InDesign: Merging multiple text boxes

[elizabethm7014565]

I am looking for a way to merge multiple text boxes from an InDesign data merge into one text box. I read about an old script (inlineMerge) but it does not appear to work with the latest versions of InDesign. Any suggestions?

[Eugene Tyson]

If you're doing the data merge - why don't you just create 1 text frame and insert each data field to be merged?

Why are there multipe text frames to begin with?

[elizabethm7014565]

I was under the impression that Indesign Data Merge cannot do a "Next Record" in the same text box like Word can. If this is the case, would you tell me how this is done? (Thank you!)

[Peter Spier]

Your impression is correct.

[Peter Spier]

Can you show us a screen shot of waht you have and how you want to combine it?

[elizabethm7014565]

I'm setting up a glossary of terms. I've been given an excel doc with two columns (terms and definitions), so its a pretty basic multiple record data merge of information, with the term in a bold font and the definition in a regular weight font. After the data merge is complete, each "term: definition" is in its own text box (approx. 14 text boxes per page over 12 pages).

I was hoping to use the script inlineMerge to merge all the text boxes into one text box with all the copy flowing through it, but that script does not work with the newer versions of InDesign.

What I ended up doing was using Ajar Productions MergeTextframes script to merge text into 1 text box per page, then use the Rorohiko Text Stitch Plug-in to merge all the text boxes between pages. Just seems like a lot of work for a glossary that will need to be updated at intervals. I keep thinking there has to be an easier way to do this. Though the data merge font formating does save a ton of time, I wish there were a few less steps involved.

Any suggestions?

[Creamer Training]

What do you want the layout to look like?

You could bring in the Excel file as a table--or with a little find/change, have the term over the definition. 

[elizabethm7014565]

It's going to be an 8.5 x 11 interactive PDF with an alphabet navigation on the first page that link to the alphabetized sections of terms / definitions.