New to paragraph styles, how to automatically map from .txt file?

[jasonbeckercreative]

Friends,

I'm familiar with the basic use of paragraph styles, but a new client has sent me copy exported directly from a program called CivicRec that ought to be mapping to my existing InDesign document's styles...but no luck.

I'm not sure this text (sample below) is actually everything I need to automatically map itself to the existing styles in my working document.

The whole 88 pages' worth of content is coming at me Monday morning, sure would like it to be A) output correctly or B) otherwise set up correctly on my end before it shows up in my inbox! Otherwise, I'm looking at a whoooooooole lot of manual formatting.

I have a feeling this is a basic question and I'm not style-savvy enough to work it out. What am I missing? Appreciate any input!!!!!!

Sample code I am trying to import and map to existing styles:

<ASCII-WIN>

<DefineParaStyle:SectionTitle>

<DefineParaStyle:SectionDescription>

<DefineParaStyle:SubsectionTitle>

<DefineParaStyle:SubsectionDescription>

<DefineParaStyle:ActivityTitle>

<DefineParaStyle:ActivityDescription>

<DefineParaStyle:CourseTitle>

<DefineParaStyle:CourseDescription>

<DefineParaStyle:CourseInfo>

<ParaStyle:SectionTitle>Youth & Teen

<ParaStyle:SectionDescription>

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:SubsectionTitle>General Interest Camps

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:ActivityTitle>Rhythmic Gymnastics & Creative Dance Camp

<ParaStyle:ActivityDescription>Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy summer camps are designed for the beginner and experienced girl gymnast.  Balls, ribbons, and hoops will be emphasized along with ballet!  Outdoor activities will be incorporated along with lots of fun and play.  Two snacks are provided by the Academy.  You provide a leotard, lunch, and water bottle.

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:CourseTitle>Week 7 - Rhythmic Gymnastics

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:CourseDescription>Age 5-10

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:CourseDescription><0x0009>No class on .

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:CourseInfo><0x0009>6404<0x0009>Weekdays<0x0009>8/12-8/16<0x0009>9:00am-4:00pm

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:CourseFees>$255 R / $306 NR<0x0009>Location: Off Site Locations<0x0009>Instr: Sally Morgan

<0x0013>

<ParaStyle:ActivityTitle>Junior Summer Day Camp

<ParaStyle:ActivityDescription>Junior Summer Day Camp is designed to meet the needs of the younger new camper. Located at the Community Center, campers will have access to all the indoor and outdoor features of the center. Campers will enjoy exciting camp activities, which include arts, sciences, sports, games, wacky special events, and guest visitors and entertainers. On hot days we will cool off with fun, water drenching activities. Special field trips include children's summer concerts and swimming at the beach.

[BobLevine]

Looks like an attempt to create InDesign Tagged Text.

[winterm]

When placing file, select Show Import Options, and in a dialog window that appears ensure Remove Text Formatting is unticked.

[Derek Cross]

I wonder how much is would cost to get someone to take the text into MSWord and give it paragraph and character styles that then you could easily  map to InDesign's paragraph and character styes using InDesign's Microsoft Word Import Options facility.

[MW Design · Accepted solution]

I export tagged text from Word and many clients supply it. I generally use Em Software's tagged text plug-in, but it isn't needed for this type of work. What you may find is that you will become good friends with a decent text editor that allows for GREP (Regular Pattern Expressions for Find/Replace).

There are a few issues with that tagged text. I don't know if it just the forum software added empty paragraphs or not, nut if it is in the source, you need to remove them in the text editor.

The control codes are improperly written and one is absolutely not wanted/necessary. The control code <0x0013> should just be globally deleted.

The control code <0x0009> has to be written (all Unicode codes) thus: <\U+0009>
It is just the last four digits of the Unicode value that have to be present, plus the backslash and U+
This code is for a tab character.

The paragraph styles are properly listed, but are not defined. This is how I prefer to receive tagged text (and 99.9% of the time do receive it this way). Once you lace the tagged text file, the paragraph styles will be listed like so:

I have a word selected just so you can see that in the paragraph panel, the SectionTitle is highlighted as it should be (I couldn't just capture the cursor well).

You then set up the styles as desired. So here I have simply changed that SectionTitle p.style like so:

And then do the others (along with all the requisite p.style parameters.

Should you need any help, do just pop back into the thread. And it would be best if a sample of the actual tagged text be Zipped and uploaded to say dropbox or the like and a download link provided. That way the form software is removed from the equation.

Mike

[MW Design]

Oh, yeah. I forgot a couple other things...

There is a missing paragraph style reference in the sample above. If this omission in the above sample is actually present in the real file sample, no worries. But you may need to add this one: <DefineParaStyle:CourseFees>

Also, upon the first import using the p.style names as given in the sample file you were sent, do change the option shown in winterm's screen shot for the Resolve Text Style Conflicts Using: Publication Default to the tagged text file. Then once you have altered the styles in preparation of the main tagged text import, set it back to as shown in winterm's screen shot.

Think that covers it. For now, anyway...

[BobLevine]

Great summary, Mike. Thanks.

[jasonbeckercreative]

Friends,

Thank you all so much. Your feedback helped me gain a much clearer understanding of what I was dealing with.

The content provided was not tagged completely, as was observed. In addition, most of the tags included in my .txt file do not match the paragraph styles already built in my InDesign file (I'm inheriting this project for the first time from another designer).

In order to stay on schedule and not cause undue extra effort to my new client (a.k.a., stay as low-maintenance as possible!), my workaround was to export my ID paragraph styles, copy that text into the master .txt file I've received, and do a bunch of find-and-replace to get everything cleanly in order before importing the whole lot back into my mechanical file. Seems to be working out. If I'm lucky enough to get a second issue with this client, I'll approach them about streamlining things on their end to help us both.

Thanks again everyone, and all the best for a great start to your New Year.