InDesign data import format different than txt file

[Adrian38787449s8sh]

Hi All, 

I have a question about data import to InDesign project.

Currently we have data on few excel files which are marge in one big excel sheet  (wich have a lot of formulas to marge data) and base on that we generate txt file to import it into InDesign project.

Is there any easier option to import data to InDesign? 

Sorry for my unknowledge in InDesign but as data administrator we are looking for more simple solution, currently because of InDesign usage we have all data in excel sheet and I want to change it. 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Jeffrey_Smith]

Please provide additional information of the end product.

If you are saving as .txt file, this implies that you are performing a data merge. And there are only 2 formats for datamerge: .txt and .csv.

If you are importing data for a catalog and perphaps item price updates, there are plenty of methods.

If you are importing data for tabular material, you may be able to import the actual file, but additional info will help.

[Adrian38787449s8sh]

Thanks for fast response! 

I heard from people who do this that they have project from someone outside the company, can I check by myself how this is imported to answer you if the data are imported to catalog or to tabular material? 

[Laubender]

Hi @Adrian38787449s8sh ,

if you like to place Excel files with formulas a lot of things could go wrong.

So best is to have a "flat" Excel file without any formulas.

With InDesign's Data Merge feature, as already mentioned, you'll need a comma separated CSV file or a TAB separated text file without any formatting. Avoid some characters in the head of the tabular information like : and / (maybe also some others).

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Willi Adelberger]

With Excel data I have different problems. Those problems are dependent on language and OS. There is a huge influence of the language of the platform andthats why I copy Excel data (without any formula) into a word file , dsave as txt file and use this file in InDesign.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Adrian38787449s8sh

You would have to tell us more about how you need to display this data in the InDesign.

Why would you like to stop using Excel?