Hey everyone! I’m trying to figure out if it’s possible to use odfWeave with Google Docs. I need to share some data-driven documents with my team, but they’re not familiar with LaTeX.
I’m wondering about the workflow:
Should I make the document in R first, then move it to Google Docs?
Or is it better to start in Google Docs and then bring it into R?
I’m a bit worried about a couple things:
Google Docs might mess up the special info odfWeave puts in the document
Keeping everything in sync could be tricky (though the RGoogleDocs package might help)
Has anyone tried this before? Any tips or solutions? I’d really appreciate any advice!
I’ve experimented with a similar workflow, and while it’s not perfect, there are ways to make it work. In my experience, it’s best to create the document in R with odfWeave first, then upload it to Google Docs. This preserves the structure and special elements better than starting in Google Docs.
However, be prepared for some formatting issues. Google Docs doesn’t always interpret ODF files perfectly, so you might need to do some manual adjustments after uploading. The biggest challenge is maintaining version control and syncing updates.
One workaround I’ve found is to use odfWeave to generate the core content, then copy-paste sections into a pre-formatted Google Doc template. This gives you more control over the final appearance and makes it easier to update specific sections without disrupting the whole document.
It’s not ideal, but it can be a workable compromise if your team needs to collaborate in Google Docs.
I’ve actually faced a similar challenge in my work. From my experience, using odfWeave with Google Docs isn’t straightforward, but it can be done with some workarounds.
What worked best for me was creating the initial document in R using odfWeave, then converting it to a Google Docs-compatible format before uploading. I found that converting to .docx first, then uploading to Google Docs, preserved more of the formatting and structure.
One thing to watch out for is dynamic content. If your document relies on real-time data updates, you’ll need to re-run the odfWeave process and re-upload periodically. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable if updates aren’t too frequent.
For collaboration, I ended up creating a ‘master’ version in R and odfWeave, then using that to update the Google Docs version when necessary. It requires some manual work, but it allowed my team to comment and suggest edits in a familiar environment.
Just be prepared for some trial and error. Every workflow is different, so you might need to experiment to find what works best for your specific needs.
hey, i’ve given this a go. r first then upload works best for me. but watch out for format loss. syncing is a pain, so i usually just re-upload when i do big updates. experience is unique though, so trial and error is key.