Xdata and QuarkXPress or InData and InDesign

Xdata and InData are document-building tools that brings the full layout, design, typographic, and picture-publishing power of QuarkXPress or InDesign to data-driven, repetitive-publishing tasks — such as calendars, directories, or simple mail merges.

Xdata/InData are very powerful, especially when it comes to formatting text. Both can also apply text when certain criteria is met, or when it is not. Xdata/InData instructs text based on a prototype that you create or in the case of the calendars, one that we created.

In this prototype shown below, Xdata will generate a directory of real estate agents in a an area. There must be reversed headline for each company name and below that list the name of each realtor that works from that office. InData works in the same manner.

Using the prototype, Xdata is instructed that IF the company name of this record is not the same as (or is not equal to) the company name of the previous record, use the company name found in the company name field and apply the style sheet for reversing text.

After the company name and contact information, the prototype instructs Xdata to import the picture of the realtor. The pictures do not have to be a part of the database, but there must be a field that tells Xdata the name of the picture.

The prototype goes on to import the company phone number and insert a tab and type the word OFFICE after the imported number, but only if the field is not empty, It repeats the process with the fax number, the residence phone, and voice mail, but only if not empty, and so on through all of the contact information available for each realtor, or record in this case. In this manner, Xdata CONDITIONALLY performs functions, types text, and adds style sheets.

Simply put, Xdata/InData works like a mail merge on steroids. Xdata/InData uses simple text statements to import and format text and graphics — during import. Xdata/InData can build documents at hundreds of pages per hour, or a simple calendar in just a few seconds. Xdata/InData will apply pre-defined style sheets to the custom and holiday text as it is imported. The user does not have to go to every text chain, or every date, and apply a style. They may, of course, but it will not be necessary.

In this image, you can see a typical prototype for the planner templates. It is much simpler than the prototype above, but it uses another great feature found in Xdata/InData, Headers and Footers.

The planners flow from week to week, not month to month, so it's necessary to display the name of the month at the top of the page and this changes as text is imported. By telling Xdata/InData that we want to use the month field as a header (even though the month field is not used elsewhere on the page, therefore, hidden), Xdata's/InData's Headers feature automatically puts the name of the month associated with the dates imported.

To download the Xdata demo (free), or to purchase Xdata ($400).

To download the InData demo (free), or to purchase InData ($400).