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This time last week I posted a request for suggestions on a program for
Macs that can be used to generate coversheets for document review copies.
The problem was that on one large project, I have to send out about 90
documents to my list of reviewers. The list changes, based on the contents
of each document. What I have to work with is Word 5.1 on a Mac II; this
means opening a template, modifying the list of reviewers, and printing and
saving 90 coversheets as simple Word files--that is, I'm not using a lot of
Word features, so I get all the sluggishness of Word without the nifty
tricks. This wouldn't be so bad except that many of 90 documents are
written in PageMaker, and I have to exit PageMaker to open Word, which is a
nuisance. I hoped a smaller package might do the trick.
For those who are interested, here is a summary of the suggestions I received:
- Use Word mail-merge features, keeping the distribution lists in their own
files.
- Use TeachText on the Mac to build a quick-and-dirty template.
- Use FileMaker Pro to make a boilerplate and store the reviewer
information in a database.
- Use a product called "SmartForm."
Thanks much to all those who sent suggestions. TECHWR-L is a great resource.
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Erik Harris ewh -at- plaza -dot- ds -dot- adp -dot- com (weekdays)
"Magni nominis umbra" TrinityPlc -at- aol -dot- com (home)
