'The Message'
Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!
I am wondering if words like "content modules" might be useful. You basically want to build a text document using different chunks of text (paragraphs) selected from a pool, right?
I've done this for web pages for library resources - you have a box that explains how to use the VPN, a box that gives the subject librarian's profile, a box that has library hours, and then blank boxes you can customize for whatever you need. The boxes were called "content modules" in the setup.
Sounds like DITA.
Yes, that is DITA. It might be a buzzword that helps evoke what you're looking for. In DITA, information is broken down into standalone chunks and put into a content management system, and then a map is created to pull those chunks and assemble them into your end result.
In the database I use (Slate) they are called snippets.
OMG, why is our database so janky? That looks amazing.
Sounds like a tool that be an excellent candidate for basing on MongoDB. A bit of Java Spring to manage a REST interface used by a Vue js frontend. Generating the result in Word format would be a PITA though. Maybe there's a library that does the heavy lifting though. At least it would be docx, doc is a nightmare. I mean, it made sense in the day, but OMG it was a mess. There's a reason that formatting could go all wonky in old versions of Word.
I mean seriously. When you get SPRMs scattered all over the place in non-linear order, trying to translate doc files into other files was hard AF.
It doesn't really have to come out as a Word doc, just something that looks nice.
In the past month,
• My fancy photo printer died. There are no authorized Epson service centers in NYC. I would have to ship the printer somewhere to get it fixed. Even if it were cheaper than buying a new printer, it wouldn't be worth the effort.
• I dropped a camera. I'm still waiting to hear back from the repair guy to hear if it's totaled.
• Today, the Thunderbolt Display for my Mac mini died. At least I think it's the display. It might be a bad port on the mini. I've been waiting for months for apple to refresh their iMacs so that I could buy one. So what do I do now? Do I buy a current iMac that will probably be obsolete in a matter of weeks? Do I buy a cheap monitor to keep my current mini alive for a while?
• once I replace all this stuff, I'll have a bunch of bulky electronics that I can't throw away that I'll somehow have to bring to recycling, even though I don't have a car.
Fuck this shit.