Variable Data (text file) Question.

The data file I am using is a .txt file. The fields are comma separated. When I view the file there is one field that has quotation marks ("") around it because of commas inside that field. When I insert the data into a text box I get {Brackets} around the type. Is there a way to get around this?

Is the field with quotation marks in the header row; that is, is it the field name in the first row? Or is it a field value in a subsequent row? It would help greatly if you could attach the data file, or at least a sample of it which demonstrates the problem.

The file I have is too big to upload here.

 

This is what it looks like:

 

twiyale kpa,3019 Secretariat Ln,Montgomery,IL,60538-3417,Everyday Green: 20% renewable energy,"The average Viridian Everyday Green customer avoids over 2,260 lbs in carbon emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of emissions absorbed by 26 trees grown for 10 years or the emissions from over 115 gallons of gasoline consumed.",Monthly Variable Rate Plan,No cancellation fee,ComEd,5.99,"You will receive this rate on your first bill, with each bill thereafter receiving Viridian's current monthly variable rate.",fees: ,IL_EG_ResComm,/605383417193/

I usually only get brackets in my previews when FP can't understand the contents. Assuming you are not referencing the field in a rule, are you sure you selected the field name from the frame's dropdown and did not change the field name in your data file since then?

The file I have is too big to upload here.

 

This is what it looks like:

 

twiyale kpa,3019 Secretariat Ln,Montgomery,IL,60538-3417,Everyday Green: 20% renewable energy,"The average Viridian Everyday Green customer avoids over 2,260 lbs in carbon emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of emissions absorbed by 26 trees grown for 10 years or the emissions from over 115 gallons of gasoline consumed.",Monthly Variable Rate Plan,No cancellation fee,ComEd,5.99,"You will receive this rate on your first bill, with each bill thereafter receiving Viridian's current monthly variable rate.",fees: ,IL_EG_ResComm,/605383417193/

Thanks, but I need the header row as well to be able to call the field out by name. That said, if I make up a header row, I can successfully call out the field in red by the name I've made up.

 

Does this problem occur with every record in the data, or just with this one? In any case, I would reiterate Eric's suggestion to make sure you are calling out the correct field name. Try deleting what you have in your text frame, then re-select the field name from the Variable list and click Insert, and then re-compose. You can also look in the composition log (.msg) file for any warnings about values for fields not found in the instance data.

 

Also, while comma-delimited (CSV) files are perfectly valid, the way that you have to escape things like commas and quotes in the data is complicated. FusionPro generally follows the same rules as Excel in this regard. However, I highly recommend using tab-delimited files instead, if at all possible, as those don't have the same kind of problems since you don't usually have tabs embedded in the data.

I use TAB delimited data instead of COMMA delimited data to keep that issue from happening. Open your comma separated file, do a find all for (") and replace with nothing. Then save your data as TAB Delimited Text and your problem should go away.