Data to List

This utility is for converting text in a textfile to a HTML document. This panel initially appears as follows:

Data to List is designed to convert a list of items in a text file to an HTML list, but it can also be used to create blank lists. This function will be explained first.

The creation of a blank list requires no input file, so Specify input file is disabled unless Read (and count) list items from input file is selected. The output file is specified as explained in HTML Template. If you want to create an ordered list of ten items, with item numbers, using ordinary numerals, with the first item numbered "11", with the list centered, then the appropriate input is as follows:

Clicking on Create HTML for list then creates the output file, whose contents are displayed as:

When a list of items in a text file is to be converted to a HTML list Read (and count) list items from input file should be selected. It is then necessary to specify both the input file and the output file in the usual way.

Suppose we have a list of items in a text file named list1.txt, as follows:

One apple, Granny Smith
Two oranges, peeled
Three bananas
Four chefs, Swiss
Five managers, MBAs
Six directors
Seven holding companies, Bahama-based
Eight consortia
Nine countries
Ten planets

and we wish to convert this to an unordered list in list1.htm with type="disc", then the input should be something like:

Clicking on Create HTML for list then creates the output file, which is similar to the one in the previous example.

The items in the list in the text file can be separated in four different ways. The item separator may be:

  1. End-of-line (each item occupies a single line of the text file, the usual condition).
  2. Blank line (items are separated by blank lines).
  3. Initial numeral (each item is preceded by a numeral, e.g., "11" or "11.").
  4. Initial asterisk (each item is preceded by one or more asterisks, e.g., "*" or "***").

If a list contains one or more items which extend over more than one line in the text file then one of b, c or d must be used.

If an ordered list must begin with a number other than 1 (or A, etc.) then the initial numeral item separator should be used, with the first item numbered appropriately.

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