Sal Soghoian

Q: Pages 5.5 Mail and Data Merge

Pages 5.5 includes new scripting support for locating and replacing text placeholders. In addition, text placeholders can be "tagged" in the application interface, with script identifiers by selecting the text placeholder to tag and entering its "script tag" in the the new Script Tag field available at the bottom of the More tab in the format sidebar. With this new ability, scripts can replace the text placeholders in a document with data from other sources, including Numbers spreadsheets.

 

But you don't have to write scripts to take advantage of this new feature!

 

To make it easy for non-scripters to perform Mail merges, and other automated data merging tasks, there is a free application, the Pages Data Merge application, available at: http://iworkautomation.com/pages/script-tags-data-merge.html

 

Watch the movie, follow the instructions, and give it a try!

Posted on Oct 17, 2014 2:43 PM

Close

Q: Pages 5.5 Mail and Data Merge

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Previous Page 2 of 11 last Next
  • by ckulesa,

    ckulesa ckulesa Oct 21, 2014 9:08 PM in response to Sal Soghoian
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 21, 2014 9:08 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

    Sal

     

    This is really a great tool and your website offers such great info.

     

    I have to agree with Jeff and bossa and exporting to a single file would indeed be useful. Creating mailing labels from a numbers or CSV file would be very helpful. Likewise, producing either a multipage Pages file and/or an multipage PDF would also be very useful. Often I am creating docs (PDF from Pages) that get sent to a print shop and having them in one document has proved to be very helpful in ensuring that everything gets printed and keeps the file size low.

     

    With that in mind, when Pages Data Merge creates a PDF, what are the quality settings used? By default, unfortunately, Pages uses "Good". "Best" would be a better choice. Does Pages Data Merge create the highest quality PDF export? If not, could there be an option to do so?

     

    Thank you for putting together this great app. I'm sure I will get great use out of it.

     

    Christopher

  • by Sal Soghoian,

    Sal Soghoian Sal Soghoian Oct 21, 2014 10:22 PM in response to ckulesa
    Level 2 (176 points)
    Oct 21, 2014 10:22 PM in response to ckulesa

    Thank you for the great feedback, and it's great that you find the application useful.

     

    I've already created an example label template that uses script tags and am working on a script for transferring spreadsheet data to the labels. Interesting. I'll post when I get all the issues resolved and working correctly.

     

    As for creating a single PDF file, that's a single-click using the folder of output PDF files and this free system-service: <http://macosxautomation.com/automator/combinePDFs/index.html>

     

    As for quality, I'm looking into what the settings are.

     

    Thank you all for the useful feedback.

  • by enteecee,

    enteecee enteecee Oct 22, 2014 8:02 AM in response to bossa
    Level 2 (316 points)
    Oct 22, 2014 8:02 AM in response to bossa

    I will joyfully look forward when Apple gives me something to look forward to.  overall, I remain a user and fan of what they do.  But the future looks very dark indeed for pages: over a hundred features deleted, file format nightmares, and no indication whatsoever of a roadmap for something more powerful or sensible.

     

    So for now, I'm stuck in the past until they make me jump to Nisus or the like.  At least Yosemite gave Pages a nice little facelift!

  • by JeanVis,

    JeanVis JeanVis Oct 28, 2014 8:43 AM in response to Sal Soghoian
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Oct 28, 2014 8:43 AM in response to Sal Soghoian

    Wow ... This and you are true life savers!!! And it is even better than any mail merge implementation in any version of Pages and Word I have ever used. Thank you so much!!

  • by BrassMonkeyCW,

    BrassMonkeyCW BrassMonkeyCW Oct 29, 2014 12:26 PM in response to Sal Soghoian
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2014 12:26 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

    Somehow I follow all the steps religiously and it creates the output folder but fails to fill the fields. The merge app is able to import the Nunbers data and fetched the script ids fine. I assign the appropriate ids and assign a cell as the naming cell but when I start the process it creates a copy of the open pages file but doesn't fill anything and stops. It also closes my original Pages file. I like the idea and I'm banging my head trying to figure what's going wrong

  • by Sal Soghoian,

    Sal Soghoian Sal Soghoian Oct 29, 2014 6:42 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW
    Level 2 (176 points)
    Oct 29, 2014 6:42 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW

    Sorry it took a while to get back to you.

     

    Let me see if I can assist. First, a couple of questions:

    1) Are you Pages 5.5 on Yosemite (OS X 10.10)?

    2) Have you saved the source document before running the application?

     

    If the answers to those questions are YES, then try this:

     

    • Open the Console application that resides in the Applications > Utilities folder.

    • Try another data merge session using the document and the Numbers file

    • Look in the Console window for entries related to the Data Merge application. It should log every step it is taking.

     

    Thanks!

  • by enteecee,

    enteecee enteecee Oct 31, 2014 10:53 AM in response to bossa
    Level 2 (316 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 10:53 AM in response to bossa

    Looking forward is what I'm doing by investigating other software, built by competent people who consider that software core to their business rather than a freebie to tack on.

     

    It seems evident in multiple instances that Apple has shifted their view of the software they create for Mac.  It used to be necessary, because they were real underdogs and if they didn't make a robust word processing and DTP app for Mac (for instance), no one else could or would.

    But now someone else can, so I think they are ceding that role to third parties, and switching their own app suites to very basic starter kits.

     

    So Pages is now Value Added to the Apple Ecosystme, but no longer a tool they want to charge people money for and therefor not one worth investing real money or effort into.  Like Numbers, Aperture, etc.

  • by BrassMonkeyCW,

    BrassMonkeyCW BrassMonkeyCW Oct 31, 2014 11:30 AM in response to Sal Soghoian
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 11:30 AM in response to Sal Soghoian

    Answers:

    1) Yes, both the latest versions confirmed 5.5 and 10.10

    2) Saved both to desktop using the name Test

     

    Log:

    2014-10-31 2:24:45.259 PMCoreServicesUIAgent[254]Error -60005 creating authorization
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.807 PMPages Data Merge[1744]applicationWillFinishLaunching:
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.807 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Checking ASOC framework…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.808 PMPages Data Merge[1744](

            (

            "FIRST ITEM",

            "SECOND ITEM",

            "THIRD ITEM"

        ),

            (

            "FOURTH ITEM",

            "FITH ITEM",

            "SIXTH ITEM"

        )

    )

    2014-10-31 2:24:47.808 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Reseting stored export location…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.809 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Reseting progress values to default…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.844 PMPages Data Merge[1744]populateTagsPopupMenu()
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.845 PMPages Data Merge[1744]GETTING CURRENT DOCUMENT TAGS
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.853 PMPages Data Merge[1744]POPULATING TAGS POPUP MENU
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.853 PMPages Data Merge[1744]firstMenuItem: Choose tag for selected table item…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.853 PMPages Data Merge[1744]secondMenuItem: Clear placeholder tag assignment…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.853 PMPages Data Merge[1744]assignMailFlagMenuItem: Assign as email recipient address…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.854 PMPages Data Merge[1744]removeMailFlagMenuItem: Clear email recipient assignment…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.854 PMPages Data Merge[1744]removeMailFlagMenuItem: Clear email recipient assignment…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.854 PMPages Data Merge[1744]removeNameFlagMenuItem: Clear file naming assignment…
    2014-10-31 2:24:47.855 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Adding a menu separators…
    2014-10-31 2:24:51.953 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Reading Numbers data
    2014-10-31 2:25:00.963 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setPlaceholderForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:00.963 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPoupMenuItemIndex: 9
    2014-10-31 2:25:03.122 PMCalendarAgent[232][com.apple.calendar.store.log.caldav.coredav] [Refusing to parse response to PROPPATCH because of content-type: [text/plain; charset="utf-8"].]
    2014-10-31 2:25:03.221 PMCalendarAgent[232][com.apple.calendar.store.log.caldav.coredav] [Refusing to parse response to PROPPATCH because of content-type: [text/plain; charset="utf-8"].]
    2014-10-31 2:25:03.866 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setPlaceholderForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:03.866 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPoupMenuItemIndex: 10
    2014-10-31 2:25:08.053 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setPlaceholderForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:08.053 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPoupMenuItemIndex: 13
    2014-10-31 2:25:10.673 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setPlaceholderForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:10.673 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPoupMenuItemIndex: 12
    2014-10-31 2:25:13.838 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setPlaceholderForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:13.839 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPoupMenuItemIndex: 11
    2014-10-31 2:25:17.153 PMmdworker[1749]code validation failed in the process of getting signing information: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67062 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -67062.)"
    2014-10-31 2:25:18.523 PMmdworker[1751]code validation failed in the process of getting signing information: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67062 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -67062.)"
    2014-10-31 2:25:18.523 PMmdworker[1750]code validation failed in the process of getting signing information: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67062 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -67062.)"
    2014-10-31 2:25:25.366 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setPlaceholderForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:25.366 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPoupMenuItemIndex: 6
    2014-10-31 2:25:25.366 PMPages Data Merge[1744]setNameFlagForSelection:
    2014-10-31 2:25:25.367 PMPages Data Merge[1744]2
    2014-10-31 2:25:28.368 PMPages Data Merge[1744]assertion failed: 14A389: libxpc.dylib + 97940 [9437C02E-A07B-38C8-91CB-299FAA63083D]: 0x89
    2014-10-31 2:25:28.625 PMcom.apple.xpc.launchd[1](com.apple.quicklook[1754]) Endpoint has been activated through legacy launch(3) APIs. Please switch to XPC or bootstrap_check_in(): com.apple.quicklook
    2014-10-31 2:25:30.851 PMPages Data Merge[1744]folderChosen: Content:Desktop:
    2014-10-31 2:25:34.320 PMPages Data Merge[1744]User clicked Begin button
    2014-10-31 2:25:34.320 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Checking source data…
    2014-10-31 2:25:34.320 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Checking destination folder…
    2014-10-31 2:25:34.320 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Checking password…
    2014-10-31 2:25:34.320 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Checking mail subject…
    2014-10-31 2:25:34.321 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Posting confirmation alert…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.019 PMPages Data Merge[1744]beginProcessing:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.020 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Calling performSelector:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.276 PMPages Data Merge[1744]beginProcessingForReal:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.276 PMPages Data Merge[1744]outputFormatIndicator: 0
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.283 PMPages Data Merge[1744]automaticallySendMessages: false
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.283 PMPages Data Merge[1744]sourceData class: list
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.283 PMPages Data Merge[1744]cellCount: 9
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.283 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = "";

        sourceItem = "<null>";

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.283 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.284 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = FIRSTNAME;

        sourceItem = Jane;

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.284 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag: FIRSTNAME
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.285 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = N;

        placeholderItem = LASTNAME;

        sourceItem = Doe;

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.285 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag: LASTNAME
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.285 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = STREET;

        sourceItem = "111 Aber Way";

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.286 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag: STREET
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.286 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = PROVINCE;

        sourceItem = Ontario;

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.286 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag: PROVINCE
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.287 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = POSTALCODE;

        sourceItem = L1A2B3;

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.287 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag: POSTALCODE
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.287 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = "";

        sourceItem = "<null>";

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.288 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.288 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = "";

        sourceItem = "<null>";

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.288 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.289 PMPages Data Merge[1744]{

        mailFlag = "";

        placeholderItem = "";

        sourceItem = "<null>";

    }

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.289 PMPages Data Merge[1744]thisPlaceholderTag:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.289 PMPages Data Merge[1744](

        2,

        3,

        4,

        5,

        6

    )

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.290 PMPages Data Merge[1744](

        FIRSTNAME,

        LASTNAME,

        STREET,

        PROVINCE,

        POSTALCODE

    )

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.290 PMPages Data Merge[1744]targetMailAddressIndex : false
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.290 PMPages Data Merge[1744]targetNameAddOnIndex: 3
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.290 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Email address check…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.290 PMPages Data Merge[1744]targetTags check…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.329 PMPages Data Merge[1744]tempFolder: Mac:private:var:folders:d1:rdzjfdrs1519hwhth4x2ygl80000gn:T:TemporaryItems:89BF 6009-803B-41F2-AA28-46189AAE9082:
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.329 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Checking document properties…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.340 PMPages Data Merge[1744]targetTempFileHFSPath: Mac:private:var:folders:d1:rdzjfdrs1519hwhth4x2ygl80000gn:T:TemporaryItems:89BF 6009-803B-41F2-AA28-46189AAE9082:Test.pages
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.340 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Deleting any existing template file…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.350 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Exisiting template status: false
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.350 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Saving copy of document into temp folder…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.385 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Copy status: true
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.385 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Converting copy of document into stationery pad…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.386 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Stationery status: true
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.387 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Creating destination folder…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.395 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Closing Pages document…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.473 PMPages Data Merge[1744]documentBasename: Test
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.474 PMPages Data Merge[1744]exportFileExtension: pages
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.474 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Preparing data blob…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.474 PMPages Data Merge[1744]dataItemsCount: 3
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.474 PMPages Data Merge[1744]ITERATING ITEM: 1 of 3
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.488 PMPages Data Merge[1744](

        "<null>",

        Jane,

        Doe,

        "111 Aber Way",

        Ontario,

        L1A2B3,

        "<null>",

        "<null>",

        "<null>"

    )

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.489 PMPages Data Merge[1744]targetNameAddOn: Doe
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.489 PMPages Data Merge[1744]targetTempFileHFSPath: Mac:private:var:folders:d1:rdzjfdrs1519hwhth4x2ygl80000gn:T:TemporaryItems:89BF 6009-803B-41F2-AA28-46189AAE9082:Test.pages
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.489 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Having Shell open the stationery file with Finder…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.605 PMCoreServicesUIAgent[254]unexpected message <OS_xpc_error: <error: 0x7fff7dbf1c60> { count = 1, contents =
    "XPCErrorDescription" => <string: 0x7fff7dbf1f70> { length = 18, contents = "Connection invalid" }

    }>

    2014-10-31 2:25:36.606 PMCoreServicesUIAgent[254]Error -60005 creating authorization
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.606 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Waiting for file to open…
    2014-10-31 2:25:36.714 PMCoreServicesUIAgent[254]Error -60005 creating authorization
    2014-10-31 2:25:37.622 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Waiting for file to open…
    2014-10-31 2:25:37.624 PMPages Data Merge[1744]Replacing placeholders…
    2014-10-31 2:25:37.629 PMPages Data Merge[1744]*** -[AppDelegate beginProcessingForReal:]: The variable thisReplacementValue is not defined. (error -2753)
  • by Sal Soghoian,

    Sal Soghoian Sal Soghoian Oct 31, 2014 2:41 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW
    Level 2 (176 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 2:41 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW

    It looks likes the row and column headers were selected when the merge was attempted?

     

    If so, don't select the headers, just select the data to be merged.

     

    I'm looking into adding a check for header selection.

     

    If the problem persists, I'll have you send me the Pages file and the Numbers file.

     

    Thanks!

     

    Sal

  • by Sal Soghoian,

    Sal Soghoian Sal Soghoian Oct 31, 2014 3:29 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW
    Level 2 (176 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 3:29 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW

    I updated the application to better identify and ignore blank columns. Download the 1.1 version (same link) and give it a try.

     

    Thank you for the great feedback.

  • by BrassMonkeyCW,

    BrassMonkeyCW BrassMonkeyCW Oct 31, 2014 8:18 PM in response to Sal Soghoian
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 8:18 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

    I didn't think I was selecting headers as the only cells selected were data cells. Anyways, the updated file worked perfectly! Thank you for updating it as I'm sure I'll be using it quite a bit.

  • by Sal Soghoian,

    Sal Soghoian Sal Soghoian Oct 31, 2014 8:41 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW
    Level 2 (176 points)
    Oct 31, 2014 8:41 PM in response to BrassMonkeyCW

    Glad that the update worked for you! Thank you for the feedback and detective work. Enjoy, and let me know if there's another issue.

  • by bnjj,

    bnjj bnjj Nov 2, 2014 6:14 PM in response to enteecee
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 6:14 PM in response to enteecee

    Thank you, enteecee for this entry:

    "I will joyfully look forward when Apple gives me something to look forward to.  overall, I remain a user and fan of what they do.  But the future looks very dark indeed for pages: over a hundred features deleted, file format nightmares, and no indication whatsoever of a roadmap for something more powerful or sensible."

     

    My problem: the latest update of Pages 5.5 deleted the very handy program for quickly creating a specific group of email addresses that I would like to forward a specific email to. Can anyone tell me how i can do this now that is NOT by adding one address at a time to the piece I want to send?

     

    This is my first time to ask questions on this website. Please advise me how to do it better.

     

    California Boy

  • by Sal Soghoian,

    Sal Soghoian Sal Soghoian Nov 2, 2014 7:13 PM in response to bnjj
    Level 2 (176 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 7:13 PM in response to bnjj

    May I suggest scanning this thread from the beginning as a way to catch up ;-)

     

    Pages 5.5 includes new scripting support for locating and replacing text placeholders. In addition, text placeholders can be "tagged" in the application interface, with script identifiers by selecting the text placeholder to tag and entering its "script tag" in the the new Script Tag field available at the bottom of the More tab in the format sidebar. With this new ability, scripts can replace the text placeholders in a document with data from other sources, including Numbers spreadsheets.

     

    But you don't have to write scripts to take advantage of this new feature!

     

    To make it easy for non-scripters to perform Mail merges, and other automated data merging tasks, there is a free application, the Pages Data Merge application, available at: http://iworkautomation.com/pages/script-tags-data-merge.html

     

    Watch the movie, follow the instructions, and give it a try!

     

    In addition, if you want to work with contacts from the Contacts (Address Book) application instead of a spreasheet, here's a link to an automation script for doing that:

     

    <http://iworkautomation.com/pages/examples-mail-merge.html>

     

    Cheers!

  • by chongfrommiri,

    chongfrommiri chongfrommiri Nov 6, 2014 8:50 AM in response to Sal Soghoian
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 6, 2014 8:50 AM in response to Sal Soghoian

    sorry sal, need ask you some question.

     

    while i click "update tags menu" and it will pop out one "read error" and write " There was a problem getting the placeholder tags from the front Pages document." may help me provide a solution.

    thanks

Previous Page 2 of 11 last Next