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  • 2019-11-05 at 4:35 pm #10705
    akocan
    Member

    I hope to find you well this morning. I am trying to export a document with variables in a Table as a PDF. I am getting the log error:

    “MyDataMerge couldn’t connect placeholders with datafields. [Error code 404301]”

    In the placeholder section they all have a green checkmark.

    Is it not possible to work with variables and tables in MyDataMerge? There are many tables in all of my different clients’ Benefit Statements and most of them have to be able to show dynamic variables AND have a dynamic number of rows depending on the employee, their status, or the types of benefits they receive.

    I’ve been trying to come up with a workaround but I am struggling (maybe a nested situation where I generate the Tables or Table lookalikes separately and then import images? The only problem with that is the image size would also have to be dynamic because of the changing number of rows/lines).

    Any suggestions? I understand if there is no help, it’s probably a strange problem to have, Just thought I’d ask.

    2019-11-05 at 4:45 pm #10706
    Jonathan
    Staff
    We investigated the transmitted Feedback report (thanks for that). The error is thrown because one placeholder tag is already used as a hyperlink.
    In InDesign a hyperlink and a datamerge tag can’t exist on the same text. This is a limitation we can’t override unfortunately.
    Is it not possible to work with variables and tables in MyDataMerge?

    You can merge tables where you do NOT need dynamically created rows. But for dynamically created rows it doesn’t work at the moment. But it’s on our official roadmap (https://mydatamerge.com/roadmap).

    I’ve been trying to come up with a workaround

    Depending on what you need workarounds are possible.

    Usually a data merge creates a new page or set of pages per record (Called: One record per page)
    OR it adds multiple records to a page or set of pages and once all placeholders are filled, that set of pages is duplicated and started again with the next set of records (Called: Multiple records per page)
    If you say you need dynamically created rows this means multiple records per (set of) page(s)? Is this correct? (I will also duplicate this question to the forum once your post is created – we should then continue there please).

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 5:05 pm #10707
    akocan
    Member

    Thank you for your quick reply!

    I didn’t realize I had put a hyperlink in my Indesign document. I’ll have to look through it and make some adjustments.

    As far as what my needs are, my clients request two versions of their documents. They require multiple record PDFs for proofing throughout our editing season and when it is over they require single record PDFs to have on hand for each employee should someone have need of a copy. On my end, I also need a multiple record layout in spread format (pages 4 & 1 on the front and 2 & 3 on the back, etc.) with bleeds for printing my clients hardcopy mailable statements. Am I explaining this well?

    Thank you again for your time,

    Nina

    2019-11-05 at 5:07 pm #10708
    Jonathan
    Staff

    Then this are different projects.

    For which one of those do you need the table? And how should it look like?

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 6:27 pm #10710
    akocan
    Member

    https://ibb.co/crFdHQ3

    I need the table on every layout. Each project I described needs the same Benefit Statement design. They just ask for the different formats for their own ease of access and prefered view. The differences are simply whether or not they have bleeds, are one record documents (one PDF = 1 Benefit Statement), or multiple record documents (one PDF = 2,000 Benefit Statements).

    For the Multiple Record Layouts, I am considering exporting each of the four pages as an image and adding those images to the data and reinserting them in an Indesign document in spread format with bleeds so that each year I am not having to make the same edits in multiple projects.

    I have attached a file that is a rough single page look alike. Everything in red is variable and could either change in length or need to be removed all together based on data. I would need everything below each red item to respond accordingly if a placeholder was completely removed, lengthened, or shortened.

    I have had some success in creating “fake tables” that are very meticulously designed text boxes accompanied with the “fit frame to content” and “Anchor” InDesign tool. The downfall being this was very time consuming and I’m worried it won’t work for every table design and page layout I will need to create for my different clients as the designs are already chosen.

    Any helpful suggestions?

    2019-11-05 at 7:07 pm #10711
    Pat
    Staff

    Everything in red is variable and could either change in length or need to be removed all together based on data

    Could you explain  this? Is it like: the data is empty- remove it. Or: If a value in the db contains a specific value then remove it?

    Official MyDataMerge Team

    2019-11-05 at 7:59 pm #10712
    akocan
    Member

    I don’t believe the data is ever empty. It’s more logic like, If field13>54 print: “Content goes here” ELSE remove content placeholder -OR a different example- If field5==BNB and field10==N Print: “Vivamus tristique mauris sed mauris ultrices vulputate. In molestie ligula libero, et sodales ex posuere ac.”  ELSE If field5==BNB and field10==Y Print: “Vivamus tristique mauris sed mauris ultrices vulputate.” ELSE remove content placeholder

    Not great made-up logic examples but that’s mostly the idea. Does this help?

    2019-11-05 at 8:08 pm #10713
    Pat
    Staff

    You can do this with MyDataMerge.

    Printed content can be static text or dynamic or combination of both.

    What doesn’t work is removing a table row as tables are not supported yet – but they are on our roadmap.

    If you can manage to create a table look-a-like with anchored textframes within a text frame you can do it 100% with MyDataMerge cause deleting textframes if data is empty works.

    Official MyDataMerge Team

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