Exporting to .mer for InDesign

[Shoguo]

I have a database table which I import from an external source. The table has 127 fields, some can be blank, and some have only one line of text while 2 or 3 of the fields will have a few paragraphs. I need to export it as a merge file or comma separated to be used in InDesign. My problem occurs when I try to use the exported file in InDesign, it complains that "The data source file you selected either has no records or is not a supported file format. Please fix the file, select a file that contains records, or select a supported file type." I've narrowed it down to the carriage returns and/or line feeds in the 2 or 3 fields that have them.

There are roughly 1250 records. All of which will be used by InDesign to put a book together. I need to keep the spaces between paragraphs so that it is more easily read.

Is there a way to preserve or change the returns so that they remain, but InDesign can use the file? I read after a quick google search that it might have something to do with Filemaker converting in-field carriage returns to vertical tabs because carriage returns are reserved? All of the work is/will be done on mac's, so it doesn't have to be multiple platforms.

Also, if I remove the carriage returns and line feeds, InDesign can use the file just fine, but again, the formatting is stripped away making it hard to read.

Any help that can be provided is appreciated. If necessary I can provide examples of the table data(It's various drugs/supplements and their effect on the baby through breastfeeding)

[comment]

Is there a way to preserve or change the returns so that they remain, but InDesign can use the file?

You could use XML export - see:

http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2004/08/04/indesign.html

You will probably need a custom XSLT stylesheet to build the file in a format that InDesign can understand.

the formatting is stripped away

What exactly do you mean by "formatting"?

[Shoguo]

I will check out the link. And by formatting I mean, instead of displaying like:

Octreotide (Sandostatin LAR) is a long acting form consisting of microspheres containing octreotide. Octreotide is a close analog of and provides activity similar to the natural hormone somatostatin. Like somatostatin, it also suppresses LH response to GnRH, decreases splanchnic blood flow, and inhibits release of serotonin, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, secretin, motilin, and pancreatic polypeptide. It is used to treat acromegaly and carcinoid tumors. This product, if present in milk, would not likely be absorbed to any degree.

The radioactive form (111-Indium) leaves the plasma rapidly; one-third of the radioactive injected dose remains in the blood pool at 10 minutes after administration. Plasma levels continue to decline so that by 20 hours post-injection, about 1% of the radioactive dose is found in the blood pool. The "biological" half-life of indium In-111 pentetreotide is only 6 hours while the radioactive half-life is 2.8 days. Half of the injected dose is recoverable in urine within six hours after injection, 85% is recovered in the first 24 hours, and over 90% is recovered in urine by two days. Hepatobiliary excretion represents a minor route of elimination, and less than 2% of the injected dose is recovered in feces within three days after injection. The return to breastfeeding is largely dependent on the dose, but a waiting period of 3 days would largely eliminate any risks at the lower dose, but this is largely dependent on the dose.

It displays like:

Octreotide (Sandostatin LAR) is a long acting form consisting of microspheres containing octreotide. Octreotide is a close analog of and provides activity similar to the natural hormone somatostatin. Like somatostatin, it also suppresses LH response to GnRH, decreases splanchnic blood flow, and inhibits release of serotonin, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, secretin, motilin, and pancreatic polypeptide. It is used to treat acromegaly and carcinoid tumors. This product, if present in milk, would not likely be absorbed to any degree. The radioactive form (111-Indium) leaves the plasma rapidly; one-third of the radioactive injected dose remains in the blood pool at 10 minutes after administration. Plasma levels continue to decline so that by 20 hours post-injection, about 1% of the radioactive dose is found in the blood pool. The "biological" half-life of indium In-111 pentetreotide is only 6 hours while the radioactive half-life is 2.8 days. Half of the injected dose is recoverable in urine within six hours after injection, 85% is recovered in the first 24 hours, and over 90% is recovered in urine by two days. Hepatobiliary excretion represents a minor route of elimination, and less than 2% of the injected dose is recovered in feces within three days after injection. The return to breastfeeding is largely dependent on the dose, but a waiting period of 3 days would largely eliminate any risks at the lower dose, but this is largely dependent on the dose.

Which is not as easy to read and doesn't look as nice in the book itself. It's sort of like a reference manual, so being able to find the area needed quickly is what i'm looking for.

I would also like to use the merge feature of InDesign, as that's how it has been done in previous years, not sure why we're having issues with it this year.

[Shoguo]

Is there a way to tell Filemaker to replace carriage returns with another character?

[comment]

I am not sure where do you want to go with this: after all, when you export as .mer, carriage returns are replaced with another character (vertical tab). Wasn't that your original complaint?

[Shoguo]

I mean, tell it to replace it with something OTHER than a vertical tab. So I can search for say "#####" in InDesign and replace it with a return there. Or can I do that with a vertical tab? All my searches for the vertical tab haven't been very successful, as far as replacing it with something else after it's been exported.

[comment]

If exporting as .mer, you must use a calculation field such as =

Substitute ( MyRealField ; ¶ ; "#####" )

and export it instead of the "real" field. Personally, I think there are more elegant methods.

[Shoguo]

Thank you SOOO much. That worked exactly like I wanted it to, now to find all the other fields which have carriage returns!! You have saved me a lot of grief!