It seems to me that what you described could best be handled by a simple "TABLE" in your word processing software (Word or WordPerfect). No need to resort to Excel (spreadsheets have all those calculating features that are superfluous to your project) and no need to resort to database programs (Paradox, Q&A, etc.) as they are designed to handle many more bits of information for each "record" (e.g., a plant) than you anticipate needing.
In a simple word processing TABLE, The "rows" can be alphabetized by the first word in the first cell, the name of your plant, automatically. The rows will stay alphabetized as you add and subtract plants.
The cells, components you want to list across under the column headings for each plant, would be kept with the row as the row changed position up or down due to the addition or subtraction of a plant row.
Your "header row" -- the one with the column headings -- can be made (with one click in the Tables menu) to repeat at the top of each page automatically. It's really easy.
The cells will expand as needed while you're entering text. You have the benefit of text editing functions of a word processing program. You can drag the guidelines to increase or decrease the width of a column. You can choose typeface, change font size, use bold, italic, color, etc. You can shade rows and cells for emphasis, legitibility, etc.
However, if you decide you'd really like to be able to track sixteen "components" instead of eight, then a word processing table would be unwieldy, in which case you should use a modest relational database program instead.
In no case, in my opinion, is a spreadsheet appropriate. True, it has cells which can be used to organize text, but it's designed to manipulate that information, to calculate, which gives it way more weight and complexity than you have any use for.
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Date: 2010-04-06 09:28 am (UTC)In a simple word processing TABLE, The "rows" can be alphabetized by the first word in the first cell, the name of your plant, automatically. The rows will stay alphabetized as you add and subtract plants.
The cells, components you want to list across under the column headings for each plant, would be kept with the row as the row changed position up or down due to the addition or subtraction of a plant row.
Your "header row" -- the one with the column headings -- can be made (with one click in the Tables menu) to repeat at the top of each page automatically. It's really easy.
The cells will expand as needed while you're entering text. You have the benefit of text editing functions of a word processing program. You can drag the guidelines to increase or decrease the width of a column. You can choose typeface, change font size, use bold, italic, color, etc. You can shade rows and cells for emphasis, legitibility, etc.
However, if you decide you'd really like to be able to track sixteen "components" instead of eight, then a word processing table would be unwieldy, in which case you should use a modest relational database program instead.
In no case, in my opinion, is a spreadsheet appropriate. True, it has cells which can be used to organize text, but it's designed to manipulate that information, to calculate, which gives it way more weight and complexity than you have any use for.