Can I Import table from txt file into form letter using Python?
WorkerBee
accessnewbie at gmail.com
Thu Feb 21 17:12:12 EST 2013
Very new to python but diving in with both feet here.
I am trying to extend a python script to include automating a response form letter by including the results from a text file in tabular format into the letter.
I have a text file called “Cities” that I want to add to a paragraph in document. (It can be a text document. I can copy it into a word document later)
The Cities.txt file looks like this:
"CITYNAME", Pop
"Master Chief", 4277647
"El Carro", 10017844
"Geat Stanton", 717804
"Eureka", 1973732
"Lands End",5329713
"Pembrook", 2751614
"White Park", 6854152
"Greenbriar", 3243175
"Lost Crutches", 1285470
"Storeybrook", 268888
"Burlington Heights City",10793
"Nyte", 11613743
"Dog Patch", 472314
"Miserable Lives", 2439334
"Lincoln Park Pirates", 6808633
"Son ofaFrancisco", 2295350
"Lois Lane Heights", 5178065
The first line is header info which will need to be renamed. The remaining lines need to be entered as two columns but doubled up across the page. The file will always be called cities but the data will change for each form letter. Thus the cities could be 100 records long, or no cities found depending on the search results. The table has to be 6.5 inches wide. Height will vary. Thus for this file the data will need to look like this:
"Below is a list of the following cities that are within your area of interest."
City Name Population City Name Population
Master Chief 4277647 Storeybrook 268888
El Carro 10017844 Burlington Heights City 10793
Geat Stanton 717804 Nyte 11613743
Eureka 1973732 Dog Patch 472314
Lands End 5329713 Miserable Lives 2439334
Pembrook 2751614 Lincoln Park Pirates 6808633
White Park 6854152 Son ofaFrancisco 2295350
Greenbriar 3243175 Lois Lane Heights 5178065
Lost Crutches 1285470
(Note: No data would say something like: "There are no cities within your area of interest." No table is inserted.)
Note that the city names sizes change so the column widths may need to change also. My current process is to import the text file into Excel. Rename and bold font headings and copy and paste second set of headings in columns 3 and 4. Cut and paste half the rows into new columns below the second set of headings. Copy and paste into word document. Auto fit table to window.
I actually have several text files. Some require 1, 2 or 3 SETS of columns. I figure if I can get coding for the above example, I can figure out how to change it for all other text files.
I am trying to automate as much as the process as possible. Using python, I have automated the processing required to get the text files, now I want to try to automate putting this data into a standardized word document. Basically I'm trying to automate a form letter that has a few modifications depending on the query results. Can anyone help me here, if not with the code, a site that would help me figure it out by myself?
BTW, I have NO control over the appearance of the form letter. A committee of silly bureaucrats argued endlessly over the format last year and thus its format is carved in stone. I just plug in the data like a good grunt worker bee, so please refrain from slamming me on the ridiculousness of multiple columns. Appearance is everything around here.
Thanks in advance.
More information about the Python-list
mailing list