🚀 go-pugleaf

Brian-- 

Basically, you've got to edit the XML text data on the page with InDesign's text editing features (or do the same via scripting). This is why I tend to do all of my XML processing outside InDesign and then use InDesign as a kind of fancy "report writer" for my XML files. In fact, I usually transform the XML into InDesign tagged text for import--this lets me apply more formatting than I could if I used "straight" XML. 

Also, if I use an XML editor (I usually write a new editor for each type of XML I'll be working with), I can take advantage of XPath specifiers to find/change data, and XSL to transform the XML into other text formats (or other XML structures). 

re: Access 

Access is a great choice. In fact, if you want, you can avoid XML altogether and drive InDesign directly from Access with that program's VBA. Or you can have Access write tagged text for import into InDesign. 

I mention tagged text because it's far faster than setting formatting options after the text is already on the page. The more markup you can do ahead of time, the better. 

Do any of the above options suggest a direction to you? 

Thanks, 

Ole