Creating a table from text?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Deborah Hemstreet wondered: <<I... need to create a table that is  
essentially just like the table of contents, but with an additional  
column that lists documents that support that manual. Is there a  
SIMPLE way to get the contents into a table format, with each heading  
in a row, the page number in a column, and then an additional column,  
as below?
Heading                   page #         Supporting Documentation
Document Control      55          QCI 70-07-001
Management Review   62        BDP AD-001>>

If you're using Word, it's trivial so long as the columns of  
information are seperated by a predictable character such as a tab.  
All you need to do is select all the text, open the Table menu, select  
Convert, then select "Text to table". Word generally does an excellent  
job of this. When it doesn't, it's because there's an extra character  
somewhere between the columns of information that fools Word into  
thinking there are more columns than there really are. Deleting that  
character solves the problem.

If you need to convert this into a format that Word will recognize  
better (e.g., if the columns are separated by uneven numbers of spaces  
instead of a single tab), you can do it by an iterative search and  
replace: First, select all the text so that the search and replace  
will only affect the selected text, not the whole manuscript. Next,  
replace (for instance) all multiple spaces with a single tab. You can  
then replace all instances of a tab followed or preceded by a space  
(in two separate actions) with a single tab. There are more powerful  
ways to accomplish this, but that would involve going into Word's  
advanced search and replace features. A lecture for another day. <g>  
The "for instance" means that you'll need a different search pattern  
if different characters separate the columns.

I assume most other software offers a similar feature, but can only  
speak for Word.

--------------------------------------------------------
Geoff Hart (www.geoff-hart.com)
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
--------------------------------------------------------
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