Publishing Workflow for InDesign Import/Export of

XML

Creating Bi-directional Content Reusebetween Databases and Publishing

ApplicationsPart 1: The XML Import

Dorothy J. HoskinsPresident, Textenergy

Contents

• The Problem Overview• Current State• Desired State• Proposed XML Workflow• Development• Successes• Challenges• Appendix: Why Use XML?

Overview: The Workflow Problem

• The college has 2 major sources of the content used in the course catalog: a database and InDesign documents. They would like to reduce the time and effort of publishing the content in the database that appears within the InDesign catalog. Simultaneously, they want to reduce the chance of discrepancies between the two sets of content.

• Knowing that XML can be imported into InDesign, they decided to try to export XML from the database.

Overview: Workflow State at Start

• There was no way to get the content moved between the database and InDesign documents without some kind of cut and paste operation.

• When the publishing department got the content from the database, it came as a large .txt file that required extensive manual markup to get it formatted correctly in InDesign.

• Revisions also came as .txt or directly from reviewers as Word snippets, also requiring cut & paste and manual markup.

Overview: Desired Workflow

• File import would be used to get the database content into InDesign.

• When the publishing department gets the content from the database, it will come as a XML files that format correctly in InDesign on import.

• Revisions can come as XML snippets also, which can be integrated into the main XML import.

Proposed XML Workflow

• Create content in Lotus Notes database tables for course descriptions and programs of study.

• Export these types of content as XML from the database, using its XML export capabilities.

• Take sample XML and import into InDesign to create element styles (to make each piece of content look as it should in print).

• Import entire XML into InDesign.• Adjust layout in InDesign.

Proposed XML Workflow

• Develop revision process:– Create review materials and circulate to

reviewers (PDF of InDesign doc).– Input revisions in database tables. (The

database is to be the “single source” for all course descriptions and programs of study content.)

– Export revisions as XML snippets.– Import XML snippets to make revisions in

InDesign.• Create XML export from InDesign to load some

content into the database (bidirectional flow).

Development of XML Workflow

• Identify the content types (course descriptions, programs of study) and their components (credit hours, prerequisites, course titles, descriptions, etc.) in the database.

• Model the content as XML elements.• Research the InDesign paragraph and

character styles to see how to map the XML elements.

• Develop XML output from the database.• Test XML content and refine paragraph styles.• Import XML and verify results.

Development of XML Workflow

• People and job functions involved:– The database developer: to create XML output from

data tables– XML consultant: to develop the XML import to

InDesign– Print publishing manager, production: to provide

input on the InDesign requirements, test and verify the import process

– Project manager: to track progress against goals and schedule

– Web publisher: to provide input on web-related issues regarding the database

XML in InDesign CS2

• Paragraph and character styles can be assigned to XML elements.

XML in InDesign CS2

• Import uses the InDesign structure pane (on left side of the layoutfor the page).– The document

already has itsparagraph andcharacter stylesdefined by thepublications team.

XML in InDesign CS2

• Select the XML file for import into InDesign.– The XML file

can include itsparagraph andcharacter stylesin attributes (added duringexport from thedatabase). Orstyles can be added after importing XML.

XML in InDesign CS2

• Tables can be created with XML import also.

• Table import requires addedXML structuresthat map to tablecells.– Imported files

may be linked forfurther edits (notrecommended forlarge XML files).

XML in InDesign CS2

• Imported XML can be viewed in the Structure pane in theInDesign file.– Expanding the

structure willshow the XMLattributes aswell as the elements.

– Flat XML structuresare the best for importing.

XML in InDesign CS2

• InDesign has a mapping feature to assign aparagraph styleto all XML elementsof a given name.– If you name XML

elements exactlyas your paragraphstyles are named,(or vice versa)the process is very simple.

XML element names cannot contain spaces or certain reserved characters like “&”.

XML in InDesign CS2

• InDesign has a Story Editor view that makes it easier to edit within XML elements.

Color coding helps identify the different XML element types.

Successes

• In a catalog of about 300 pages, over 130 pages are now created with XML import.

• This has reduced the manual markup process from days to a few hours.– Course descriptions flow into 70 pages from

one XML database output file.– Programs of study flow into 20 pages from

another database export (but require extra XML processing before import)

– Program requirements XML flows over 10 pages of 4-column table layout.

Challenges

• The import process gets all the XML elements to format uniformly. However, there are “known issues” such as:– Importing takes a few minutes and requires a

computer with a lot of horsepower. Crashes are more likely than with non-XML files.

– Tables are less stable than other layout elements.– Cleanup after import applies column or line breaks,

kerning overrides and other copyfitting.• Markup overrides do not affect the XML.

– Overrides have to be redone if the source XML file is reimported.

– In some cases, an XSL transform is required to restructure the database XML file into a flatter structure that works well inside Indesign.

Why use XML?Why use XML?

A look at forces moving the marketplace:e-commerce, globalization,

speed to market

Global trading and enterprise integration are

speeding up

• XML, a language for describing the structure of information, is one of the key technologies for making information reusable and transportable.

• Already, industries have been forming coalitions to create standards for themselves called XML schemas (rules for structuring information) and making these schemas available to build momentum for global e-commerce.

The players are on the field, and they’re all using XML

• Microsoft, IBM, Sun and Adobe, among others, are all building XML-enabled applications and systems.

• Large enterprises are already using XML in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Salesforce Automation (SFA), and Supply Chain Management (SCM)/e-procurement. XML is also essential for many Content Management systems.

Future development of products

XML is widely used in web publishing — and print publishing is the next frontier. Back in 2001, Bill Gates said,

“An open industry standard managed by the World Wide Web Consortium, XML enables developers to describe data being exchanged between PCs, smart devices, applications and Web sites. ... XML is a lingua franca for the Internet age. Just as the Web revolutionized how users talk to applications, XML transforms how applications talk to each other. “

Now Microsoft has enabled XML for Office applications. So has Adobe for its product line. You have more options than ever before for XML catalog development, from major players.

In a nutshell, XML works for business

• Using XML to connect applications and business systems is working very well already, and XML development is going on all over the globe. (Note: XML makes multi-language websites and localized documents easier to produce.)

• Those who move to leverage their information resources with XML have new opportunities for establishing valuable partnerships and gaining marketshare.

For more ideas about XML for business

ContactTextenergy LLC

www.textenergy.comdhoskins@textenergy.com

585 750-3118