Directory question - need input

Ok, I may be opening a Pandora's box with this posting, but I need to know your preferred format of the Directory for the pending revision . The form that you will fill out dumps the data into a spreadsheet format similar to Excel. I do some tweaking of the information and save it as a spreadsheet. This format allows sorting of the columns for any number of purposes. LN takes this data and also creates a two column word processing document. This format does not allow for any sorting, but it can allow you to create mailing labels if necessary.

So, given the above explanations and with the understanding that this version of the Directory will be mostly done by me this time, what format is preferred? I don't mind doing both, but I would really like to streamline this process given the size the Directory has become, but I also want to provide a Directory that is user friendly to, well, the users.

I realize that many of you are very computer literate and twist and turn the Directory into a variety of formats once it is received, but these variations of the Directory are for personal use only and are not to be shared. Sorry to have to do this, but we need to take measures to ensure security of our data.

So, speak now, yadda, yadda,..........

Thanks! Only a few more weeks to the new Directory!

Reply to
AliceW
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I prefer the spreadsheet format.

Reply to
maryd

I like the spreadsheet that will open in Excel, although whatever you're willing to do is fine with me! I appreciate the time and effort it takes!!

Carole in Northwest GA - Retired and loving it! Homepage -

formatting link

Reply to
Carole-Retired and Loving It

i dont have excel. i'd love a spreadsheet for its capabilitys but someone has to splain how to make it work and if i dont have excel then what do i use it in? argh. will there be a box for personal website urls? seems a good one to add, optional obviously, as not all of us have a place online to post our pix to. confuddled as usual in the south pacific, jeanne

Reply to
nzlstar*

I too vote for the spreadsheet/xls format. IMHO, it is not so hard to go from the xls to a text file but it sure is cumbersome to go the other way.

and the sorting function is very useful. even with a find function in a txt file, i think it is easier to use the sort function. and it is also easy to set the format, i.e., dates, and sort there also; and in xls, one can set a txt(date) and pull out and sort on the month to find all the events of a given month!

but, i have learned, sorting and reverse searching to figure out the source of a squishie is yet another matter. I have a technical PhD not one in geography and i think a couple of you take please in mailing from another town, although I am not sure how many there are in Idaho. maybe there could be a directory field for pseudo-postoffice?

And I must say that I am impressed by the rctq directory; it certainly is a labor of love by the preparers and i have come to realize that there is certainly a sharing and outpouring of love by those listed in it.

klh >>

Reply to
klh

I prefer the Excel spreadsheet version. Also -- for those that want the Word Table version -- I would be happy to create that -- which can then be sorted based upon any of the columns. You can't filter it like you can in Access or Excel... but you can sort. So sort by State or by Month (birthday squishies?? LOL) Please let me know if I can be of help.

Kate in MI

(who in my "past life" was a Microsoft Office User Specialist" and actually taught all the Microsoft applications - Word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel, Project, Windows, FrontPage....)

Reply to
Kate G.

I do love having the directory and thank you, Alice and LN for getting it together for us. Any format that suits you is fine with me. Sometimes I use it for shipping a gator to do an emergency house call. I look at the address and think "you've got to be kidding" but apparently you're doing fine because they always seem to arrive asking "what's for dinner?" . Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

You could help me by explaining how to do all that!! filter, sort arrrggghhh! I wish I could have taken some of your classes. I'd love to understand some of those programs better. Actually ALL of them! Where are those types of classes taught? It doesn't matter to me how the directory is formatted. I'm equally inept at any of them. :-) KJ

Reply to
KJ

I've just about always asked for it in text and have gotten all but the last one as tables. I looked at the properties for each (gotta get around to tossing out some of the outdated ones...), and the most recent which I got in columns is a word pad document, while the others are rich text documents. Since they both open with word pad I'd as soon have the pretty one, whatever it thought it was when it left LN's computer. If that works hurrah! If it doesn't, better for me to go with text since the only thing I have on this machine that does spreadsheets is an old and cranky version of works.

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist

The only criteria for me, Alice (and it is kind of you to ask - thank you) is that I can print it out without anything having to be done computer-wise (since I am only a skin of my teeth computer user >gyour preferred format of the Directory for the pending revision

Reply to
Patti

Reply to
Estelle Gallagher

I prefer the text format - I don't use Excel, but a different spreadsheet (which is mostly but not completely compatible). I'm not even sure I could get all the info from the excel spreadsheet.

Hanne > Ok, I may be opening a Pandora's box with this posting, but I need to know

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

XLS format is the better of the two for me - but I am grateful for all the work that goes on to produce the Directory and will gratefully accept whatever is made available.

Alice - If I can offer any help with reformatting files for others please let me know, but I will only do this through you.

Reply to
Cats

You can download the freely available Excel Spreadsheet viewer at Microsoft's web site:

formatting link
You will only be able to do basic things with it, but you can do searches.

Alternatively, you can download the free Open Office suite, which has a spreadsheet program (Calc), that can read Excel Spreadsheets. There is a version for MSWin, if that is the OS that you are using.

http://www.> i dont have excel.

Reply to
countryone77

I prefer the spreadsheet, but will take whatever I can get. Thanks for all your hard work!

-- Jo in Scotland

Reply to
Johanna Gibson

I prefer the table format. I have Excel, but the only way I use it is for my lab results. I don't know how to really use the program.

Reply to
Bonnie NJ

Reply to
countryone77

Reply to
gyrlcentric

I would very much like to continue to receive the spreadsheet format.

Karen, Queen of Squishies

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

Spreadsheet is preferred.

Dannielle

AliceW wrote:

Reply to
Dannielle

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