This newsletter focuses on what is becoming our biggest new feature in 8 years (since we released DropDown Lists). We call it Excel Assembly. We announced it in our last email blast, but have made improvements on it since, based on your suggestions.
We also will take this opportunity to announce a major new productivity tool that allows you to complete PDF files directly from data stored in an Excel file.
Excel Assembly: In a nutshell, there is now a 3rd 'container' which you can use to store clauses for document assembly purposes. (The first, and still most obvious container, is a folder of documents. Any document in any folder is instantly a part of Pathagoras' document assembly system. The second --uniquely Pathagoras -- container is a 'glossary.' With glossaries, a single document can contain hundreds of individually callable clauses, each clause being identified by a unique 'bookmark.' Glossaries are easy to edit and to share with others, but conceptually, glossaries are a bit more difficult to grasp.)
Our newest container is an Excel spreadsheet. Most people have a working knowledge of Excel. Its abject simplicity makes it a perfect place to store and edit text needed for documents. The sibling relationship between Word and Excel makes it easy for the two to 'talk' together. Pathagoras takes full advantage of that.
Since almost anything can be stored in a cell in a spreadsheet, there is no practical limit on assembly possibilities. And because everything is stored in a single container, it has the positive attributes of a Pathagoras glossary with none of the conceptual drawbacks.
How it works:
- Create a simple 3 column spreadsheet, with column 1 containing a name by which you want the clause to be called (like a document name); column 2 containing a bit more descriptive subject and column 3, the substantive text. Any length (up to 64,000 characters, which means essentially unlimited).
- Save the spreadsheet. It doesn't matter where you save it. It doesn't matter what you name it.
- Point one of your Books or one of your DropDown Lists to the spreadsheet. That's it. Use the Book or the DropDown List as any other Book or DropDown.
Uses:
We
have no idea what the full extent of this new tool will be. We
originally envisioned the kind of text that will be stored in and
assembled from spreadsheets will be more or less of a static nature with
low formatting requirements. The kind of stuff that fits neatly into
tables and reports. But our users always surprise us.
Here are some we have heard of after the program being on the street only about 2 months: - Lawyers: contract clauses; pleading text; discovery questions
- Doctors: medications (descriptions, uses and side effects); lists of classic symptoms for common ailments.
- Psychologists: test names and descriptions; standard interpretation of results
- Suppliers: parts lists; images.
Flexibility: This is where Pathagoras plain text 'chops' shine. You can add any Pathagorizing markups (Variables; Options, Optional and Repeat blocks; <<document calls>>; etc.) to your Excel text. Since the markers are just plain text, all will be transferred intact from Excel to Word. They will be processed automatically as if they existed originally in your Word document. (This type of power and flexibility just does not (and cannot) exist with field based programs (HotDocs, TheFormTool or really any other program out there.)
The possibilities that Excel Assembly opens up are endless. But keep in mind that we didn't write this to supplant other document assembly tools. All others are alive, well and available. The purpose of Excel assembly is to augment the possibilities.
NOTE: This new feature is not 'forms completion with Excel data'. Pathagoras and other programs can perform that function rather handily. We are talking
about fully-functional, robust, all the bells and whistles document assembly. This is where Pathagoras continues to differ from the others.
DIRECT EXCEL TO PDF Forms Completion:
Pathagoras could always (well, at least for the past 5 years or so) scrape data from Excel spreadsheets and replace variables in a document with the scraped data. Beginning about 2 years ago, Pathagoras could replace bracketed variables in 'Pathagorized' PDF documents with data that was saved in Pathagoras' Instant Database system.
Replace Excel data into a PDF document was possible, but it required the 2 steps outlined above: (1) scrape from Excel into the Instant Database and save the record and then (2) Apply the Instant Database record to the PDF file.
Let us know what you think. Of course questions are welcome. Suggestions re: additional features and capabilities are also welcome.
I am toying with the idea of making both of these features as a standalone programs and optional add-ons to Pathagoras for an additional cost. But for current Pathagoras users (and those who purchase before that decision is made -- hint, hint) it's right now part of the package, and always will be. |