Step 3: Tweak the output
The python script contains the instructions for pulling the data from the data file and placing it on the page.
Don't be intimidated by python if you haven't used it before. The code that is there should be straightforward to modify (though it can be tedious).
The basic structure for the python script is as follows:
- Lines 1 - 59 set up the script and read the values from the data file you select
- Lines 60 - 153 set the definition for each of the text boxes that appear on the page. There are four each of date, day, title and description text boxes. There are four sets of text boxes that correspond with the four copies that appear on each page.
- Lines 154 - 167 set up the loop that will copy the data read from the data file,\
- LInes 168 -272 Creates each textbox, adds data to it and set the font, size and other attributes.
- Lines 273 - 308 sets some application -specific settings.
Experiment with changing x, y values in lines 60-153 to see how the changes are reflected in the output.
Experiment with changing the contents of the text boxes and the other attributes of the text to see how they are reflected in the final product.
You can manually add text boxes to the master page and translate the x,y, height and width values to the script and re-run it. This can be tedious, but you have lots of control over the layout.
For consistency, make sure that each of the four copies of your text boxes have the same height and width. Also, align the horizontal copies of your text boxes by using the same 'y' values and align the vertical copies of your text boxes by using the same 'x' values. Referring to the sample script should help clarify this.
I haven't included the full year's worth of data, but if you come up with a great alternative design, go to https://sites.google.com/site/todayincomputinghistory and let me know so that we can discuss sending the whole data file for your design.
Don't be intimidated by python if you haven't used it before. The code that is there should be straightforward to modify (though it can be tedious).
The basic structure for the python script is as follows:
- Lines 1 - 59 set up the script and read the values from the data file you select
- Lines 60 - 153 set the definition for each of the text boxes that appear on the page. There are four each of date, day, title and description text boxes. There are four sets of text boxes that correspond with the four copies that appear on each page.
- Lines 154 - 167 set up the loop that will copy the data read from the data file,\
- LInes 168 -272 Creates each textbox, adds data to it and set the font, size and other attributes.
- Lines 273 - 308 sets some application -specific settings.
Experiment with changing x, y values in lines 60-153 to see how the changes are reflected in the output.
Experiment with changing the contents of the text boxes and the other attributes of the text to see how they are reflected in the final product.
You can manually add text boxes to the master page and translate the x,y, height and width values to the script and re-run it. This can be tedious, but you have lots of control over the layout.
For consistency, make sure that each of the four copies of your text boxes have the same height and width. Also, align the horizontal copies of your text boxes by using the same 'y' values and align the vertical copies of your text boxes by using the same 'x' values. Referring to the sample script should help clarify this.
I haven't included the full year's worth of data, but if you come up with a great alternative design, go to https://sites.google.com/site/todayincomputinghistory and let me know so that we can discuss sending the whole data file for your design.
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