EasyCatalog XML Module for InDesign

Description

The EasyCatalog XML Module for InDesign is an optional module that provides the ability to import XML files directly into EasyCatalog.

Bi-directional Updates

The XML Data Provider provides a bi-directional link to your XML file, so any changes made to your data on the InDesign document can be updated back to the file.

Configuration

The XML Data Provider uses XPaths to define where each record and field can be located in the XML structure. Once imported into EasyCatalog, your data can be manipulated in the same way as importing from a delimited file or ODBC database.

Configuring a data source is a relatively simple task and principally involves specifying various values within the XML Data Source Configuration dialogue.

Other add-on modules are available for more advanced features including:

• ODBC Data Provider for creating two-way links to a database including FileMaker and Access (this requires setup with the OS)
• Relational for working with multiple data sources
• Pagination, which is required for doing advanced paginated layouts
• and Scripting, which, like InDesign, works with JavaScript, AppleScript, and Visual Basic.

EasyCatalog for InDesign is a Plug-in (for both Mac and Windows) that offers a truly simple, intuitive drag-and-drop interface. As the name implies, EasyCatalog is easy to set up and use. Simply connect to a datasource, insert placeholders into your document from the EasyCatalog Panel, apply formatting as you usually would to design elements, group related elements together into a “Product Style,” store your Product Styles in an EasyCatalog Library, and then populate copies of your product styles with records from your database.