InDesign - CSV help with Data Merge

[oodya]

Hello,

I have Adobe InDesign and would like to create a csv for a data merge.

I am looking to use this for a table seating plan and am looking for some assistance with the layout.  If I have a table, it will have two elements - the first is the table name and the second is the list of the names of the guests.

I have attempted to put this together as a csv file but to no avail. 

Can anyone help please?

[jane-e]

I usually start this in Excel and save the Excel version, then do a Save As .csv. You should have column heading for “TableName” and “Guest Name”. I have a vague collection that Google docs needs a workaround. 

Can you describe your process and what isn’t working? 

~ Jane

[John Mensinger]

I would set rows and columns as below, fill in the names, and save as Tab-Delimited Text, (which I find more reliable than .csv).

[Jeffrey_Smith]

This table would need transposed for a data merge, rows are records, columns are variables of the record.

John has changed the table reference and the above comment is no longer needed.

[John Mensinger]

D'oh! I suppose I'd have realized that eventually had it actually been my project to carry out. Thanks Jeffrey. Fixed now.

[oodya]

Hi John,

Thank you for that.  I might not have explained myself properly.  So say I have a table called 'Head Table', directly under the head table, there may be around 10 guests sitting on that particular table.  The second table may be called 'Orange' and again, there may be around 10 guests sitting on that table.

So in essence, I would like the ability to import the spreadsheet and for InDesign to show something like the following:

Head Table

Guest 1

Guest 2

Guest 3

Then the same for the second table:

Orange

Guest 4

Guest 5

Guest 6

I am having a complete mind block when trying to think about the best way to do this.

[John Mensinger]

"I am having a complete mind block when trying to think about the best way to do this."

Hmm, now thinking through it further, I realize why you're stuck. It's because this isn't a candidate for InDesign's Data Merge. The core function of Data Merge is repeating a fixed layout containing one or more variable fields, with each repeat's variable field(s) populated via merge from the next record in the data source. There is just really no good way to get it to compile lists (of records in one layout) the way you need here. In other words: Data Merge duplicates 1 layout x n (the number of records), or 1:1, whereas you need 1 un-duplicated layout containing all the records, or 1: n.

I apologize for not realizing it sooner.

[oodya]

Thank you John,

No need to apologise - you are trying to help, which is much appreciated.

At least I know I'm not going crazy.

Thanks for checking and assisting, much appreciated 🙂

[MW Design]

Kinda like this as a merge?

This was merged from a tab-delimited file. The merge file was made in Excel and looks like this as in my text editor:

The merge was done using Em Software's data merge plug-in. The merge only uses the first occurance of the Table field.

Mike

[jane-e]

You are assigning seats (chairs) to the guests at each table.

Are you looking for something like this?

I'm not sure you need Data Merge for this.

• Place in InDesign as a Linked Excel table so it can be updated
• In Excel, create Range Names if you want the Table info in separate places. Skip if it can be one table. Place with Options and choose the Cell Range. The Range Names will appear in the drop down. Place once for each range name.
  
• Here I placed the table three times, choosing a different range name each time. It's a linked Excel file, so edits in Excel can be updated in InDesign.
  

This info is brief because I don't know what you know and don't know, so please ask if you need more info on:

• Range Names
• Linked Excel files
• Do you want the info in one table, multiple tables with no gridlines, or tabbed text (this won't have links if there are changes)
• Other

~ Jane

[jane-e]

Update: I had a Fail when editing a name in Table 2 and updating the Link in InDesign. Only the table with the first Range Name remained, and the other two disappeared.

Can it be in one table?

Or maybe John_Mensinger has another idea?

 Jane