Automatically generate formatted tables InDesign

[2Workman@adobeforums.com]

Hello,
I am a total InDesign newbie, and would like to know if what I need done can either be done, or be scripted to do.

Background: We have a client who publishes a yearly catalog with tables filled with product specs. They had been using Quark, but moved to InDesign in hopes of automating several of the processes.
They have a new database (MS Access right now) that holds all the product details and tables.

I am trying to find a way to create formatted tables (A's product line is red with x sized cells, x named font, B's product line is blue with x sized cells, x named font,), and then use the table I've set up as the template import area for text data outputted by the database.
(Or find any other way of accomplishing this task.)
The table's size (number of rows) changes according to product.

The InDesign we are using is 2.0.2 on Windows, (Japanese version), as the catalog is Japanese.

If there is a third party plug-in that can help me do this, I'm open to it as well, I just haven't found one that works with Japanese.

I'm not against having our developer do this as a plug-in using the SDK, I just don't know which direction to take this in to get the job done.

Could you point me in the right direction please?

I apologize for posting this in a couple different places, I wasn't sure which was correct.

[Jens Schulze]

> If there is a third party plug-in that can help me do this,

> I'm open to it as well, I just haven't found one that works
> with Japanese.

I don't know if SmartCatalog from [url]www.woodwing.com[/url] will work on thew
Japanese version, that's the one I know.

> I'm not against having our developer do this as a plug-in
> using the SDK, I just don't know which direction to take
> this in to get the job done.

Personally I would do it via the scripting interface. Here we are using an
access database and and Visual Basic (thus it will work with any COM-aware
language) to connect the database to InDesign and to create catalogues out
of the database. A plug-in is more elegant, but also more work, and a good
programmer can easily work itself into the scripting interface. Feel free to
contact me personally if you need further information, my mail adress should
be at my forum profile.

Jens

[pjredman@adobeforums.com]

I agree with Jens. You can do a great deal with InDesign tables using scripts. The only issue we've encountered is that on very long tables InDesign's "mini-save" feature sometimes interferes with the execution of the script. A plug-in might be more stable but also more work as Jens points out.

Phil Redman

[2Workman@adobeforums.com]

[2Workman@adobeforums.com]

Thank you very much.
Do you have any idea where I can find example scripts that will show me how to do this?
We have a very good VB guy (we are on Windows), but he wants to take a look at code examples first since he hasn't worked with InDesign.

[Jens Schulze]

> Do you have any idea where I can find example scripts

> that will show me how to do this?
> We have a very good VB guy (we are on Windows),
> but he wants to take a look at code examples first since
> he hasn't worked with InDesign.

The scripting guide can be found under the URL
[url]http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/pdfs/indesign_cs_scripting_guide.pdf[/url]
, which is the source the normal programmer get their first infos, but it is
in the first case a technical documentation. But as a non-typesetter it is
strongly advised that he works closely together with someone of good
knowledge of InDesign and the used terms in the typesetting industry and in
InDesign.
Also there is the adobe.scripting.indesign newsgroup/forum, which is the
best place for specified questions, if he meets a problem during his work.
There there also was an example script of one user that creates a simple
catalog, but unfortunately I didn't find it in my searches at this moment...

Jens.