Very realistic. ANd with the proper tools and skill set, quite easy.
IMHO, a project of this sort is best handled via what's called "Database
Publishing" where the content is in a database (such as Access, or
FoxPro, or Approach, or Filemaker, etc) and one uses the dtp/dbp
application to write a "recipe" for going out into the database and
extracting, sorting, and importing the information in formatted
conmdition. A "mail merge" kind of thing but vastly more powerful and
specifically oriented.
Each content item would be a different field in a course record.
Think of a record as a single index card and the fields as lines on the
cards. Each card would have the same exact lines, (but it woould not be
necessary for each record to have all fields completed)
As a made up example:
field Name: Desktop Publishing
field Number: DTP102
field description: Blah blah, blah
field credits: 2
field meets: Tue-Thurs 8AM Rm 237
and so on.
Hundreds of different records, even thousands, could be accommodated in
the database. At any given time one can open the data base and very
quickly go to the specific cour record and make changes.
Once properly done, all up-dates are made to the database and a new
"published" copy can be acheived in minutes. *That's right, minutes.*
I have several 100+ page photo directories containing names, addresses,
and photos of some 800-900 organization members. After annual edits for
the yearbook, it takes less than 15 minutes to generate the pages
complete with photos in position.
Getting it set up correctly can be quite a chore but it needs be done
only once (keep notes while doing it in case you need to edit it later).
Keeping everything in a large Word file (large Word docs are very
susceptible to corruption and data loss) is risky and very labor
intensive. In effect, you are keeping a copy of the piublication then
scrolling around to edit entries and add new ones. You could edit 5 data
base records in the time it takes you to find and edit one on a Word
file.
Publisher has a module that can do this--sort of. Depending on how
simple your layout it, it could do the job...but I would seriously test
it before copmmitting the job to it.
Ventura Publisher (from Corel Corporation) has a module specifically for
this and it works great--I've used it for 10 years. One can buy add-ons
for Quark and InDesign to do essentiially the same thing.
Such a project will be a serious learning experience. You will not be
able to do it in an afternoon. There are no pre-figured "templates" that
will do the work for you.
