Geek question: Software to create Word-documents from text input?

[Robbo]

Hello smart people,

I find this a bit hard to explain...but I'm looking for software that will convert text into Word documents. In short.

Here's the long story: I'm a journalist, and at work we produce our articles in Word, using set formats for title, body text, etc., and send those formatted documents to our designers. When formattet correctly, these documents slip nicely into Indesign. But not everyone at work knows how to use Word properly.

Basically what I'm looking for is software of some kind that will allow me to type the title of an article into a box, the body text in a different box, etc. without having to worry about font, text size, etc. And when finished, you can save your work as a Word document with all the right formatting.

Does this exist? Do anyone know any progams that do this?

Obviously we should ideally be going for the full publishing package, but unfortunately we're too small and can't afford anything like that. Hence my request for a simple program that outputs Word documents.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ArcspacE]

I could be misunderstading (apologies if so) but why don't you simply type your articles in Word using the correct template / styles as set by your designers?

We have Word templates for all basic reports / letters / minutes, etc. in our place (not journos, mind you) and works very well even for people with limited Word knowledge

 

[WookieD]

I was going to say the same as Arcy. Surely the easiest solution is to use a template?

 

[Robbo]

Thanks guys. Good points, but we have a template already, and not everyone manages to use it properly...very often we see documents where the font, font size, font colour (!), etc. is completely messed up, despite the starting point being a template. GHod knows how it happens...that's why I'm looking around for alternatives.

Is there any way to configure a Word template to that you cannont make any style changes at all?

 

[ArcspacE]

Mate - just apply your formatting correctly from the beginning and should be fine. Don't take shortcuts or leave it for later - stick to the template, that's all.

Could be difficult the first few times but once you're used to it - just a breeze.

If not - ask your employer to send you on a short MS Word course and you'd be typing like a boss 3 days later

 

[WookieD]

Thanks guys. Good points, but we have a template already, and not everyone manages to use it properly...very often we see documents where the font, font size, font colour (!), etc. is completely messed up, despite the starting point being a template. GHod knows how it happens...that's why I'm looking around for alternatives.

Is there any way to configure a Word template to that you cannont make any style changes at all?

I think the easier thing would be to give everyone a mornings training so that they stop making alterations! Seriously, if the template is set and people are physically making changes themselves for no reason, it is a training issue.

 

[Robbo]

I'm fine with whatever template comes my way, but there are others that just can't handle it... I don't think training is enough either; we're talking someone whose knowledge of computers and computer software is extremely basic here. Hence my wish for a fool proof method for them!

 

[WookieD]

Would it not be a lot easier to just link them to this picture?

 

[Baleforce]

just sack them and employ people who can do the job without fudging it up

 

[jts1882]

I'm fine with whatever template comes my way, but there are others that just can't handle it... I don't think training is enough either; we're talking someone whose knowledge of computers and computer software is extremely basic here. Hence my wish for a fool proof method for them!

You're talking about your boss, aren't you?

Typing something into word is as basic a computer skill as there is. It takes more skill to change the formatting. I'd be inclined to say that anyone who can't use word can't write anything worth reading, but if it the boss you can't tell him that. If its not, training seems the solution.

As for what you want to do, can't you just cut and paste the raw text into a new word document? If you want to strip the formatting from the mangled word document, paste it into a text editor like notepad first.

 

[ArcspacE]

I'm fine with whatever template comes my way, but there are others that just can't handle it... I don't think training is enough either; we're talking someone whose knowledge of computers and computer software is extremely basic here. Hence my wish for a fool proof method for them!

An introductory MS Word course can be as 'short' as 3 days - the rest is down to diligence and adherence to the office systems. We had very similar issue in our place and people initially moaned but when the bosses cracked ot down - everyone followed

If not - fire the fudgers and hire people who can use basic software!

But to answer your initial question - no, I don't believe such software exists

 

[Baleforce]

you could just save the files out of word as plain text, that will kill any font changes

 

[ArcspacE]

you could just save the files out of word as plain text, that will kill any font changes

I think he's trying to achieve exactly the opposite effect

 

[papaspur]

Could you use macros to automatically change a plain .txt file after you paste it into Word? Once newbs have that Word interface in front of them, it's just begging them to fudge with brick and in the end it looks like two brain-damaged unicorns fornicated all over the document.
"Ohh, this font looks pretty! Better set the font size to 40 so people can read it more easily!"
or
"This document needs more irrelevant clip arts!"

Umm... which version of Word are you using and which OS?

 

[Bullet]

Sounds kinda like a cascading style sheet in a way... so people could type it in plain text editor but they have to put

Header1:

Header2:

Body:

etc and then either a CSS or macro just applies the correct formatting... but the spanners probably can't even be relied upon to do that.

I suggest you snip off their little fingers - I doubt they use them for typing, and it will serve as a timely reminder each morning to do their job properly.

 

[johnola]

You could just record a macro surely?

Have a button on the template to Run the macro.

Takes about 30 seconds...

 

[Richie]

Make the correct decision and completely sack off World altogether and go towards LaTeX.

WYSIWYG editors are just plain awful for exactly the reasons you describe, people don't use them properly. A typesetting package like LaTeX is much easier, people just input the plaintext from something like notepad and the program formats it all properly based of a few settings the designer. A handful of simple 'commands' (i.e. \section{Section 1}, \subsection{Subsection 1} etc) to logically split the text. As far as I know, LaTeX and InDesign are two programs cut from the same cloth anyway.

Not really answering your question tbh, but I like ranting about Word. It's just rubbish.