Trouble with Excel

[Ann_Camilla]

Every chapter in this book has a gazillion tables. I don't seem to have had much trouble with Excel before but now, when I import a table into InDesign CS6, about 75 per cent of the cells are missing their figures. I've resorted to Copy and Paste but am wondering if I'm missing something. Does anyone have any ideas at all?

Thanks

Ann

[Dick Margulis]

Several ideas, none of which may answer your question, but here goes:

First, what do you mean by "import"? Answering that may provide some
clues. Do you mean you are placing an Excel file that contains a single
worksheet? Do you mean you are copying a range of cells from an open
Excel file and pasting? What are you doing, exactly?

Second, it's possible that the incoming content is picking up a
paragraph style with an indent that forces the content out of the
available cell space. In my experience, this results in the display of a
red dot in the lower right of the cell, but perhaps that's an indicator
you have turned off (if it's possible to turn it off--I've never
checked). It's also possible the content is picking up a character style
that renders it invisible (such as paper-colored type). Try widening the
columns to see if the data appears. If so, adjust the format.

Third, the data in the Excel file may result from a formula that is
linked to other files or sheets that are not accessible to you after import.

Fourth, the data may exceed the cell width in the Excel sheet on your
system. This would be indicated by the cell being filled with
##########. (This is system-dependent; it may look fine on your client's
system but not on yours, because of the way the presentation layer is
generated in Excel.) If that's the case, I don't know whether or not it
affects how the data is imported. The solution is to widen the column in
the Excel sheet.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Dick

[Ann_Camilla]

Thank you so much for your reply, Dick, I think (only think) I've discovered something and it's macros. Apparently an Excel macro is a combination of documents (which of course I don't have I imagine -- think I'll mention it to the publisher) -- when I open the file in Excel, the software suggests that if I 'enable macros' it will 'repair' the file. At least this way I can Copy and Paste into InDesign and all the figures come in. I guess that includes your helpful hint about formulae.

As for importing, I should have said Place. I keep the Shift key down to get the Options etc. The tables are very wide and I set them up in a separate document and try to squeeze them in by rotating the tables and spreading each across several pages. Yuk!

Thanks again Dick.

Ann

[Dick Margulis]

You've inspired a new blog post, Ann:

http://www.ampersandvirgule.com/2014/05/instructions-to-authors-who-think-excel.html

[Ann_Camilla]

Love it! Wonder if I have the courage to copy this link to the publisher ... mmm!

Thank you so much for that.

[David Creamer]

Excel macros are scripts, not a combination of documents; that feature is known as a Workspace.

David Creamer

IDEAS Training

[David Creamer]

Multiple worksheets won't cause a problem; you can select the worksheet during import (the first is the default if you don't pick).

You can also create a Named Region and import just that area of a worksheet.

Tables should come in with the default Basic Paragraph formatting unless another table style is selected during import. 

However, it is possible that the Basic Paragraph format got changed.

Formula references from non-imported areas are not a problem; the result will still be imported.

For table cells that are not large enough to hold the data, you should see the overset simple on the cell.

I would like to see a sample of the problem files.

David Creamer

IDEAS Training

[David Creamer]

After viewing your Excel file, it was the font used in Excel. I changed it to another font and it imported correctly.

(With the original font, no text appeared as you stated.)

 

David Creamer

IDEAS Training

[Ann_Camilla]

Thank you so much David. Who knew? Certainly not me but it works. Thank you -- saved me loads of time today already.

Ann

[Phil]

Another thing to watch for is the "align to grid" characteristics in InDesign as it's being imported. If it's checked by mistake a lot of content will disappear.
Phil