Preparing an online database for print publications using ASP pages
Step 1 • Step 2 • Step 3 • Step 4
Step 4: Save XPress Tags page as a plain text file with .XTG extension
Step-by-Step Guide to Importing Preformatted Text into Quark XPress using Style Sheets
a. Once you have created the data page with the XPress Tags you will select and copy (from the browser window) all of the text on the page including the version identifier at the beginning Example: <v6.10><e0> (See Step 3 for tips on obtaining the correct code for your version of Quark). Paste the text into a new text editor document (Word, Notepad, SimpleText, etc.).
b. Save this new text file as plain text with an .xtg extension (instead of the default .txt). This is the file you will import into Quark XPress.
c. Create your Quark document. If you are using an existing Quark document with existing Style Sheets make sure that they won't conflict in name with the styles that you will be importing. They can have the same name as existing styles as long as you want both of them to have the same formatting.
d. Click inside a text box and choose "Import Text..." from the file menu in Quark.
Be sure to check "Include XPress Tags" or "Interpret XPress Tags" in the import dialog box. Choose your import file (with the .xtg ending).
If the Style Sheets are previously defined then the imported text will appear formatted appropriately. If all has gone according to plan your multiple records of data will be formatted instantly! (If the styles did not exist then you will see them in the Style Sheet list and you must edit them, see next step.)
If the Style Sheets are undefined in your Quark document then you must define the styles. Choose Edit > Style Sheets... You will see a list of all of the styles that were imported with your text... choose a style and click EDIT
Note: To edit the new Style Sheets you must be sure that the character style is set to Default in the edit dialog box (not Normal ), proceed to edit the character attributes if desired.
What if I don't want to use Style Sheets in Quark?
In my opinion, Style Sheets are key to successfully using Quark XPress to design a print document. But if you only want to import your data with simple structural elements (such as tabs and paragraphs), you can do that as well. Refer to the XPress Tag list for these tags and use them in the dynamic page that you have created to generate the records embedded with XPress Tags.
Quark Tip: When using italic or bold type in Quark you should use an italic or bold font face, not the B or I font style buttons. For this reason I recommend that you replace any standard character format <B> or <I> tags with the correct font face once imported into Quark.