Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:31 pm Post subject: Report Generator
I haven't tried Neo-Office, but witht the demise of Appleworks, I am looking for a replacement WordProcessor, particularly with the following sort of feature.
I think it is like the AutoText feature in Word. The idea is to create a series of report Templates, each one with drop-down pick-lists, a bit like Mark's Apology Generator http://www.karmafarm.com/formletter.html, which then generates an editable alpha-report.
If NeoOffice doesn't do this, is it a big feature to incoroprate?
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 8:24 pm Post subject:
Well, Neo does include an AutoText feature, but it doesn't work quite the way you are describing.
AutoText lets you save snippets of text you use repeatedly, and quickly add them to a document. (like Clippings in Appleworks, but only in terms of text, not images or sounds, which are handled by the Gallery in NeoOffice.)
In theory, you create a database document with one table for each drop-down pick list you want to create and a form set up with combo boxes or list boxes to let you chose the entry you want.
I don't remember Appleworks having a feature like the one you describe. If there is one,, can you be more specific about it?
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: Report Generator
Hi Lorinda, thanks for your reply. You are right, Appleworks isn't/wasn't that clever, but I was referring to Word then.
Since my posting, I have a quick look at Apple's Pages, and it doesn't even seem to have Clippings anymore, which seems like a backwards step.
Joined: Dec 08, 2005 Posts: 291 Location: Berlin, Germany
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:03 am Post subject:
I don't know if that would be a solution, but you can define input fields, where you select content from a defined list of words (values):
Menu Insert > Fields > Other
Functions Tab
Select Type "Input list"
Add Items via "Item" and "Add"
Define "Name" for list (only necessary if you need functions refer to field)
Insert & Close
If you have chosen View > Fields Shadings, the field is now a grey area. When you click on it, a dialog opens & you may choose a value from the predefined list.
AutoText lets you save snippets of text you use repeatedly, and quickly add them to a document. (like Clippings in Appleworks, but only in terms of text, not images or sounds, which are handled by the Gallery in NeoOffice.)Lorinda
You can import images, tables and math formulas with the AutoText functionality, not only text (but not sounds).
See our wiki
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:28 am Post subject:
Thanks for the correction, Jacqueline!
Macwoody, you are correct about Pages (unless the newest version is different). Right after I bought my iBook (just before the Macbooks came out), I asked about a clippings/glossary/autotext feature in the Pages forum. Noone there knew what I was talking about. That's one of the things that convinced me I wanted NeoOffice, not iWork.
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