Level 2

184 points

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

174 replies

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Nov 6, 2014 4:57 PM in response to chongfrommiri

A bit more detective work...

Did you also see a log entry of "problem getting tags"?

Also, do you have Pages 09 installed on the same computer?

Nov 6, 2014 5:07 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

ya, after the getting current tag the next is Problem getting tags

sorry, while i purchase mine macbook, it is latest version page

one more question, while i open a new document and do merge mail, the script tag name wont save. after i type the name and it go back None. i show u the pic

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Nov 6, 2014 5:45 PM in response to chongfrommiri

Ah. I see the issue. Currently script tags (and therefore data merges) don't work within table cells. This is a known problem.

If tables are not necessary, you can use lines and grids of text items to create a grid layout that can be merged.

<http://iworkautomation.com/pages/line.html>

<http://iworkautomation.com/pages/examples-page-items-grid.html>

Sorry about that! Good luck.

Sal

Nov 6, 2014 7:22 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

ok, thank for reply. But i still facing the problem that the read error of page.

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Nov 6, 2014 9:03 PM in response to chongfrommiri

Hmmm. I notice that for some reason the Pages Data Merge application is not showing its icon on the desktop. It shows in the sheet dialog, but not in the Dock or the Finder. I'm wondering if it got corrupted in the download. Can you delete the application and download it again?

<http://iworkautomation.com/pages/script-tags-data-merge.html>

After downloading, restart your computer, then:

1) Open a document in Pages

2) Unpack and launch the Data Merge application

Does it show its icon correctly?

Thanks!

Nov 25, 2014 2:49 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

Hi!

I found this while trying to figure out how to merge my Numbers address file to print my holiday cards this year. I watched the movie and decided to give it a try.

But I cannot find the 'Script ID' option in Pages. I am using 5.5.1. and it does not show in the Inspector under the 'more' tab. Has that option been removed?

Thanks for your help!

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Nov 25, 2014 5:33 PM in response to IlliniMom

Are the text placeholders located within tables? If so, the Script Tag interface will not appear. Solution is to create text boxes instead of table cells.

Nov 25, 2014 6:08 PM in response to Sal Soghoian

No...no table. Just a brand new page that I typed a bit of text in to test with.

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Nov 25, 2014 9:16 PM in response to IlliniMom

OK, let's investigate.

You're using OS X Yosemite?

You're using Pages 5.5?

So, you created a new document. Added some text. And created text placeholders in the text?

Has the document been saved?

Nov 26, 2014 10:16 AM in response to Sal Soghoian

I got it now. Apparently I missed the step on HOW to create the placeholders and was looking for it in the INSPECTOR instead of the edit menu. Now that I've done that, everything seems to work perfectly!

macmikey

Level 1

50 points

Dec 2, 2014 12:14 AM in response to Sal Soghoian

It's also worth noting that the Pages document needs to be NATIVELY CREATED in Pages 5.5. I was pulling my hair out trying to get it to work with an older Pages document I'd just opened/converted in 5.5. This does not work. I fixed it by simply copying everything out of the "old," "corrupted" document into a new, clean one.

I know I'm late to the party, but I figure someone else may also find this helpful if they find the need to use a legacy template.

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Dec 2, 2014 12:58 PM in response to macmikey

Thank you for mentioning this. Checking into the issue.

Dec 2, 2014 1:40 PM in response to macmikey

I think that is incorrect.

What has happened is that Pages 5.5 simply lacks the features of Pages '09 that you used and they simply didn't work.

Which is not a reason to reconstruct it in PAges 5.5 but instead to avoid it.

Peter

Sal Soghoian Author

Level 2

184 points

Dec 2, 2014 6:11 PM in response to macmikey

Apparently the issue is with "merge" fields in older templates needing to be converted to "text placeholders" so that they can be recognized by the new scripting support in the latest Pages. Try converting any merge fields to text placeholders by selecting the text and selecting the appropriate keyboard command (I think it's control-option-command-T?).

Does that work for you?

macmikey

Level 1

50 points

Dec 3, 2014 10:07 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi Peter,

While I often share your frustration with the cutting (or poor implementation) of many standard Pages '09 features in Pages 5.5, and even that it is a comparatively inferior product, it is what it is. You are entitled to your opinion, but it is not productive in this thread. Though if you need to vent, I can appreciate that, too. ;-)

That said, Numbers 3 is infinitely better (IMNSHO) than Numbers '09. Not a chance I would go back. And since Pages 5.5 (such as is is) plays better with Numbers 3, I am willing to tolerate Pages 5.5. Can't speak to Keynote, I rarely use it. But Numbers makes it all worthwhile. Or at least bearable.

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Pages 5.5 Mail and Data Merge