Indesing data merge with plain text qr code

[prestampa29275618e2xc]

Hello everyone,
I have to create a data merge document including a plain text qrcode.
My source is a CSV file from libreoffice.
The trouble comes when I try to insert a line feed or a carriage return.
Using excel formula CHAR(10) or CHAR(13) does not work, because the rendering return just the first line of the text.
Is there a way to fix the issue?
Thanks

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Most QR code guidelines say to simply use a line return or paragraph character; most code readers respect them for multi-line display. (Some do not, though.) Check the text that is actually being passed to the QR code field. It must be an actual ASCII 10 or 13 character, not the Excel code string or anything like it.

You may find some or all of this helpful: https://nitrosyncretic.com/DPR/dpr_qrcodes.php.

[prestampa29275618e2xc]

I know but I have to do a data merge, so the text comes from excel, and even though I see the text in excel properly edited and rendered,  the final qrcode output shows just the first line in indesign (and into any qr code reader).

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Obviously ID is reading that Excel code as an "end of record" mark.

Try entering an ASCII code/character instead. Excel lets me type in both Alt-10 and Alt-13, and that character may be recognized as a return/line end in the merge. (ETA: I am not sure of the exact format InDesign is reading; you might try alternate codes such as /r and /n, or the HTML code %0D.)

The only other solution I can think of is to remove all such return characters and let the reader do the text wrapping in each field.

[prestampa29275618e2xc]

Try entering an ASCII code/character instead. Excel lets me type in both Alt-10 and Alt-13, and that character may be recognized as a return/line end in the merge. (ETA: I am not sure of the exact format InDesign is reading; you might try alternate codes such as /r and /n, or the HTML code %0D.)

And this is excaclty what I tried to do with the CHAR(10) or CHAR(13) formula. But it didn't work.

The only other solution I can think of is to remove all such return characters and let the reader do the text wrapping in each field.

How can I do that?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

The first suggestion means that perhaps the Excel formulas are not working correctly; you'd have to look at the actual export code to see if a pure, plain ASCII 10 or 13 is there, or if Excel is being "helpful" and exporting something more complex, that InDesign won't read correctly. I was able to enter just a code for each using Alt keys; there may be a simpler method including search and replace.

On the second, I can't say without seeing some kind of sample, but as any kind of return or break is optional (or even discouraged) in QR code fields, simply removing all of them from the Excel source would be one approach.

[Jeffrey_Smith]

Here is what I have used for datamerge and plain text QR codes. \n is used to separate lines of a vcard.

N:Smith;John\nFN:John Smith\nORG:Company\nTITLE:Engineer\nTEL;CELL:+1234567890

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

That should work, and it should be possible to include '\n' fields in the Excel data. OTOH, any kind of export of control or escape characters can be exasperating. 🙂

I may have misunderstood the OP. If the problem is to separate the vCard fields, this solution should work. If the issue is trying to put line breaks in long text fields... this may or may not work as intended.