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>>I have a potential client who needs to create documents containing
400 to 1500 Excel spreadsheets for print and display. Users must be able to edit the spreadsheets (in Excel) and have them automatically update in the document. The user must also be able to delete and add
spreadsheets without screwing up the entire flow. He needs an active,
auto-generated TOC. <<
As previously indicated by my Honourable Colleagues, trying this in Word is only to be recommended if your previous job was driving ssemitrailers of nitroglycerin.
My approach, given the number of spreadsheets involved and the other requirements, is to do the following:
1. Create a Frame doc from a suitable template
2. Screenshot the Excel files as serially numbered GIFs saved in a dedicated "Images" directory within the same directory as the Frame doc.
3. Import the images one by one BY REFERENCE into the Frame doc, each with its own auto-numbered caption. (Given their size, one per page).
4. Generate TOC and import into the file.
Then, if any modifications are made to a spreadsheet, you re-do its screenshot, and save it under the same name in the Images directory. The image in the Frame file will update automatically (assuming it's still open).
Any other method will take too long and probably fail.
Tip: number the GIFs in four-digit format, in reverse order - in this case, from 1499. That way, the most recent (=lowest-number) screenshot is at the top of the list in the Import dialog.
Have fun. Sounds therapeutic.
- Jonathan Stoppi
tw -at- qualum -dot- com
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