Correct. You can create a table in Excel or OpenOffice and export them as a PDF and bring it into Xara.

Drawing applications, though they can be used for shorter publications, are not page layout applications in the fullest sense of "desktop publishing." For fuller, longer publishing tasks a different application is best and use Xara as an adjunct to creating the illustrations and manipulating the images needed for such publications.

At least a few of use use PagePlus at the lower end of the cost scale and InDesign at the higher end of the costs scale. Personally I try to use PagePlus as much as possible over ID because it is simply quicker to use. Download the free version of PagePlus to get a feel for the application and if you find value in adding it to your work, it doesn't cost much (relatively speaking).

Take care, Mike