Filing Recipes - How do you do it? I...
- Thread starter clofthwld
- Start date
I do it a little differently
I start with different folders for each category then open up a MS Word doc in each one when I get my first recipe in that folder. I cut and paste new recipes into the document, setting up the correct formatting for recipes. When I have, say, a dozen in that doc I create an index and an appendix for it. I have probably thousands in each folder now and they are neatly arranged and indexed, the pages repaginated automatically whenever I add more.
By the way, I set up my personal collection of recipes similar to this. Not different files but it is set up just like a "real" cookbook. It has an index, an appendix, all of it. MS Word has big capabilities.
I start with different folders for each category then open up a MS Word doc in each one when I get my first recipe in that folder. I cut and paste new recipes into the document, setting up the correct formatting for recipes. When I have, say, a dozen in that doc I create an index and an appendix for it. I have probably thousands in each folder now and they are neatly arranged and indexed, the pages repaginated automatically whenever I add more.
By the way, I set up my personal collection of recipes similar to this. Not different files but it is set up just like a "real" cookbook. It has an index, an appendix, all of it. MS Word has big capabilities.
Cutting & Pasting seems like more work, but...
for instance, when I see a recipe here, there is no option for printing, so I save the entire page to a Text File. Then, I go to My Documents folder and open the text file, edit it, and save it to one of my folders.
Am I wasting time this way? A lot of sites give you the option of "printing", then I just choose "Save As" and name it rather than printing it.
Maybe I'm lost here.
for instance, when I see a recipe here, there is no option for printing, so I save the entire page to a Text File. Then, I go to My Documents folder and open the text file, edit it, and save it to one of my folders.
Am I wasting time this way? A lot of sites give you the option of "printing", then I just choose "Save As" and name it rather than printing it.
Maybe I'm lost here.
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
re: Word
You're absolutely right Cathy. Word has so many features that most people aren't even aware of. In a former job, a large software company that I worked for used MS Word to do the production on a 12-volume documentation set, some of the volumes containing 500+ pages. We were pushing it to it's limit, but it is amazing what you can do with it other than just vanilla word processing. All of the cross-references, indexes, table of contents, concordances, chapter numbering systems, etc. were all auto-generated using MS Word much as you're doing with your cookbooks. Plus, when you keep the files in electronic book format like this, you have the amazing online search capabilities that can help you find very esoteric things that an index or TOC would perhaps miss.
You're absolutely right Cathy. Word has so many features that most people aren't even aware of. In a former job, a large software company that I worked for used MS Word to do the production on a 12-volume documentation set, some of the volumes containing 500+ pages. We were pushing it to it's limit, but it is amazing what you can do with it other than just vanilla word processing. All of the cross-references, indexes, table of contents, concordances, chapter numbering systems, etc. were all auto-generated using MS Word much as you're doing with your cookbooks. Plus, when you keep the files in electronic book format like this, you have the amazing online search capabilities that can help you find very esoteric things that an index or TOC would perhaps miss.
Glad it will work for you- the idea was given to me by a friend who edits cookbooks and
I could not believe how easy it was to do. Now I just let "Word" automatically do everything and in the index I can just click on a page number for a recipe I want to see and it zips to that page. The only effort I put in is either typing in a recipe or re-formatting one I copied from elsewhere.
I could not believe how easy it was to do. Now I just let "Word" automatically do everything and in the index I can just click on a page number for a recipe I want to see and it zips to that page. The only effort I put in is either typing in a recipe or re-formatting one I copied from elsewhere.
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
some more tips on Word
when you select text from a page, you're also selecting the formatting attributes (font style, size, spacing, etc.). Chances are you've got your new document where you want to paste the new text formatted the way you want it. Using style formatting enforces the same look over the entire document. However, if you paste new text "as is" from another source, you'll be pasting in alien formatting. To get around this do a paste special (Edit | Paste Special) and select "Unformatted Text." Pasting this way will paste only the ASCII characters with no formatting, and they will assume the attributes you have specified in the document where you're pasting. Hope that was clear!
when you select text from a page, you're also selecting the formatting attributes (font style, size, spacing, etc.). Chances are you've got your new document where you want to paste the new text formatted the way you want it. Using style formatting enforces the same look over the entire document. However, if you paste new text "as is" from another source, you'll be pasting in alien formatting. To get around this do a paste special (Edit | Paste Special) and select "Unformatted Text." Pasting this way will paste only the ASCII characters with no formatting, and they will assume the attributes you have specified in the document where you're pasting. Hope that was clear!