Quark Forums

A client wishes to convert his catalog builtin QuarkXPress to HTMLor XML to assist in dumping key data points about each product into a database. I've been playing with the QuarkXPress Test drive to assist them with this process.

 First off, is there a way to change the behaviour of the HTML export so that text areas are not converted to images?

 Second, is there a verion of Avenue for QuarkXPress 8? Or what extension should I try to verify and test the XML export functionality?

 Is there a best practices method I should be following for output to XML and then into a Database?

Hi Anthony,

you can specify that for each text box whether they should be converted to images or not (Menu Item > Modify, tab Export).

XML Export out of QuarkXPress 8 is possible via QuarkXPress Server or via 3rd party XTensions available (e.g. from EasyPress).

Best practise for strucured content publishing is "content first" and not "design first", so create your data (in XML) structurally first and then deploy it into the different media (e.g. QuarkXPress Server for Print and Flash, HTML via a CMS etc.).

Thanks
Matthias

I have a similar problem: I have to extract text from a magazine composed in QuarkXpress (don't know which version) to be used for an ebook project.

The publisher uses a "design first" method that means, the latest uptodate content is in QuarkXpress and not in the original .doc .rtf files. Scraping the text from the output PDF is slow, painful, error-prone. I don't have QuarkXpress, so I must instruct the person at the publisher's to export the magazine in some sort of intermediate format.

 http://forums.quark.com/t/20543.aspx

If you just need HTML or XHTML, then it is easily created out of QuarkXPress 7 or 8:

• Convert your print layout into a web layout (layout > duplicate).[...]
  
• Export as HTML or XHMTL (file > export > HTML)

we are also working on an XML strategy. using QXP 7 for print pubs. want to export to XML. given that we design in QXP for print first, what is most time-efficient way to achieve this goal?

 A possible solution:

- you need Quark v.6 and Avenue.Quark XTension

- downgrade your layout to v.6;

- open it in Quark 6;

- use the XML Xtension to convert the layout to XML structure.

Of course, some effects specific to v.7 or v.8 will be lost.