Adobe InDesign - Manual (Page 814)

Note:
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the data will not be merged. (See Create masters.)
You cannot place data fields on both master pages and document pages. In order to merge properly, you must apply a master containing data
fields to the first page of the document.
If an error message indicates that InDesign cannot merge the document because no placeholders are present, you may have added the
placeholders to the left master page in a one-page document. Page 1 is based on the right master page, so add the placeholders to the right
master page.
Update, remove, or replace data source files
To update data source files, edit and save the data source file in comma- or tab-delimited format, and then choose Update Data Source from
the Data Merge panel.
The changes will be reflected in the Data Merge panel. If the changes are not reflected in the document after updating, deselect Preview to
turn it off, and then select Preview again to turn it back on.
To remove the connection to the data source file, choose Remove Data Source from the Data Merge panel menu.
To switch to a new data source file, choose Select Data Source from the Data Merge panel menu, and then specify the new data source file.
InDesign may not recognize some of the fields. In this situation, it’s best to delete and reinsert placeholder fields.
If you generate a merged document from a target document in which data fields appeared on master pages, you can update the data fields in
the merged document.
Preview records in the target document
Before you merge the target document and data source file, it’s a good idea to preview the records to make sure that field data will appear
properly when the information is merged. When you preview records, the Data Merge panel displays actual data from the data source file instead
of the field placeholders. For example, instead of seeing <>, you might see Adobe Systems, Inc. You can use the navigation buttons
on the Data Merge panel to cycle through the records.
If you find problems with any of the records, such as typographical errors or extra spaces, it is recommended that you edit the source file in its
original application. (See
About data source files .)
1. Click Preview at the bottom of the Data Merge panel, or choose Preview from the Data Merge panel menu.
2. Click the navigation buttons to cycle through data from different records.
To go to a specified record, click the navigation buttons at the bottom of the panel. You can also type the number of the record you want to
preview in the navigation text box at the bottom of the panel, and then press Enter or Return.
Switching preview on or off
Some issues may arise or correct themselves when you switch between previewing modes. Keep the following in mind:
Placeholders replace the preview content when the Preview Record option is not selected. If you delete an image as well as the frame
containing the image, or delete a whole text string, when you deselect the Preview Record option, the placeholders will not appear as they
have also been removed.
Changes in the Content Placement Options dialog box are not reflected until you click OK. Also, if the Preview Record option is selected, the
data will not reflect the updated placement settings until you deselect and select the option again.
If you try to save the document in preview mode, you will receive a message prompting you to turn off preview mode before saving your
document.
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