*** From the Archives ***
This article is from July 20, 2010, and is no longer current.
New Video Title Offers XML Training for InDesign Users
You know you want to learn more about XML and how InDesign works with it. Now you can learn the ins and outs and ups and downs of this incredibly powerful workflow in just a few hours of video training at lynda.com! Jim Maivald (who spoke at our Print and ePublishing Conference in May) put much of what he knows into this little title. Here’s what the lynda.com marketing team says about it:
In InDesign CS5: Dynamic Publishing Workflows in XML, Jim Maivald explores how XML tools can enhance the page design process in InDesign. This course covers using the Structure pane and Tags panel, understanding and writing code for integration into InDesign and external editors, and ultimately, adding dynamic content to pages with XML. The skills learned in this course will be applied directly to two real-world projects that are included in the final chapters: building a product sheet and a longer book. Exercise files accompany the course.
Jim also wrote a book called A Designers Guide to Adobe InDesign and XML from Peachpit Press. Good stuff!
If you want to see the video training, but you’re not currently a lynda.com subscriber, you have two options:
- You can watch a couple of the movies for free by going to this link.
- You can click here to sign up for a free 24-hour trial period and watch all you can eat! Then, of course, we all hope you decide to subscribe. It’s not very much money per month, and given how many movies you can watch up there, it’s a great value.
No one should try jumping into XML without training and education — you’ll drive yourself crazy. Do yourself a favor and watch the movies or read the book before even attempting to export or import XML.
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Hi,
I totally recommend Jim’s book. That’s the XML/Indesign ‘s Graal. That book changed my life, really !!!
I am jumping on the videos.
Loic
Can’t see the price, someone does ?
And all in Flash video flv format.
Now try that on your iPad! ;-)
I’m not sure what you mean by Flash video. Lynda.com offers their videos in several different formats, including QuickTime. But if you’re on an iPad or iPhone, then download their free app. It’s really cool and a great way to watch the lynda.com titles.
>But if you?re on an iPad or iPhone, then download their free app
Ah! Missed that one. Thanks David!
I want to pick up this book on my payday. I can’t wait until Fall gets here because my workplace is replacing Element K with Lynda.com. It’s a great move and something that I’m going to take advantage of.
I was rudderless regarding XML until purchasing his book. Can’t wait to watch his videos about CS5.
I’d second (or third) the recommendation of Jim’s book. There are some really tricky things you need to do to import XML into InDesign, and in the absence of proper documentation you’re left with trial and error, which is unlikely to work. This book shows you exactly what to do to make it work.
My only criticism is that, as a developer, I found certain parts of the book moved very slowly – it could have been written in half the number of pages. Maybe I should write “A Developer’s Guide to Adobe InDesign and XML” …
Is there a way to export XML using Excel:Mac 2008? The book mentions nonexistent support for XML in the mac version. I’d love to move my workflow to XML, but most of my copy comes from Excel.
@Stewb: All document formats from Office post 2007 (.docx, .xlsx, etc.) are XML under the hood. According to the MS website, Office 2008 uses the same file format as Office 2007/2010 on Windows.
A .docx or .xlsx document is really a collection of XML files inside an ordinary zip file, so if you open it as a compressed file rather than an Excel document, you will find a bunch of XML. Might be worth a look in case there’s an easy solution there.
HI there. Love Jim´s book. Still i wonder if there´s a way to include pathways from images trough a webadress? Or do you have to rely on a filebased or serverbased pathway for images with the XML-file?
Mikael