Alfanumeric
Last updated
Last updated
Fields that are designated as Alphanumeric contain both letters and numbers, and will be transferred to the document exactly as they appear in the data source. This option should be utilized when the original source, like a database, already formats the field correctly. In this context, Alphanumeric ensures that no additional formatting or modification is applied during the data transfer, preserving the integrity of the original data.
Whitespace characters, including tabs, spaces, and other non-visible characters, will be removed from both the beginning and the end of the field's content. This process, known as "trimming," ensures that no extraneous spaces or tabs remain around the data, which can help prevent formatting issues and improve data consistency.
If your source data includes formatted text, which means text with formatting tags such as <b> for bold or <i> for italics, make sure to enable the Formatted check box. This ensures that the formatting tags are recognized and preserved, maintaining the intended appearance of the text in the output document.
When you select this option, minor modifications can be made to the field content once its placed in the document without marking it as in error in the panel. This includes the insertion of whitespace characters such as additional carriage returns, tabs, and spaces.
Moreover, when this option is enabled, the Update Panel menu will only update the field in the panel if non-whitespace characters have been modified. This helps prevent unnecessary updates and keeps the focus on significant changes.
You can specify which characters to ignore by listing them in the text field located beneath the check box. This field supports InDesign metacharacters, which allows you to include special characters like carriage returns and tabs in your list of ignored characters.
The characters specified in the edit field will be excluded from the field content when using the Update Panel menu option. This feature is particularly useful if you need to prevent characters that are specific to InDesign, such as formatting or special control characters, from appearing in your data source content. By listing these characters, you ensure that they are ignored during updates, maintaining the integrity of your data without unwanted InDesign-specific characters.
EasyCatalog will attempt to retain the characters listed in the edit field during an Update Document operation. This is useful in scenarios where you need to manually insert characters that influence the text formatting in the document, and you do not want these characters to be removed during field updates. However, be aware that preserving the exact position of these characters may not always be possible, especially if the data source undergoes significant changes or requires extensive updates.
