Moving to non-Word formats [long] (was: Re: Having trouble finding a word in multiple files

Tue Jun 16 01:45:47 UTC 2020

At Mon, 15 Jun 2020 19:53:58 -0400 "Ubuntu user technical support,  not for general discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> 
> On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 01:02:49AM +0200, Liam Proven wrote:
> > On Tue, 16 Jun 2020 at 00:38, Mike Marchywka <marchywka at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > This has always puzzled me as some pdf "forms" are so awful I can't
> > > get the local UPS store that specializes in things like this to
> > > even print them without a huge hassle. They need data- a
> > > csv file would do. Why is there still "paperwork" on a computer ?
> > > Humans can read a csv file too...
> > 
> > Oh, yes, agreed.
> > 
> > I bought a battered old Lexmark laser printer and ancient Epson
> > SCSI/USB1 scanner to Czechia with me. I regularly need both. At least
> > once a month, for 6 years, someone emails me a form which I must print
> > out, sign, scan and email back. >_<
> > 
> > > What exactly is "outline mode?"
> > 
> > I had a look because I thought I must have blogged about this, but I
> > can't see anything.
> > 
> > http://outliners.scripting.com/
> > 
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliner
> > 
> > There are 2 kinds: single-pane and dual-pane.  There are lots of FOSS
> > dual-pane outliners, but as a writer, they are useless to me.
> > 
> > A dual-pane outliner draws a tree, like a directory tree, in the left
> > pane. The end of each branch is a document.
> > 
> > A single-pane outliner is a totally different beast.
> > 
> > It's a mode of text-editing which gives a text file (a one-dimensional
> > document: beginning to end) a _structure_. It's not 2D like a
> > spreadsheet grid but it's sort of 1.5D.
> > 
> > Think of a bulleted list. One with multiple levels:
> > 
> > 1
> > 1 a
> > 1 b
> > 1 c i
> > 1 c ii
> > 1 c iii
> > 1 c iv
> > 1 d
> > 
> > Now, imagine you can bump stuff up and down a level with Tab and
> > Shift-Tab. When you do, all the others renumber automatically.
> 
> This all just sounds like a WYSIWYG editor and usually as I'm
> writing I don't care what the thing looks like, that is what is
> hidden in the things like "\section" junk, but just the
> text. I am now trying to turn a bunch of notes into a manuscript
> and moving text blocks around can be a problem but anything
> needing a mouse or having differnt text sizes would be more confusing
> than help. I guess if vi could collapse text blocks like paragraphs into
> text "icons" that would help. Does that exist? I could try 
> to add it I guess :) It can be hard to cut/navigate/paste 
> across large documents sometimes but have not run into it much.
> A nice monospaced font, color and highlighting is ok, is 
> plenty to work with. 
> 

[Micro]Emacs with multiple "windows" (in my case one terminal window with 
split views into one or more buffers).

> 
> I was thinking more about reading not writing although
> maybe some proof reading. I don't expect to type in that 
> case and mouse is ok but a group expand/collapse moves
> in logical units better than a scroll.  
> 
> If your system is based on setting lead type then sure
> it will be different :)
> 
> 
> > 
> > Now, imagine that this list editor lets you move entries under other
> > entries, or promote sub-entries up, and merge and split entries.
> > 
> > Finally, imagine you can say "show me the top 3 levels and collapse
> > everything lower" or "show all" or "only show headings". Or you can
> > hide just one entry's sub-headings, or hide them all and then expand
> > just one.
> 
> This is kind of what I did "proof-of-concept" for reading in evince
> with a dvi document ( latex generated). For reading  I like
> it or maybe proof reading but not for composition or even organizing.
>  
> 
> > 
> > Finally, take away the numbering. :-) It's not needed.
> > 
> > It's a _far_ more flexible way of editing long documents than any
> > flat, 1D editor.
> > 
> > So, for example, the previous tech-writing contract to now gave me a
> > 3D printer, a service mechanic, and a copy of another company's
> > unrelated product manual. I had 3 months to make a service manual for
> > the 3D printer.
> > 
> > Step 1, I entered all the headings from the other product manual into
> > an outline. I saved it. 2-3 pages.
> > Step 2, I edited all the headings so they related to the 3D printer
> > instead. Same length, 2-3pp.
> > Then I showed this to the client, who approved it.
> > Step 3, I added subheadings to every section detailing what it would
> > contain, and then subheadings to all of them, until all the conceptual
> > stages were mapped out. 10pp.
> > Step 4, with the engineer, we tried to work out which bits would need
> > more detail and which less. 20pp.
> > Step 5, we started disassembling and reassembling bits, while I made
> > LOTS of notes, some on paper and some directly into the outline. 75
> > pages.
> > Step 6, we reviewed, revised, resequenced. 100pp.
> > Step 7, I did all the steps, from my notes, and fleshed them out as
> > necessary, I imported a parts list, direct into the outline.
> > Step 8, I wrote intros and so on from scratch.
> > Step 9, I told Word to insert a table of contents and an index. It
> > could do this entirely automatically because every paragraph and every
> > step had a position in one giant structure, and some had numbers etc.
> > (250pp.) I also added pictures at this stage.
> > 
> > Also, bear in mind, everything has styles automatically applied, live,
> > and changing as the structure changes. Promote or demote an item, its
> > style changes according to its position.
> > 
> > Then once the draught doc was approved, I got a stylesheet from the
> > marketing team and made a stylesheet with all the company fonts and
> > colours etc. I then applied the stylesheet to my outline and Word
> > magically formatted the now 350+ page manual in the company styles.
> > 
> > A single doc, from planning to repro-ready copy. No conversions, no
> > formatting stages, nothing.
> > 
> > At any point, at any time, I could instantly zoom out to headline
> > level, move to the section I wanted, and drill down, without ever
> > knowing or caring what page number it was or anything. It's an
> > immensely powerful _navigation_ tool as well.
> > 
> > It's an almost incredibly powerful tool and no other leading
> > wordprocessor has anything like it. WordPerfect doesn't, LibreOffice
> > doesn't, AbiWord or KWord or anything.
> > 
> > Kingsoft WPS Office has a very clunky one, but it's not FOSS and it's
> > got the horrid Ribbon interface, which I loathe.
> > 
> > Outline mode is the one thing that keeps Word my go-to writing tool of choice.
> > 
> > -- 
> > Liam Proven â Profile: https://about.me/liamproven
> > Email: lproven at cix.co.uk â gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lproven at gmail.com
> > Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven â Skype: liamproven
> > UK: +44 7939-087884 â ÄR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053
> > 
> > -- 
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> 

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