Exporting for QuarkXPress

[Emma in England]

My db calculates a field which contains data and XPress tags (stored as globals) which when imported to QuarkXPress is fully formatted and saves a great deal of time.

However, the 'returns' in Filemaker fields come into Quark as 'enters' (i.e. go to next text box), resulting in a file with thousands of pages. Search and replace with paragraph returns gets rid of them, but I don't want the operator to have to do this step.

I wrote a script which exports the data, then calls on Applescript to edit the text file and that works fine... Except it needs to run on a PC!

Stripping the returns from the field is not an option, as the XPress tags relate to paragraphs.

How can I get those returns to stay as they are? If it's any help, a field may look something like this:

@PRODUCT HEADING:Folding Sunbed

@CatPriceHead:cat price

<@CatPrice>£12.99 <@PROMO PRICE PENCE>£<@PROMO PRICE LARGE>12<@PROMO PRICE PENCE>.34

<@PRODUCT DESCRIPTION>cat. page xxx <@CAT NO FIGS>cat no 650<@CAT NO SLASH>/<@CAT NO FIGS>3635

@PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:Metal frame with strip pattern fabric and plastic arm. Metal frame in powder coating finish. Size (D)55.5, (W)193, (H)26.5cm. Folds flat for easy storage.

I suspect someone is going to say I shouldn't combine all these fields into one, but compile all the fields at export...

[Fitch]

The QXP tag for a hard return is "<#13>", so try:

Substitute( field ; ¶ ; "<#13>" )

[Emma in England]

Tom, that's brilliant! I used the tag for tab, but just didn't realise something as basic as a return could be tagged. I think I get wrapped up in a complicated solution and miss the easy one!

I'll try this first thing Tuesday (Monday is a holiday here) and if that works, my Quark operators can go back to 'get text' and everything will be done seamlessly without Applescript.

Fantastic (I hope...)!

[Emma in England]

... No luck, I'm afraid. Replacing the returns in the header section completely fouled the tags, so I tried just replacing the ones in the actual copy part, but even that upsets Quark so much it errors due to a corrupt tag. I'm still testing, but it doesn't seem to work as a solution.

Even with a simple, two line, piece of text, replacing the return causes the style sheets to behave differently (the second line loses some of its paragraph attributes).

Back to plan A, I'm afraid, but it should have been a good idea!

[Fitch]

If you can spend a little money, you could use either Troi File on the FileMaker side, or use Xtags on the Quark side. We use both. (Which is why I can't be more helpful with Quark tags -- they are similar to Xtags but not enough to help us this time.)

Have you tried the Quark forums? They seem fairly active. I'd be interested to know if you do find a solution.

[Emma in England]

I have XTags, but don't use them a great deal (I love XCatalog and XData though). I don't think that will be necessary - the Applescript replaces the characters and imports the text invisibly and is the best solution so far.

Yes, I usually live on Quark forums - this is foreign territory for me, but I'm loving using Filemaker 8.5 and very excited about its possibilities.