Re: Getting data out of QuarkXpress (4.x)
Re: Getting data out of QuarkXpress (4.x)
- Subject: Re: Getting data out of QuarkXpress (4.x)
- From: Simon Forster <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 14:21:39 +0100
On Tuesday, August 5, 2003, at 11:55 AM, Shane Stanley wrote:
We then need to extract the data from Quark and stick it back in the
database.
i.e. once out and then once back in. Xcatalog doesn't seemed to be
designed
for this.
Actually, it does -- you set up links that let you both import data
into
Quark documents, and export data to a database or delimited text.
Xcatalog makes use of invisible tags to mark up data in text boxes.
Can
someone tell me more about these?
It will be much easier to download the demo and see for yourself. It's
a bit
complicated to set up, but it does do what you want.
I'm speaking a different language to everyone else today. It is very
frustrating. (My fault NOT yours so please do not take offense).
OK. I have downloaded Xcatalog. I have printed off the instructions. I
have read through the instructions - all-be-it in a speed read fashion.
I have used the instructions in the documentation to create a DD and
link up text. I didn't get it to work but that is not strictly relevant
at this point in time.
The problem is that the setting up of the links is a significant
overhead for little reward for our application (of Xcatalog). Or at
least that's my take and I'm trying to find out whether this take is
correct.
Scenario: We have a 120 page product catalogue containing course
information. Let us say 120 courses to keep things simple. Each course
is a one-off event.
Using Xcatalog, we have to:
- Create 120 pages
- Link up all the elements for each of the 120 pages
- Import the data
Now, from here-on-in we ignore the database side completely and get the
product catalogue put to bed as quickly as possible. i.e. All changes
are done in the QuarkXpress document. Once the Quark doc has been sent
for printing, self-evidently the Quark doc has the most up-to-date
info. We want to suck this data back into the database - and this is
where the linking process comes to our aid.
But that's the sole benefit.
Turn the process on its head and I can write an AppleScript to
automatically create the first draft of the 120 page document. I can
write another one to get all the text out of QuarkXpress. Then I go
through "linking" the text to the appropriate database fields and
import back into the database. Similar process to the one above in
terms of manual stages and I've saved myself $800.
At this point in time I don't see the real benefit of Xcatalog for our
application. I can see where Xcatalog could be a fantastic boon - for
example product brochures which are similar to one another each time
around. But here we're talking a greenfield site each catalogue. 120
courses x 10 fields = 1,200 links to be created each catalogue.
Yikes.
I may be missing a fundamental point here. Can you set-up the links on
a master page and then Xcatalog will create new pages in QuarkXpress
for each of the found records in the database? Or similar?
Simon Forster
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