🚀 go-pugleaf

I need to prepare a programme (for a festival/competition) using records
from a Microsoft Access 1.0 database, imported either to WordPerfect 5.2
(WP) or Pagemaker 5.0a (PM). I am looking for some advice on the best
route to follow. 

Essentially, the programme (about 100 pages) must have a 'published'
booklet-format look, with introductory text added, advertisements inserted
et al., so the built-in reports of Access are insufficient. 

The way I see it, these are some of the issues involved:

1) My preference would be to use PM if at all possible for the task
   involved, as layout under WP is much more arduous. (An upgrade to
   WP6.0 is not a good choice: the system I am constrained with is
   underpowered for such a heavy app... and I won't even mention all
   bugs I have been hearing about.)

2) Method of transfer
   I wonder if I should use DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) or if instead I
   should try to create an RTF (Rich Text Format) file. Unfortunately,
   I know neither the format of an RTF file, nor the services provided
   by DDE (i.e. the contexts and commands recognized by Pagemaker and
   WordPerfect in a DDE conversation... although I have sufficient
   information for Access). If anyone can provide any documentation on
   RTF or DDE with these apps, I would be most appreciative.

   BTW, I have OUTPUTAS for Access, but it requires v1.1 and I only have
   access (no pun intended) to 1.0 [I work for a cheapskate :( ]. OUTPUTAS
   also has a problem with the following point:

3) Use of style sheets
   There may be many modifications to the look of the programme (the look
   will probably be decided by 'commitee'). Thus if there is any software 
   already available in the public domain to perform the necessary
   transfers, allowing style sheets would be a great asset.

4) Tables
   I wish to create 'fancy' tables... and hence desire using the table
   editor functions provided in WP or PM. However, I do not know how
   to completely automate the process for PM (I don't believe PM's Table
   Editor support DDE/OLE nor does it have a scripting language). On the WP
   side, I am quite comfortable with the extensive macro language, so I
   could make a program to automatically format text into tables; but
   perhaps someone has a better/faster method. (There will probably be
   more than 300 tables in total!).

   Another problem is that tables don't support style sheets in PM.
   Perhaps there is a PD/Shareware table editor that does.
   (Excel/Quattro Pro might serve well, but I don't own either and they
   would be an expensive choice.)

   Alternatively, with a lot of work (and the use of style sheets - see
   above), I could create the appearance of tables in PM using ruling
   lines/tabs. I do  not like this appreach, however.

As you can see, I'm rather hesitant about either option in the PM versus
WP war... both have deficiencies. Any help you can provide will be greatly
welcome.

[For your informations, last year's programme was typed in by hand (!) and
formatted in Express Publisher. This was a lengthy process and as well did
not provide the proper callibre of visual appeal.]

Platform/Available software: 80386 33MHz, 4 Meg, 1024x768x256 SVGA,
MS-DOS 6.2 & Windows 3.1, Pagemaker 5.0a, WordPerfect 5.2, MS Access 1.0,
CorelDRAW 3.0, Express Publisher; limited use (at a remote site) of Access
1.1, Quattro Pro for Windows 1.0.
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/ Wratko "The Rat Man" Hlavina   u610142@csi.uottawa.ca (Unix account) /
/ 80386 PC, MS-DOS & WINDOWS...  UNIX, NeXT & Sun... CMS/VMS Mainframe /
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