Operation Manual

Working with Text 163
Inserting database tables
As a great way of producing a database report in your publication, it is possible
for a database table to be imported and presented as a PagePlus table. The
database table could be from one of a comprehensive range of database file
formats (Serif databases (*.sdb), Microsoft Access, dBASE), as well as from
HTML files, Excel files, ODBC, and various delimited text files.
For multi-table databases, PagePlus lets you select the table to be inserted.
For a high degree of control, it is also possible to filter and sort your database
records prior to import.
Insertion of database tables adopts the same principles as those
used for Mail merge (see p. 172). However, instead of creating
letters or labels you are merging content into a table.
To insert a database table:
1. Click Insert Database table from the Tools toolbar's Table
flyout.
2. Using the pointer, draw an area on your page that will contain your
database information.
If there are many fields in your database table you may consider
presenting the information on a page with landscape orientation.
Alternatively, you can choose only a subset of those fields (see
below).
3. In the dialog, navigate to your database file and select it. Use the drop-
down menu to change file format if you can't find the database file you
require.
4. Click Open.
5. (Optional; for multi-table databases) The Select Table dialog displays
the tables within your database. Select your table and click OK.
6. The Merge List dialog shows all the table rows (records) in the
table—choose to Select All records, Toggle Select (invert all current
selections) or use a custom Filter... The filter option also lets you sort