How do I provide a transcript of a conversation?
I think you really just need the description
environment, which you can easily tweak to your liking. What about:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{xparse}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\setlist[description]{
font={\sffamily\bfseries},
labelsep=0pt,
labelwidth=\transcriptlen,
leftmargin=\transcriptlen,
}
\newlength{\transcriptlen}
\NewDocumentCommand {\setspeaker} { mo } {%
\IfNoValueTF{#2}
{\expandafter\newcommand\csname#1\endcsname{\item[#1:]}}%
{\expandafter\newcommand\csname#1\endcsname{\item[#2:]}}%
\IfNoValueTF{#2}
{\settowidth{\transcriptlen}{#1}}%
{\settowidth{\transcriptlen}{#2}}%
}
% Easiest to put the longest name last...
\setspeaker{Bob}
\setspeaker{Billy}[Billy Bob]
\setspeaker{xxx}[Xavier Xanadu III]
% How much of a gap between speakers and text?
\addtolength{\transcriptlen}{1em}%
\begin{document}
\begin{description}
\Bob I'm looking for a package to help with the layout of an
interview transcript are there any good packages to do such a
task. If possible could you provide a minimum working example?
\Billy I'm looking for a package to help with the layout of an
interview transcript are there any good packages to do such a
task. If possible could you provide a minimum working example?
\xxx Perhaps something that aligns the names to the text, and uses a
columnar layout for the people vs what they said.
\end{description}
\end{document}
Package dramatist
is intended to write plays, but I guess an interview is a mini-play too.
\documentclass{minimal}
\usepackage{dramatist}
\begin{document}
\begin{drama}
\Character{John Dow}{dow}
\Character{Jane Roe}{roe}
\dowspeaks: I am John Dow.
\roespeaks: I am Jane Roe. \direct{\roe{} leaves}
\end{drama}
\end{document}