| Daybook Publisher makes it easy to publish your catalogue using QuarkXPress. It does all the hard, boring work for you! The process, in a nutshell, goes like this:
1. Get your data into the Publisher database. You can either enter it manually, import a delimited text file, or (Data Chameleon Edition) retrieve it from a MySql or ODBC-compliant database or spreadsheet (such as Microsoft SqlServer, Access, etc.)
2. Set up Style Sheets in Daybook Publisher. These tell Publisher what data you want to publish and how you want it sorted and formatted. You can have any number of Style Sheets, so you can publish your data in lots of different ways (and to various publishing destinations).
3. Select the records you want to publish.
4. Export the data to a text file, using one of your Style Sheets.
5. Import that text file into your Quark template. All the text is - magically - formatted exactly as you want it to be, even with pictures included if appropriate! (Including pictures requires the use of the XTags plugin for Quark).
OK then, let's see just how easy it is!
For the purposes of this Tutorial, we are using the Demo Database that is supplied with the Daybok Publisher Demo. If you would like to follow along and try it for yourself, you can download the fully-functional Demo from here.
Publish a Catalogue with Pictures
For this example we are going to create a catalog that shows photographs offered for sale by our fictitious stock photo agency, Castlephotos. The photos are organised into Categories; the Categories are sorted in alphabetical order with the appropriate photos listed under each one, also sorted alphabetically by name. For each picture we will include the following data:
* The picture name
* the picture itself
* A description
* The name of the photographer
* Prices
Step One: Set up a Publishing Style Sheet
Publishing Style Sheets tell Daybook Publisher:
* What data to publish
* How to sort it
* How to format it
The Publishing Style Sheet we are using for this project is called Picture Catalogue by Category (to view or edit Publishing Style Sheets, choose Publishing Style Sheets from the Publishing menu). It looks like this:
To specify the formatting of the Category headings, click on the Category Settings tab (in our example, we've chosen to use pictures for the headings).
Perhaps the most important thing here is the list of Paragraphs. This is where we specify exactly what data is going to be published and how it will be formatted. For example, the first paragraph will be the picture name, and it will be formatted using a style sheet called "Name". Paragraphs can contain any number of elements; there are seven element types:
* Data from a field in the database (Picture Name, for example)
* Static text (such as "Price, framed: ")
* A formula. Formulas are a very versatile tool which enable you to tell Daybook Publisher how to make decisions about what to include - or leave out - and optionally, how to format it.
* Punctuation (such as a tab character)
* A calculation (for example, you could discount all prices by 15% for a sale catalogue)
* A picture
* A relation (relations enable you to include information from a related table. In our example, the Pictures table is related to the Photographers table so when we are publishing Pictures, we can easily include information about the photographer who owns each picture).
Elements are the building blocks of paragraphs.
A quick look at the Prices paragraph (double-click on it in the list of Paragraphs) shows us that it is comprised of four elements:
The detailed workings of Publishing Style Sheets are covered in a separate Tutorial.
Step Two: Select the data you want to publish
Since, for this example, our data is sorted by Category, we start by selecting the category (or categories) that we want to publish (Animals in this case). Daybook Publisher will sort the categories and then find the Picture records that belong under each category and sort them.
Step Three: Transfer the data
With the list of Categories displayed, choose Publish all These Records from the File menu, select the Publishing Style Sheet you want to use (Picture Catalogue by Category in this case), and hit the Save button to create the transfer file.
Step Four: Import the transfer file into your Quark template
Note: You must have the Xtags Xtension installed in the Xtension folder in your Quark folder, otherwise you will get an error message when you try to place the file. We have included a demo version of Xtags with our demo (you'll find it in the 3rd Party Demos folder).
Open up your QuarkXPress template, or create a new document. We have included a simple template in the Goodies folder with the Daybook Publisher demo. If you create a new document, you MUST save it first, otherwise the pictures will not import.
We have set up the Demo with relative path names for all the pictures. They are all in a folder called Pictures, which is in the Daybook Publisher folder. In order for the pictures to import correctly, your Quark document must also be in the Daybook Publisher folder.
Now for the fun part...
* With your Quark document open, make sure that the insertion point is in the first text box.
* Choose Get Text with Xtags ... from the File menu (if it isn't there, that means you haven't installed Xtags in your Quark folder!)
* Select the file you just created.
* Make sure that the Include style sheets check box is checked
* Click on the Open button
Watch in amazement as the catalogue is created before your very eyes! It should look like this:
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"Animals" is the top-level Category "Bears" is a sub-category. The product information consists of: - Picture name - The picture itself - A description... and it was all formatted automatically!
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It really is that simple!
What do do next ...
Download a fully functional Demo and try it for yourself
Look at other Tutorials
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