Re: FN-FORUM Database question...

date posted 1st May 2001 13:13

Thanks for your help, yes... I agree with what you are saying...

I did find a very interesting program on adobe's web site:
http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker/prodinfosgml.html

One more question regarding the database...

If I end up using this program (or one like it) to do this then the database
file would be set up much diferently right? Because I won't have to
actually set so many parameters...

I could use some help in setting up the fields, does this sound right?

*Chapter -- drop down list menu?
*Section -- drop down list menu?
*Text -- text area (short paragraph relating to each section)
*Annotation -- text area for each annotating each text chunk -- repeating
field


The links and cross-references and indexing would be created in Adobe
Framemaker...

-gerard



On 4/29/01 5:04 AM, "Nicholas Berry" [EMAIL REMOVED] wrote:

> Filemaker Pro that brings back memories I once used Filemaker Pro on a B/W
> Mac Classic on an NVQ course I took about 6 or 7 years ago I don't know what
> version I used but it was almost identical to Lotus Approach 97 except
> Approach 97 seems considerably more powerful though I dare say this has more
> to do with the Apple Classic which was extremely obsolete even then even if
> it could still run rings around a 386 running Win 3.1
>
> What you need to do is think of your index levels as defining categories
> for the next level or levels, just like a folder tree if you follow me. So
> if for example you have 3 fields, field 1 is the first level field 2 the
> second and so on. If you make Field 1 a dropdown list automatically created
> from the data you add and fields 2 and 3 etc drop down lists created and
> validated from data in the preceding field it should be relatively easy to
> add and select data and cross references. When you output the index as a
> report you sort and group by each preceding field.
>
> It's not that difficult to create an index in this way where you have a
> finished document. However if you are designing the document or intend to
> make amendments i.e. your page numbers aren't fixed yet you would be better
> off using something like Adobe PageMaker 6.5 which has a powerful Indexing
> utility with cross referencing levels built in which will keep track of all
> your page numbers (you just recreate the index) when you change the leading
> or font size, add or resize images, so you can work in a fluid way where
> nothing is fixed until it is finished
>
> Standalone database applications are in my experience of very limited use in
> Desktop publishing they are especially frustrating insofar as you can only
> enter 254 characters of text in a field and unless you work in a very rigid
> way they can make you work in ever decreasing circles of chaotic macros and
> scripts in a forlorn attempt to make the infernal thing work properly or to
> reprogram your operating system.
>
> Nick
>
> http://www.artberry.net
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL REMOVED]
> [EMAIL REMOVED] Behalf Of gerard rada
> nedich
> Sent: 26 April 2001 14:57
> To: [EMAIL REMOVED]
> Subject: FN-FORUM Database question...
>
>
>
> Using Filemaker 5 pro...
>
> is it possible to make an index like what you might see in a book using
> FileMaker? i have a bunch of chunks of text from a document and i want to
> make a index out of them.
>
> for example,
>
>
> aarvark ..........25
> birds ..............109
> dogs ..............14
> forests
> birds..........109
> plants........134
> zebras...........19
>
> some more background on this, the text is basically short answers to
> questions that might be asked at a meeting. the document is actually quite
> large... again, it would be grand if you could index someting by more than
> one way, like in the example in the first post of having "birds" index under
> "b" but also listed in the index under "Environmental impact"
>
> to make things more complex, you might want to drop another item like
> "Chemical disaster" under C in the index but also under "Environmental
> impact"
>
> the first level in the index would be automatically sorted alphabetically
> and if you wanted something to also be indexed under something else you
> would manually set what it is listed under...
>
> Thanks
> gerard
>
>