?

By @Lisa34190183os20

In the InDesign? No.

But perfectly doable with a 3rd party tool. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Use "named regions" in Excel or put the Excel data on separate worksheets.

Link to the Excel file and select the appropriate named region/worksheet each time you place the file.

I''ve attached a quick outline on linking Excel files for your reference.

[Lisa34190183os20]

Thank you, I'm gonna look into it !

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

One thing you will need to test will be what happens when you add or remove rows. If you add rows in the middle area of the data, the named region should expand automatically; if you add the new rows to the top or bottom, you will have to manually extend the range. 

Depending on where the data originates (Excel or from a database), more advanced options would be database plugins. They can either import the data and update or even have a live link to the original database for seamless updates. Companies include Em Software, Teacup Software, and 65bit.