Adobe InDesign CC 2015 - Manual (Page 630)

625
Automation
Last updated 6/6/2015
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Your spreadsheet or database could look like this:
2.Save the data source file—usually a spreadsheet or database file—as a comma-delimited (.csv) or tab-delimited
(.txt) text file.
Make sure that your data source file is structured in such a way that you can include the appropriate fields in your target
document. For example, the top row of a spreadsheet should contain the field names that you’ll use in the target
document, such as “Company” and “Address.”
For more information, see About data source files .
3.Create a target document that includes text and other items that remain the same in each version of the target
document.
For more information, see About target documents .
4.Select the data source using the Data Merge panel.
For more information, see Select a data source .
5.Insert fields from the Data Merge panel into the target document.
You can add data fields to either a document page or a master page. If you add data fields to a master page, you have
additional options.
For more information, see Insert data fields and Adding data field placeholders to master pages .
6.Preview the records to make sure that the target document will look the way you intend.
For more information, see Preview records in the target document .
7.Merge the target document with the data source file, or export to PDF.
For more information, see Merge records .
About data source files
The data source typically originates from a spreadsheet or database application, but you can create your own data
source file using InDesign or any text editor. Data source files should be saved in a comma-delimited (.csv) or tab-
delimited (.txt) text format. Check your source application’s user guide for more information on exporting to these
formats.
In a comma- or tab-delimited text file, records are separated by paragraph breaks; fields are separated by commas or
tabs. The data source file can also include text or paths that see images on disk.
Example of comma-delimited data source file
Name,Company Name,State
Bill Tucker,CoreVent Labs,Nevada
Dat Nguyen,"Brady, Hunt, and Baxter, Inc",Delaware
Maria Ruiz,"Brinquist Enterprises, Inc.",California
If you want to include a comma or quotation mark in a comma-delimited file, enclose the text within quotation marks,
such as “Brady, Hunt, and Baxter, Inc.”. If you do not include the quotation marks, each name is treated as a separate
field.