InDesign - CSV help with Data Merge

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

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

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).

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