In frustration, I googled this issue, found my post
and http://ftp.datacad.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4314.I downloaded the "count" macro, and ran it, and got the following result in a 'cnt' file (I abbreviated the output, just to show the format):
SYMBOL COUNTS
Drawing Name : C:\DataCAD 17\Drawings\officebuilding
Date : 10/6/2016
----------------------------------------------------
Symbol : E:\DCAD8\SYM\Job_rela\office24\42_4latf
Quantity : 14
Item name : 4 dwr lat file 42" wide
Cost : 0.00
----------------------------------------------------
Lookie! I can get the item name (no limit to the number of characters) and quantity, which is what I'd want to list in a table!
This capability is out there, its a bit crude in the way it prints out (not a nice table), but its like carbon paper:
It's simple and it works.So I can now pick through this data, deleting the irrelevant info and make my own table.
This macro has been around for a while. What I don't understand is why something this simple and <relatively> easy to use isn't incorporated into the program already. Its a big benefit, and a bit of a no-brainer. Now, I'm going to have to screw around and put it into a table..., but that is going to be easier than whatever I'll have to learn to do, in order to redo every friggin symbol. Still, I'm left wondering .... the simple tools are the ones that make CAD easy to use. Why aren't these developed better? There are a lot of gee-whiz stuff that is difficult to learn, so it goes unused. Not every CAD user is a pro. Simple tools for simple minds. Is that asking for too much?
Anyway, thanks for all of your comments and replies.
I saw a message thread where Josh was tackling this sort of issue in 2009.
http://forum.datacad.com/viewtopic.php?p=42795