XML and InDesign

Chapter 10. Advanced Topics: Transforming XML with XSL

Topics in this section deal with transforming XML during import and export using the eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transforms (XSLT). Anyone can write XSLT with a text editor. Refer to Appendix A for some useful books to learn more about XSLT.

An aside regarding scripting InDesign and XML rules-based publishing

There is a lot of potential hidden in the phrase “XML Scripting,” available since InDesign CS3. The power tools are scripting (AppleScript, Visual Basic and JavaScript) and rules-based XML publishing.

Scripting InDesign is a developer’s delight—for developers who like print publishing. If you want to get a better idea of what can be done, see the O’Reilly Short Cut publications, such as Scripting InDesign with JavaScript by Peter Kahrel (O’Reilly, 2006). (Despite the original date of the book, the scripting reference is still valid.)

You can get started with the scripts by visiting the Adobe website and searching for “scripting reference” documentation in the InDesign Help and Forum sections of the site. Online searches will reveal more InDesign scripting references.

XSLT for Wrangling XML versus XML Scripting for Automating XML Publishing

Here’s what I think are the key differentiators for which process to use and why: if you need to change the XML structure itself as it is being imported or exported into InDesign, use XSL transforms. I provide some examples later in this book. InDesign has its limitations in transforming ...