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*** DesignGeek ***
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Tips and techniques for the digital designer
In this issue:
-- XML Info for InDesign CS2
-- InDesign Breakthroughs News
Issue 40, 6/16/05
Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion
... for her clients, colleagues, random contacts and interested subscribers
© 2005 Seneca Design & Training, Inc.
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XML Info for InDesign CS2
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A while back I read some very interesting, detailed information online about a couple of new features in InDesign CS2; specifically about its enhanced XML workflow for text styles and tables. I'm not an XML pro (yet!) but a number of my publishing clients are really putting it through its paces, so it caught my eye.
The author, who posted this in a private forum, said the information would be included in an upcoming Adobe white paper focused on using XML with InDesign CS2. Most of Adobe's end-user information (white papers and tutorials) on InDesign and XML appears in their Cross Media Resources page, which is where I assume it'll pop up (it hasn't yet, I've been checking):
http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/crossmedia.html
The problem is that so far there's been precious little in-depth, nitty-gritty information published about InDesign and XML; as opposed to, say, InDesign and tagging; or InDesign and scripting. The "What's New in InDesign CS2" page on Adobe's site and the companion PDF simply mention that new features exist, and not really how to use them. Luckily the XML-related Help files for ID CS2 are fairly robust (as is the PDF version of the manual on the install CD); but even those sources don't contain the type of "here's a list of valid attributes, here's how to write the code" that people in the trenches need, like, today.
So, I e-mailed Adobe the contents of that post and asked permission to re-publish it on my site's InDesign Resources page, and they gave me the thumbs-up (thanks!). I put it in a PDF which you can download here:
http://www.senecadesign.com/designgeek/indesign.html
. . . it's the first PDF in the "Tips and Handouts" section towards the top.
By the way, I sent the info to one of my most advanced InDesign/XML workflow-using clients and their emailed response was (quote) "Holy Cr@p! Now we have to upgrade!" hahaha ... so I guess it's useful.
The PDF isn't a huge manual or anything, just 2 sides of a page, dealing with importing Styles and the InDesign CS2 "table model." In fact, the styles section is so short I'll just reprint it here.
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Importing Style Sheets with XML (InDesign CS2 only)
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First, declare the InDesign namespace using:
xmlns:aid="http://ns.adobe.com/AdobeInDesign/4.0/"
. . . and then you can use attributes "aid:pstyle" and "aid:cstyle" to style elements using paragraph and character styles, respectively. The attribute value is the name of the style. If a style with that name does not exist, a new style will be created.
Here's a simple example:
<Root xmlns:aid="http://ns.adobe.com/AdobeInDesign/4.0/">
<para aid:pstyle="MyParaStyle">styled with MyParaStyle</para>
<char aid:cstyle="MyCharStyle">styled with MyCharStyle</char>
</Root>
At the end of XML Import, "styled with MyParaStyle" will be styled with paragraph style "MyParaStyle," and "styled with MyCharStyle" will be styled with character style "MyCharStyle." If these styles do not exist, then they will be created.
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InDesign Breakthroughs News
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A couple issues ago I talked about how I had finally finished the book I was co-authoring with David Blatner for the past year, InDesign CS/CS2 Breakthroughs (Peachpit Press, 2005).
In case you missed that issue, the book is a compilation of over 200 of the most commonly-encountered <ahem> "challenges" users encounter with InDesign (Word styles, transparency and pre-press, scaling, etc.) and their solutions, of course. Some content is for newbies, but the lion's share is aimed at the seasoned InDesign user who's already tried all the obvious solutions and is still stuck.
David and I spent months just researching and compiling the topics we cover (interviewing users, trainers, combing the online forums and listservs), let alone writing and testing our solutions, so chances are if there's something about InDesign giving you trouble, the answer's in there.
Best of all, the street price is comfortably under $20, such a deal! (4/C printing is getting less and less expensive, I guess.)
In that same DesignGeek issue I mentioned that you could pre-order InDesign Breakthroughs on Amazon even though their product page for the book showed an old cover and an old title. Since that issue went out, Amazon has updated the page, and just today started shipping the book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0321334132/
It's also available from most online and storefront bookstores. If you get a chance to read it, I'd love to hear what you thought. Here's what one early adopter already e-mailed me a few days ago (guess he didn't use Amazon):
Good Morning, Anne-Marie:
The Concepcion and Blatner book arrived yesterday.
Frankly, I don't think I can part with it long enough
to send it to you for autographing!
What a wealth of information. And I thought I knew
InDesign really well. I've got to get my highlighter
and start marking. Can one buy highlighting overlay
adhesive sheets to lay over an entire page? :>)
You and Dave have a jewel here.
Larry
[Note that I did *not* pay Larry to call it the "Concepcion and Blatner book" instead of the "Blatner and Concepcion book" hahahaha....]
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Bookpool Features Blatner and Concepcion
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If you go to http://www.bookpool.com (online purveyor of discount computer books) and scroll down the home page a bit, you'll see a feature called "10 Books 10 Years."
The people at Bookpool asked "a few of your favorite computer book authors" (so says the page) to list their 10 favorite, must-have computer books from the last 10 years, and then Bookpool posted their responses. It's part of Bookpool's own 10th anniversary celebration.
Right now there's links to five authors' lists, including mine and David's. Each author also wrote up a blurb for each book explaining why it made their top-10 list. I'm sure more authors will be added as their anniversary year progresses, but even with just five there, it's interesting how many books are repeatedly mentioned as must-haves among the authors.
David's list:
http://www.bookpool.com/ct/98003
Anne-Marie's list:
http://www.bookpool.com/ct/98010
(That head shot is almost 5 years old. Don't tell anyone.)
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HERGEEKNESS SPEAKS: Upcoming Events
"Moving to an InCopy/InDesign Workflow" (full-day pre-Show workshop)
and "Words, Words, Words: Text Without Tears" session
The InDesign Conference
Tuesday, June 21, 2005; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Hotel Nikko; San Francisco, California
http://www.theindesignconference.com/schedule.php?sid=1&cid=4
"Pixel Perfect: Web Site Design and the Creative Suite" session
The Creative Suite Conference
Friday, July 22, 2005; 1:00 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.
Caesar's Palace; Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.thecreativesuiteconference.com/
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BRING HERGEEKNESS ON-SITE
Do you like what you read in DesignGeek? Find anything useful? Bring me in for a session or two of hands-on software training for your workgroup; here in Chicago or any other city near an airport, and you can have me all to yourself. LOL .... I don't charge an arm and a leg, and you'll find we usually go far beyond teaching which dialog does what. I pay attention to your particular projects and workflow, and teach how you can best use the software to get it done easily, accurately and efficiently.
To learn more, or hear what other clients have to say, contact me or fill out the no-obligation "Request a Training Quote' form on Seneca's site:
http://www.senecadesign.com/training/request.html
Recent training clients in Chicago and throughout the U.S. include Group Publishing (InCopy); American Legion Magazine (InCopy); ST Media Group (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator); Schawk Inc. (InDesign); Riverside Publishing (OS X, InDesign); Hoyt Publishing (InCopy); Playboy Enterprises (InDesign), Loyola Press (InDesign, InCopy); Stralfors (Dreamweaver); and the Chicago Tribune (GoLive).
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DesignGeek is a free bimonthly publication written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion, a cross-media designer and authorized Adobe and Quark training provider. She owns Seneca Design & Training, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois (http://www.senecadesign.com/).
To subscribe to DesignGeek or read archived issues, go to its home on Seneca's site:
http://www.senecadesign.com/designgeek/
To unsubscribe, follow the link at the bottom of this page.
Contact Seneca by phone at 312-946-1100 or e-mail at info@senecadesign.com
Copyright 2005 by Seneca Design & Training, Inc.
Please forward without cutting. Please contact Seneca for reprint permissions. We don't guarantee accuracy of articles. Company or product names mentioned in DesignGeek may be registered trademarks, we use the names in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement.
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