Text Editor

To edit a text variable, you can also activate an editor in the template. You can then format the text, for example, by making it bold or italic. The options available in the editor depend on the settings in the template.

The template designer can give you access to the following functions, among others:

  • Text formatting: bold, italics, underline, subscript, superscript, and strikethrough

  • Control characters: tabulator, right indent tab, frame break, and column break

  • Objects: special characters, bullet points, links, images, media links

  • Predefined formats: you can assign predefined and centrally maintained format templates to the texts (for example, for headers or bullet lists). Note that the display in the editor usually differs from the display in the document. Format templates can be provided for characters, paragraphs, tables, and cells.

  • Tables: click the button to add a table. A dialog box opens where you can enter the basic table properties such as the number of rows and columns. Choose OK to add the table. You can edit the table directly. Right-click the table to open the context menu, where you can access additional editing options:

  • Import tables: Click the button , to import a table. You have the possibility to import an XLSX file, importing the cell contents of the first 100 rows and 20 columns; values in other cells are ignored.
    If the cursor is in a table during import, the existing table will be updated. The following applies:

    • The table is always filled starting from the upper left cell, regardless of where the cursor is placed in the table.

    • If the target table in the document is smaller than the source table, additional cells are created. If the target table is larger than the source table, the additional cells present in the target table will not be changed.

    • For merged cells, the target table in the document determines how the source table data is inserted. The following applies to the linked cells of the target table:

      • If cells are merged in the target table but not in the source table, the data of the cells from the source table will be written to the merged cell of the target table.

      • If cells are merged in the source table but not in the target table, the data from the merged cell will be written to the first cell of the target table.

    If the cursor is placed outside a table, a new table will be created.

  • View options: display as a source text, maximize, restore the editor

  • Search/replace

  • Clipboard: add content from MS Word

  • Links: The editor offers you the possibility to open a link in a new browser window. To do this, use the context menu by right-clicking on the link or click on the link while holding down the CTRL/CMD key.

Most of the functions are represented with icons that are based on conventional images. However, if you do not understand the function behind any icon, set the cursor on the icon. The function is then displayed in a tool tip.

Note

Note that the template designer usually provides you with a selection of these functions based on how you are supposed to edit the variable. The options provided therefore vary from document to document and in some circumstances even from variable to variable.

You can use control characters to define formatting for texts. You enter the control characters directly in the editor. InDesign interprets the control characters and adds the relevant formatting.

Note

Note that some formatting can be accessed either by using the editor buttons or as control characters. To ensure that you can use these control characters in the editor, the editor must be configured in such a way that the formatting can also be accessed as a button. The formatting to which this applies is highlighted accordingly in the table below. If you have any questions, please contact the responsible template designer or the system administrator.

Character

Description

Remarks

{f}

Digit-wide space character

 

{ts}

Narrow space character

 

{q}

Four-per-em spaceFour-per-em space

 

{hs}

En space

 

{nb}

Word joiner

Note: hyphenation must be deactivated!

{nbsp}

Non-breaking space character

 

Character

Description

{h}

Hyphen

{md}

Em dash

{nd}

En dash

Character

Description

Remarks

{n}

Line wrap (paragraph change)

 

{d}

Line wrap (line change)

 

{c}

Column break

Note: this must be followed by a line wrap (paragraph change) in the editor.

Note: the formatting must be available in the editor for you to be able to use the control characters.

{fb}

Frame break

Note: this must be followed by a line wrap (paragraph change) in the editor.

Note: the formatting must be available in the editor for you to be able to use the control characters.

{t}

Tabulator

Note: the formatting must be available in the editor for you to be able to use the control characters.

{i}

Hanging indent up to the place where the control character is inserted

 

{rt}

Right indent tab

Note: the formatting must be available in the editor for you to be able to use the control characters.

Character

Description

{b}

Double dagger

{au}

Double quote, lower (in German: opening)

{ao}

Double quote, upper (in German: closing, in English: opening)