Help please - creating lists

[GirlinContempt]

I'm retyping the whole 100 page costume price list, and I'm having some issues with formatting.
I'd really like to create it in a format in which costumes could be added later and automatically alphabetized in to the list. However, the list also needs to be very clear, easy to read and LINED UP.

ASCOT - FEMALE (larger, bold, etc)
MY FAIR LADY STYLE FULL LENGTH GOWN, OVERSIZE PICTURE HAT, GLOVES $00

Excel and similar aren't working for me. The formating is a pain in the ass, it wont properly alphabetize with multiple rows of text, and ideally i'd like every second listing with a grey background to make it even easier to identify new listings.
word style programs are a fucking joke, unless you all know of a magic one.
i can create a perfectly aligned beautiful looking list in publisher, but i can't make it alphabetize, and updating/adding is a nightmare.


i know I'm asking for a lot. ANY ideas?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Access? Not that I'm any good at it, but maybe?

:hi: How are you, darlin?

[GirlinContempt]

2. thanks honey

i tried access, it make me want to break things.
partly it may just be because i'm already so frustrated, i'm just failing at life right now.

That's also how I am, frustrated and failing at life. :D how're you?

[Midlodemocrat]

4. Equally frustrated. Major, major project due this week

my kitchen is undergoing a facelift and is nothing short of a disaster, Senior Night tomorrow for TeenMidlo at her last home field hockey game and I have nothing to wear.

Laundry up to the yazoo, no food in the house, and I'm posting on DU to avoid all of that. That about sums up my life today. Ugh.

And, the trash pick up guy went out of business last week, so they didn't come. And, goofball, AKA Mr. Midlo used MY VAN to go to the dump. Did you hear me screaming at him in CA? Cause I think you probably could have.

[GirlinContempt]

6. wowzah

good thing it isn't thanksgiving there too :D

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Oh, yeah, forgot about that.

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year. :crazy:

If I can get through Thursday, I can put the kitchen back together and start breathing again.

My son is loving the fact that the pantry has been relocated to the family room. He just helps himself the whole time he is watching TV. Probably explains the no food in the house thing.

[billyskank]

3. I know I'm weird but

I'd do it in XML and then use XSLT to turn it into HTML for the formatted list.

What you want would actually be really simple to do. If you would like to send me a sample of the list I can show you what I mean.

[GirlinContempt]

5. The only sample I have is in .pub format right now

can you use that?

you're probably right, i'm just so fucking frustrated

[billyskank]

8. Probably not

it's always a bit of a lottery trying to open Microsoft formats on my computer. Basic things like .doc and .xls will work, but a Publisher file, I don't know.

[GirlinContempt]

9. i could probably convert it to a pdf

[billyskank]

10. Can you just cut some of the text out and copy it into notepad?

Text is all I want, doesn't matter if it's a little screwy so long as I can see basically what it's meant to be. Just a few records is all I need, say ten or so.

[GirlinContempt]

11. I can, but right now I'm running out the door

it's thanksgiving and I have to go do the shopping before people get here....
if you can't do it later I understand, thanks for trying! :D

[billyskank]

12. k, see you later.

:hi:

[GirlinContempt]

14. i'm back

[billyskank]

15. Hi

If you want to send a pdf that's fine.

:hi:

[GirlinContempt]

17. is there an email address?

[billyskank]

18. Check your PM

[GirlinContempt]

19. sent, through 3rd party

may take a few mins

[billyskank]

20. Received it.

[GirlinContempt]

22. yay!

[Omphaloskepsis]

13. I agree... sort of.

I would use a MySQL database and php to output xhtml and style it with CSS. Using phpMyAdmin will make it easier to maintain the database over parsing XML.


And for the coloring: this should help... http://www.alistapart.com/articles/zebratables

[GirlinContempt]

16. sounds like a lot of work

[trof]

21. Works database.

You can sort by any field.

[Kali]

23. thankyou for saying that

that is what I was thinking - I figured this out on my own for some record keeping - it was easy and transfered to a table I made in the regular document from open office pretty easily.

I was afraid to say it because I am a total lamer when it comes to computer stuff.