Indesign Import XML into Automatic Page generation, data merge

Question

I've created some InDesign Pages that I want to use as templates. I've created an XML file with all the appropriate data. I want to merge the XML data with the InDesign page and have a few hundred pages automatically generated.

I've been reading online and working with InDesign's "Import XML" features without any luck. The documentation has been pretty poor for me. And Google searches haven't returned much fruitful.

Here are my present steps:

1. I create a Master Page of my template
2. I add a bunch of text frames where I want the imported data from the XML file to be places
3. I open the "Tags" window and Import and XML file
4. I mark my text frames in the Master Document with the appropriate tags
5. I then add a lot of pages (like 200) to the document
6. Then I use "Import XML" to try and get the data brought in and filled across all 200 pages.

This is where I fail. There's something I'm missing. It might be that InDesign doesn't work as I'm expecting...

Does anyone have any good tips for mail-merge like functionality with an XML document and auto-generation of InDesign pages?

By the way, here's an example of Adobe's great documentation for merging repeated XML elements. There's got to be more... InDesign CS4 Docs: XML->Importing XML->Working with Repeating Data

Here's some of the sample XML, notice the ITEM will repeat. I've also truncated the data in the "desc" tag:

   <output>
  <item>
    <user_name>taude</user_name>
    <date>2009-02-21</date>
    <title>Wishful Thinking</title>
    <desc>Skiing up in Vermont on a beautiful day.  This photo of</desc>
    <thumbnail>http://www.blipfoto.com/thumbs/5371/2009/big/color/96104200949a162672e1996.15963073.jpeg</thumbnail>
  </item>
  <item>
    <user_name>taude</user_name>
    <date>2009-02-22</date>
    <title>Skiing Self Portrait</title>
    <desc>I was inspired by ML's self-portrait while </desc>
    <thumbnail>http://www.blipfoto.com/thumbs/5371/2009/big/color/36547696749a2c5782308e0.91477014.jpeg</thumbnail>
  </item>
</output>

Here's what my imported XML looks like with the InDesign Structure:

Answer 1

i work with XML and inDesign.

Indesign layout must be created strictly to your xml file, tagged frames is not enough.

Can you post few lines of your xml file so i can help you to adjust your layout?

Bye

EDIT:

Ok, you're right.

If all the items are identical delete all but first item.

Then press Ctrl+Shift and click on the first page to ovveride master text frame.

Drag your root node (output) from structure panel into the text frame.

Now the template is ready

Try to import xml file and let me know

Answer 2

Working with XML in InDesign can be tricky, and I know the documentation leaves a lot to be desired. I teach this functionality in a college course and use the book "A Designer's Guide to Adobe® InDesign® and XML: Harness the Power of XML to Automate your Print and Web Workflows" by James J. Maivald and Cathy Palmer.

ISBN-10: 0321503554 ISBN-13: 978-0321503558

The book is also available online through safari.oreilly.com if you have an account.

It's a great reference, and fairly current @2008.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Good explanation is at http://forums.adobe.com/thread/437051. See the alos tips on autoflow in InDesign Help about adding pages (Smart TExt Reflow in CS5). Please check Safarionline.com for my O'Reilly book "XML Publishing with InDesign CS2+" which I am updating now to CS5. Most of the XML features have not changed from CS3 and I write about them in the book. I cover importing XML using placeholders, description of the various XML import options, creating your own import setup, mingling XML and non-XML content, use of XSLT on import, and many other topics. I am an XSLT developer with extensive background in graphic design. I have set up a LinkedIn group "XML Content/InDesign Publishing" that you may want to visit.