Advanced Word Processor

[Moop]

A progam that allows individual tagging of single words in a document?

I use google docs for my creative writing. Much of that includes compiling large word lists, to keep these lists in good order and have the right word at hand when I need it, I'm looking for a word processing program/suite/online app/browser add on, an anything! that will allow me to quickly filter through these lists.

For example: I create a list of 500 fruits in a document, with this program I should be able to tag the words in that list with terms such as "white" "small" "round" "yellow" "sweet" "bitter" "berry" "tree" "bush" "bird" etc. Now, when I need to find a small, white, berry birds eat, I can filter the list with tags and highlight for instance mistletoe from the other 499.

I've googled everything I could think of, without joy, so I'd really appreciate any help.

Thanks guys

 

[mickey megabyte]

hi moop, and welcome to sevenforums,

it seems like you need to use a database, rather than a word processor.

word processors are really designed to produce printable documents, not fancy searching/filtering stuff.

i'm afraid i'm not sure exactly how you would do it, having very little database experience. i suppose you could bodge something up with a spreadsheet, but a database really is the tool here.

openoffice.org provide a well respected database as part of their free office suite. probably a good place to start, without having to spend any money.

i'm sure other forum members will be along shortly with other ideas or more help.

 

[Moop]

Hey Mickey,

Thanks for the quick reply, I think your right a database looks like the way to go. I'm downloading OOO as I type, and having a look at some of the tutorials of youtube.

 

[mickey megabyte]

have fun!

 

[kado897]

Hi Moop,

Another option might be a spreadsheet . Most spreadsheets have basic DB functionality. I'm not sure how good the Google Docs spreadsheet is but you might be able to do something with it.

 

[Moop]

Thanks Kado, does anyone have any thoughts about which would be best DB VS SS? I'm looking for the simplest solution, even if I have to give up a little functionality.

 

[kado897]

I've had a look at the Google spreadsheet and it doesn't have the functionality you need. What you need to be able to do is create a table with headings

The attached was knocked up in Excel but most spreadsheets should be able to do it. You just click the headers and select the tag values you want


OO Update: Just had a look at the Open Office documentation and you can do this in calc using automatic filters.

 

[Moop]

Thanks for checking that out for me Kado, yes it looks as if a DB is the way to go, I'm in the middle of reading http://bit.ly/hGiqet, funny enough is starts with how to make a DB for Authors, and books, bit of a learning trying to get my head around cardinality and opitonality, but it long run I should get a much better result. Any OOO base experts more than welcome to chip in

Thanks guys

 

[kado897]

You are welcome.

A filtered table in a spreadsheet as described earlier is a simpler and more easily understood option than a fully fledged database solution.