[solved] Producing varying documents from a single source document

ngoonee · 2014-10-31 00:49:47

Background: As a lecturer, I write exam scripts (with marking scheme) and various tutorials/lab sheets/assignments, also with appropriate marking schemes. The formatting requirements are fairly strict on exam scripts, and I sometimes have to produce the same exam script with minor changes (for example, if the subject caters to different departments, the headers are different).

Right now I do everything in libreoffice writer, using a template I created based on their Word document template. I submit the exam papers in pdf forms, corrections are suggested, and I implement them.

However, the marking scheme and question paper are separate documents, so I must always remember to update both at the same time. The format looks something like this:-

Q1. (a) Some question. (3 marks)
      
      (b) Some other question. (a gazillion marks)

Q2.....

Q1. (a) Some question. (3 marks)
           ANSWER:
           Some long complicated solution
      
      (b) Some other question. (a gazillion marks)
           ANSWER:
           Some other long complicated solution

Q2.....

Is there a way (preferably using libreoffice as I don't really want to create a latex template for this, though I use that extensively for research publishing) that i could create both marking scheme and exam paper from the same document? Or somehow 'link' two documents such that when one updates the other does too. Something similar to Calc/Excel's links to external spreadsheets.

Just putting this out there to see what suggestions I can get. Already been bitten once by changes made to the marking scheme but not the question paper.

Last edited by ngoonee (2014-11-07 03:01:19)

surfatwork · 2014-10-31 08:56:06

You could put the content into Calc, and write a small macro that will generate the required docs.

ngoonee · 2014-11-04 09:30:05

surfatwork wrote:

You could put the content into Calc, and write a small macro that will generate the required docs.

How would that format the resulting documents though? As formatting is really quite important for this document.

thisllub · 2014-11-04 11:29:58

I think you will need to use fields
e.g.Hidden paragraphs
https://help.libreoffice.org/Writer/Hiding_Text

Mail merge would work too but formatting will take a bit of extra work.

ngoonee · 2014-11-04 13:13:47

thisllub wrote:

I think you will need to use fields
e.g.Hidden paragraphs
https://help.libreoffice.org/Writer/Hiding_Text
Mail merge would work too but formatting will take a bit of extra work.

Thanks, that's awesome! Will try it out in a few days time.

EDIT: Yes, that does just about exactly what I want. Thank you thisllub!

Last edited by ngoonee (2014-11-07 03:00:30)

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#1 2014-10-31 00:49:47

[solved] Producing varying documents from a single source document

#2 2014-10-31 08:56:06

Re: [solved] Producing varying documents from a single source document

#3 2014-11-04 09:30:05

Re: [solved] Producing varying documents from a single source document

#4 2014-11-04 11:29:58

Re: [solved] Producing varying documents from a single source document

#5 2014-11-04 13:13:47

Re: [solved] Producing varying documents from a single source document

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