View your data in InDesign
Unlike contemporary plug-ins, EasyCatalog shows your data in tabular form in a panel that sits alongside the standard InDesign panels.
Common functions, such as sorting, grouping and filtering the data can all be performed from within InDesign without having to switch out to your data source.
Query the data
EasyCatalog provides a querying, or filtering, mechanism to present you with only data you need to see.
For instance, a simple filter can be applied to show all products for the โElectricalโ department that cost less then ยฃ750. EasyCatalog can even be configured to show those products that updated or created since the last data retrieval. Query definitions can also be saved so that it can be re-applied to any other panel (for the same data source) at any time.
Sort the data
In a similar manner to the Finder window on Macintosh or the Explorer Window on Windows, data in the panels can be sorted by simply clicking in the header area. By holding the shift key whilst clicking, the data can be sub-sorted.
For instance, products could be sorted in price order within department. The order of products may be manually re-ordered by dragging each product into position.
Multiple, independent, views of data
New EasyCatalog panels can be created at any time – each panel is independent of the others. In practical terms, this means that multiple views of the same data source can be created, each with its own filters and sort order.
Document content tracking
Each EasyCatalog panel shows which products are placed on the current document, and if the document contents match the data source contents. This helps to ensure that all products are placed on the document and, if they are, that they match the source data.
Work with multiple data sources simultaneously
If your publication consists of data from a variety of different sources, EasyCatalog shows each data source in its own panel. Each panel is independent of the others, allowing each data source to be configured, queried and manipulated independently.