: InDesign: Data Merging from spread sheet for timetables Ok So my job is creating timetables for bus routes having them in DL leaflet form and A4 pdf from for online. Currently I build them

@Miguel516

DataMerging and import excel file have one disadvantage. Once used the link between source and data in indd disappears.

To avoid that place excel file as any other object so it became visible in the "Links" panel. To do that go to Preferences -> File Handling and at the bottom check "create link when placing text or spreadsheet files".

Now every file will be linked to the source so what you need to do is to style the table in InDesign and change content in the Excel file itself (or just replace the old file with new one) and then just update the file in links panels.

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@Sims5801359

Build the data in Excel
create the InDesign document with all the formatting for the timetable
Don't import the data the formatting will be lost, cut and paste the data from the spreadsheet into a text editor to convert it to a text file or place it into an empty text box in InDesign, convert the table to text with TAB delimiter copy the text then select where the text is to be placed into the final InDesign table and PASTE WITHOUT FORMATTING
The new text will then retain the formatting of the existing table.

The second option is to do it with a XML workflow

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