8 Replies Latest reply: Jan 25, 2010 11:27 AM by P Spier RSS

    Xpress tags

    Barb Wentzell Community Member

      We publish a couple of newspapers. We're Mac-based. We're about to switch from CS2 to CS4.

      Editorial copy is typed in NewsEdit using stylesheets and then dragged or placed into our InDesign layout which has the same stylesheets. Copy flowed in with everything in the proper front, size etc.

       

      My problem: NewsEdit is no longer compatible with InDesign 4. To find a workaround, I did a few tests and found that if I save the NewsEdit file as Xpresstags and place that file into InDesign 2 all the formatting works. Thought it would work just the same in InDesign 4, but when I place the file into InDesign 4, the text comes in with all the codes showing and the text is not formated.

      Example:

      <v1.70>@Head.F.Cond:<f”Frutiger 57Cn”z26*C>Volunteers support community garden

      @Writer:<f”Frutiger 67BoldCn”z9.5>By KEITH CORCORAN

      @email:<f”Frutiger 47LightCn”z8>kcorcoran@southshorenow.ca<f”Nimrod MT”z9.25>

      @News copy:<*J>

      BRIDGEWATER — Volunteer gains from this town’s first community Christmas are spilling over into another program.

      After speaking to one

       

      I downloaded a trial version of EmSoftware's Xtags Plugin. It works somewhat, but: the first line of text is always missing and the stylesheet names all have a(+) after them so I have to Option click to apply them to the text.

       

      We really need to get this working ASAP. Any help, suggestions, solutions, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

       

      Thanks, Barb

        • 1. Re: Xpress tags
          BobLevine CommunityMVP

          Why not switch to InCopy?

           

          Bob

          • 2. Re: Xpress tags
            Barb Wentzell Community Member

            Bob

             

            We will probably switch to InCopy sometime but that means updating all the editorial computers, buying more software and training the staff. We're hoping to find a cheaper alternative that will work for the time being, then, hopefully soon, be able to update our computers and after that our software.

             

            Barb

            • 3. Re: Xpress tags
              BobLevine CommunityMVP

              Sorry, but I really don't know enough about your set up to help. Hopefully someone else will be along.

               

              Bob

              • 4. Re: Xpress tags
                P Spier CommunityMVP

                I suspect you could have a script written that would find text between tags, apply the appropriate formatting and remove the tags. Peter Kahrel discusses how to do this type of GREP search in his PDF publication.

                • 5. Re: Xpress tags
                  Barb Wentzell Community Member

                  Thanks for the suggestion

                   

                  I don't understand why this isn't something that InDesign 4 can't do. You'd think that when programmers improve their software with new features and better ways of doing things, they wouldn't mess up some of the basic things like importing text.

                   

                  Hate to say it, but at times like this, I miss Quark.

                   

                  Barb

                  • 6. Re: Xpress tags
                    P Spier CommunityMVP

                    I wasn't aware that ID EVER could read Xpress tags, so perhaps this was functionality added by your other program. ID has it's own flavor of tagged text, though, that might be of use.

                    • 7. Re: Xpress tags
                      Barb Wentzell Community Member

                      For the time being we have to use NewsEdit where one of the Save As options is Xpresstags (filename.xtg). You can place this file in CS2 and it retains all formatting.

                       

                      What programs does Indesigns tagged text work with?

                       

                      Barb

                      • 8. Re: Xpress tags
                        P Spier CommunityMVP

                        Are you asking about what programs besides InDesign or InCopy would generate ID tagged text? That I don't know. I'm just saying that there is a language for tags that ID can understand and interpret on import leaving you with fromatted text and no tags. If you know the equivalent tags between the two systems, for exapmple, a simple series of find/change operations in a text editor might be all you would need to convert the xtags into something you can use.