Microsoft Word 2002: Convert Text Records to Tables ?

[LoveMusic]

I brought the following text lines into Word 10 (aka 2002) & added the ~'s to the blank line paragraphs: How can I transform the address 'records' into tables sortable on name ?

name phone
adrs
adrs
~
name phone
adrs
adrs
~                                    etc.... about 120 of these.

If I put all the records into a single table how can I use a table/splitter shortcut key to split at the ~ character delimiters ?

[soybean]

How about using Excel for this instead of Word?

[Rob Pomeroy]

I would probably manipulate the text in Notepad++, with the intention of creating a CSV file.  That file could then be read by Excel (as soybean suggests) and filtered/sorted as desired.  Word is great word processor, but a very poor tool for managing and manipulating data.

[BC_Programmer]

Isn't Word 2002 Mac-Only?

[soybean]

Isn't Word 2002 Mac-Only?

No, it's for Microsoft Windows.  I believe it is also commonly known as Word XP since it is part of Office XP.   Office 10 = Office 2002 = Office XP.  Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_XP

[LoveMusic]

Background: My address book file came from DOS Wordperfect which could perform most publication, & some spreadsheet and data base chores. My experience had taught me to avoid all MS utility software whenever practical & cost efficient. After over a decade of forgotten frustrations & disappointments I picked up MS Office Pro 2002 at a Goodwill store for $2 & decided to try it to update my addresses. I had retained enough pain avoidance residual memory to know to restrict my discomfort factor to just one MS program. And with my wife's often repeated 'advice' to 'just get it done', my plan became clear. Starting with:

P
name1:T phone 1 P
adrs: T phone 2 P
adrs: T Phone 3 P
misc: info P
P                               etc. ... about 130 of these, where T= Tab, P= paragraph

Solution was the following; where ~ = unique character, & a<b = replace a with b.

P < ~P , ~P~P < P , ~P < ~ , SORT, ~ < P

One constraint was that Word didn't like losing all paragraphs in the process.

I miss WordPerfect which could define & sort on fields & see the split screen formatting codes while experimenting with them. It did most of the spread sheet stuff I ever needed.

Word Help is not very descriptive of the menu driven procedures & skimpy on examples, but that may be that I've never had the patience to go scavenger hunting after them.

[soybean]

You seem to be ignoring the advice given by my and Rob to use Excel.  You're still talking about word processors.

P
name1:T phone 1 P
adrs: T phone 2 P
adrs: T Phone 3 P
misc: info P
P                               etc. ... about 130 of these, where T= Tab, P= paragraph

Solution was the following; where ~ = unique character, & a<b = replace a with b.

P < ~P , ~P~P < P , ~P < ~ , SORT, ~ < P

I really can't make any sense of the above info re: your data. I would think adrs means address, yet you have phone following it.  The T and P usage is also not clear.  How do they relate to a data file? 

[LoveMusic]

I  have about 130 records of name, address & phone number sets. Here is an example:

Allan Biggs<tab>              Home: 987-876-765<paragraph>
543 Joy St<tab>              Work: 567-765-876<paragraph>
Braless Ohio<tab>            Cell:    765-876-567<paragraph>
he likes to put his pants on backwards<paragraph>
<paragraph>

MS Word 2002 can sort on paragraphs or on tables but not on fields. Sorting on the above will break out each paragraph-line & compare with all other paragraph-lines destroying the record set format.

My solution transforms all the sets (using search & replace) from double to single paragraph delimiters, sort the paragraphs on name, then restore the original formatting for printing.

[BC_Programmer]

Sorting, Fields, compare, recordset, transforms...

Sounds like what you're trying to use a word processor document as a database.

WordPerfect, to my recollection, was similar in function to Microsoft Works, in that it combined a number of applications (word processing, database, spreadsheet, etc) in a simplified form, but allowed interoperability between the various modules. (mail merging of fields in a database in a word processor document).

Microsoft Word is only a Word Processor. So you aren't going to find tools for manipulating and dealing with text as if it were in a database. Instead, Word can work with the other components of Office to provide that sort of thing.

Actually, looking at it, it looks like you don't really want a word processor document at all, but rather a database with reports that you can print.

[soybean]

Sorting, Fields, compare, recordset, transforms...

Sounds like what you're trying to use a word processor document as a database.

------

Actually, looking at it, it looks like you don't really want a word processor document at all, but rather a database with reports that you can print.

Yes, indeed, a database application does seem to be the best solution. 

[LoveMusic]

...sounds like what you're trying to use a word processor document as a database... ?  *** A very elementary one !

...WordPerfect, to my recollection, was similar in function to Microsoft Works, in that it combined a number of applications (word processing, database, spreadsheet, etc) in a simplified form, but allowed interoperability between the various modules. (mail merging of fields in a database in a word processor document)...   *** Right again - a single multi-faceted prgm !

This was the 1st need beyond Wordpad & Notepad & Editpad Lite that I've needed since Wordperfect for about 25yrs. Having to guess my way thru the Un-Helpfile hints & format codes to learn what Word does & doesn't do - was the hard part. I was able to do what I want without having to struggle thru yet another MS prgm & I've learned something in the process. Can't beat simplicity & success - can you ?