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Unicode3_0
Participant
December 30, 2021
Question

Variable Datasets shows Error: Not enough Names in first line

  • December 30, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 3544 views

Hello there,

 

i'm new to Photoshop automation and wanted to try using DataSets to create a Test with a few hundered test images.

 

However when I get to the point where I want to import the CSV file I get the error:"Could not parse the file contents as a data set. There were not enough variable names in the first line of the text file." But when I look at different Videos on YouTube they all have their Data arranged the exact same as me, which is quite confusing. 

 

I've attached my CSV for reference.

4 replies

Bojan Živković11378569
Community Expert
Bojan Živković11378569Community Expert
Community Expert
July 3, 2025

Data sets are very particular, errors can cause spaces after the last input in any row. Once, I created a macro to check for and delete any extra spaces at the end of each line in the data sets file.

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 3, 2025
quote

Once, I created a macro to check for and delete any extra spaces at the end of each line in the data sets file.


By @Bojan Živković11378569

 

Yes, me too, on the Mac using BBEdit I have saved many regular expression pattern presets. I also use the "Show invisible characters" option:

 

    Erik Jagger
    Erik Jagger
    Participant
    April 3, 2025

    Wondering what you found out here. I am getting the same thing but I have carefully checked and I have 16 variables in the PSD and 16 listed in the CSV. It's not an issue of semicolon vs. comma either. I checked that as well. 

     

    I'm stumped. 

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 3, 2025

    @Erik Jagger 

     

    It's hard to comment without seeing the text and .PSD files.

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 30, 2021

    @Unicode3_0 

     

    The errors/warnings generated by Photoshop for variables are not always helpful.

     

    Your text file is semi-colon ; separated – not comma , separated.

     

     

    Resave as comma separated and it should work as the attached did for me (or as a tab delimited file with a .txt extension).

     

    P.S. The double quotes in my example are there because I always use the "quote strings" feature by habit (your example didin't use word spaces so there was no explicit need to quote strings).

     

     

    Myra Ferguson
    Community Expert
    Myra FergusonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 30, 2021

    It isn't the arrangement of the content in your CSV file that's the issue. You need to have the same number of variables defined in your Photoshop document as you have in your CSV file. Based on the error message, it sounds like you need to add the missing variable name(s) and corresponding data to your CSV file.

     

    Also, if you want to use images as the data, make sure to set the variable type as Pixel Replacement, and in the CSV file, use the filename. Here's more info:

    Photoshop Automation

    U
    Unicode3_0Author
    Participant
    December 30, 2021

    I'm trying to mass-produce invites so there is no need for image replacement. However I need to replace the last name, address and the seating number with the ones given in the CSV File. So I should only need three variables in the CSV file, correct? (name, address, seatnumber) but for some reason I keep getting this error.

     

    I've attached a file of my layers in PS2022 to visualize this.

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