How cool would it be to be able to call into your document the text of any other document located in up to 10 folders (plus sub folders). We're not talking about a short snippet or a notary jurat. We are talking about entire documents Any length. Any content. Instantly inserted. These are not hard to use Quick Parts or 'text expander' clauses which are typically very short box of text that are owned buy another system. These are full-fledged Word documents that are saved as Word documents, edited as Word documents and in every regard are Word documents.. |
We put the topic of DropDown Lists at the head of the pack of features to emphasize that this tool is not dependent upon your having 'Pathagorized' documents. It is an extraordinary feature of the program aimed solely at speeding locating your primary documents. DropDown Lists do away with most navigation issues every user encounters with Word. Even if you have not Pathagorized a single document, you can shave off many minutes a day, and hours a week, in document production time when you create one or two DropDown Lists and use them regularly |
One of Pathagoras' most powerful document assembly tools is also one of its simplest, both in setup and in use. It is the DropDown List.
A "drop down list" in general is any of those lists that reside at the top of your Word editing screen that give you quick access to Word settings. For example, Word presents various ‘styles’ and ‘fonts’ in drop down lists. Simply point and click to a new style or font and the texture of the document changes.
Pathagoras’ "DropDown Lists" work in much the same way, but instead of changing the look of the document, you use the elements of the List to insert selected blocks of text (including whole documents) into your document under construction.
Here is a brief description of what these Lists are and what they can do.
•A Pathagoras DropDown List is a standard drop down element that resides at the top of your editing screen.
•A DropDown List reflects the contents of a folder. It is not the folder itself, but just a pointer to, and a listing of, its contents.
•DropDown Lists allow you to retrieve documents, text snippets, images and other items with simple 'point and click' action.
•It is not required (or even important) that the documents in a DropDown List be 'Pathagorized'. DropDown Lists can, and should, be used to help you with accessing all frequently used documents, not just your 'Pathagorized' ones. Our advice is 'create DropDown Lists now,' and Pathagorize the documents later (using the time saved when you are using DropDown Lists).
•The target folders of DropDown Lists are standard Windows folders.
•You can display up to 10 DropDown Lists at a time. (The currently visible Lists are referred to as a 'Collection'.)
•You can maintain up four separate 'Collections' of DropDown Lists. You can easily switch among your Collections via the Collections panel. (With judicious use of 'Collections,' therefore, up to 40 DropDown Lists can be simultaneously maintained.)
•Once assigned, no navigation is required to retrieve documents (or other files) reflected in a DropDown List.
•The target folder can be any folder. The target folder can contain any file.
oIn most cases, the folder will contain Word documents (either entire documents or building block type files).
oBut folders can also contain text files, images (.jpg, .gif, .tiff, etc., files), Excel® spreadsheets, PDF files, Word Perfect® documents or . . . , well, you get the picture -- anything.
•A DropDown List can also reference the contents of a glossary (a single document containing dozens or hundreds of separate terms). The same 'non-restrictions' apply to glossary DropDown Lists as apply to those representing folders.
•You can activate a 'Tree Service' feature, allowing the display of the contents of the parent folder and, in two clicks, the contents of any child folder beneath.
•Creating each DropDown List takes 30 seconds tops. Once created, the List remains always active, always visible and always ready. When you exit Word and then return, so do the DropDown Lists.
Create DropDown List from Document Assembly Screen
Create DropDown List from Clause Selection Screen
Create DropDown List 'free hand'
Creating and using DropDown List 'Collections'
Click the button in the menu bar to read more about DropDown Lists