1.7

Loading data
Before you can add variable data fields to a template in the Designer, you need to have a Data
Model and a sample of customer data. At the design stage the Designer doesn't have to have
access to all data; it just needs to know which data fields exist in your data and it needs some
data to be able to display a preview of the output.
To get access to a Data Model and data, you can open:
l a data file, see "Adding data from a data file" below
l a database, see "Adding data from a database" on page223.
After opening a data file or database, the Data Model pane at the right hand bottom shows the
data fields that occur in the data.
The Value column displays data from the first record in the data file. Use the First, Previous,
Next and Last buttons to browse through the records, or use the Page Up, Page Down, Home
and End keys.
Tip
If you have no data at hand, download a demo from http://demo.objectiflune.com and
open a dummy data file to test with.
Adding data from a data file
1.
Click File, select Add Data and then click From file data source. Browse to the location
of the file and select it.
The Designer can open the following types of data files:
l CSV files (.csv)
l Microsoft Access Database (.mdb, .accddb)
l XML files (.XML).
l AFP files (optional).
2. Review the options presented, to ensure that the data will be interpreted correctly. The
options available depend on the type of data file (see below).
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