Oracle + word, excel, ppt on the web

[doowle]

Hope you can give me an idea of where to start -
My project manager signed me up to create a website & Oracle db which users can use to, among other things, create Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files which include data from the Oracle db chosen by the user to insert into template fields.

i.e., users have certain format presentations boss likes to see. But they are always digging up different info to put in there based on different queries on the same data. So this week she wants info based on paramaters a, b, and c but next week pulls a presentation down in the same format, but with data based on paramaters a, d, and g.

I am okay to write html, css, asp, sql. But I have never tried to integrate any website work with Office apps. Do I want Office Developer? Visual Studio? Both? Has anyone worked with these tools? Has anyone done anything like this? Would this be done in VB? As you can see, I am lost. Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

[qball]

wish it was that easy...

Let me see if I have this right.

I'm a user. I got to website and login (html form, scripting to validate user against DB). Now I see a page with links to my 'presentations', being Word/Excel/PP templates?

I click link and Word/Excel/PP opens template with fields from DB?

Can you get Word/Excel/PP to open template with DB data directly? Forget from browser...

What if users have different versions of Word/Excel/PP?


Has anyone done anything like this?


I wrote a powerbuilder app to open word template and cut and paste changes from a DB (ASA when it was called SQLAnywhere). Used both DDE and ActiveX control. DDE worked better, but both suffered from poor performance and in the implementation, timing issues.

I would think .NET would offer some type of solution like this, but ALL users will need the .NET framework, and on the web that's an issue. Additionally, haven't seen any implementation (.NET or otherwise) that does something like this...

Better of with VB app that does this and then allow users to VPN and use VB app, but more issues as each user needs VB app and VPN access.

If there was an easy way to integrate Office apps into web, I would think one would see much more of this.

[doowle]

Thanks for the response. It sounds to me like the project, as currently spelled out, is not realistic for us to complete. Particularly with our limited time frame. That's what I was afraid of.

I have been thinking of how we could do this alternatively that would be simpler and still possibly acceptable to sponsor/project manager.

How about something like this (vpn is out of the question to them, btw):
1) I allow them to make choices in a regular asp page I format to look similar to the templates they are used to working in, just using regular dropdowns, checkboxes, etc. where they want to make their entries.
2) I set up a table which collects their choices when they hit submit, creating a new entry in that table. The new entry will also contain a value, either user chosen or automatically generated, which I will use as the unique file name used in step#4

Then on the server (this #3 is the part I am not sure how I would automate, suggestions?)

3) I open a template in their program of choice, such as Word or PowerPoint, not to the net but just locally on the server. It is configured to pull the data from the table that I just put all the user's choices in from the web.
4) Save that file, which now contains their choices, under the unique filename contained in the table entry created in step #2
5) Show the user a drop-down list automatically populated with the file names of the current (and past) files created in step 4 to download to their desktop.

What do you think? Step 3 is the one I am at a loss about where to start (step 4 I don't know how to do either, but it seems easier to figure out than step 3).
I figure I could format the asp (html) pages to look so close to the templates they want to work in, they'd hardly know the difference.

Comments? Suggestions on how to accomplish step #3? I don't want to offer this alternative to them unless I know it is doable in the prescribed time frame (3 months), of course.

I would appreciate any suggestions/help on this idea. Thanks.

[qball]

My project manager signed me up to create a website & Oracle db which users can use to...


What has "project manager" offered as solution? Contingency?

My bad. But, why are they "project manager"?

Your solution shows some promise, and you need to follow the data... as the data is important, not the format (.doc/.xls/.html).

If you need to to 'output' .doc/.xls/.html, then find the "data" and 'format' and give to user?

get a manager that knows what they are doing?

[Cpl_Squirrel]

Originally posted by qball
get a manager that knows what they are doing?
"wish it was that easy..." ;)

[DocEvi1]

it seems strange to me that a "Project Manager" gives the project out to someone who, no offense intended, is struggling a little to get a suitable solution.

I know of a similar situation where I worked, Boss 1 couldn't do something so he gave it to Boss 2. Boss 2 couldn't do it so he gave it to Supervisior 1. Sup. 1 then gave it to lowest paid employee who did it better than needed. Sup. 1 was praised by Boss 2, Boss 2 was praised by Boss 1 and Boss 1 was praised by everyone for getting something so good done.
Up the chain Sup1 - Boss2 - Boss1 they all said they had done it and Employee never got thanked.

Make sure it does't happen to you mate, it really annoys you.

Stefan

[qball]

"wish it was that easy..."



me, too...



Make sure it does't happen to you mate, it really annoys you.


DocEvi1,

The world works in mysterious ways...

And, that could be annoying. But the lowest paid employee (perhaps screwed), may not get the accolades, but lpe has something B1/B2/S1 doesn't.

The ability and knowledge to implement the solution better than needed. That and the experience and confidence for perhaps solving the next problem...

doowle,

I need more info on problem, but maybe this could work.

use asp/jsp/php/whatever.

user logins through browser and gets their choice of reports or config reports.

choosing report shows html form with template info stored in DB. user can change, or request report.

requesting report, will use data from html form to create .doc/.xls/.html file.

if html, show to user in browser.

if .doc/.xls/.pps, use template to create file and EMAIL (egads!) to user...

[DocEvi1]

qball I agree but sometimes that isn't enough.

Stefan

[qball]

qball I agree but sometimes that isn't enough.


Not sure what 'that' is...

But let me ask a question, off original post btw.

In your example, who would you rather be?

lpe, B1, B2, S1?

B1 couldn't do, delegated to B2. B2 couldn't do, delegated to S1. S1 couldn't do delegated to lpe. lpe does (with fries and gravy!).


Sup. 1 was praised by Boss 2, Boss 2 was praised by Boss 1 and Boss 1 was praised by everyone for getting something so good done.


Technically is correct. B1, B2, S1 did their job and job done. The fact that:


Up the chain Sup1 - Boss2 - Boss1 they all said they had done it and Employee never got thanked.


Is sob story. But S1 KNOWS lpe ultimately did it, and when asked to do 'it' again is:

screwed.
better hope lpe still around.

B2 KNOWS they didn't do, but S1 did somehow. When asked to do 'it' again is:

going straight to S1...
who is stated above.

B1 KNOWS they didn't do, but B2 did somehow. When asked to do 'it' again is:

going straight to B2...
who is stated above.

Ultimately, if lpe not around for next round of 'it', B1, B2, S1 screwed. Sure this time they grabbed the glory this time, but what about the next, and so on...

So, who would you rather be?

lpe, B1, B2, S1?

[doowle]

Originally posted by Qball
What has "project manager" offered as solution? Contingency?
Nothing. I have to provide both solutions and contingencies.

Originall posted by qball
use asp/jsp/php/whatever.

user logins through browser and gets their choice of reports or config reports.

choosing report shows html form with template info stored in DB. user can change, or request report.

requesting report, will use data from html form to create .doc/.xls/.html file.

if html, show to user in browser.

if .doc/.xls/.pps, use template to create file and EMAIL (egads!) to user...

That's where I am headed as the solution to this. I can do all items stated with the exception of creating the .doc/.xls/.ppt file using the choices the user made in the .asp page. If I can create and save the document somewhere, I could probably even pull the list of created files to a page for the user to download the file of their choice. If not, I could probably talk the proj mgr into pushing email as the solution.

My major sticking point is, I don't have a clue how to
1) push the users choices into the templates
2) trigger that push
any suggestions where to start to learn how to do that?

As for getting credit for doing the work, that is not a problem in our office. NONE of the project managers know how to program in the least. So there is never a question of who actually did the work. The project managers always get the credit, but never give any pretense of having actually done any of the work themselves. I am under the impression delegation skills are the only highly valued skills in my office.

Originally posted by DocEvi1
it seems strange to me that a "Project Manager" gives the project out to someone who,no offense intended, is struggling a little to get a suitable solution.
None taken. If I weren't both frustrated and struggling I wouldn't have posted my question.
As for this seeming strange to you, apparently you have not worked for a large US Govt agency! This, unfortunately, is the norm where I work. The rule in my office is that projects go to whoever is available, not whoever can do it.

Originally posted by Cpl_Squirrel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by qball
get a manager that knows what they are doing?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"wish it was that easy..."
My hearty agreement there, Cpl_Squirrel!

[DocEvi1]

Personally I would rather be lpe (cos I was ;) sometimes) but it would just be nice to get recognition occasionaly. You are right they did there jobs (they had to get it done and they ultimately did).

Nevermind, it aint a sob story just something that would have been nice not to happen - if people knew lpe was possibly the best implemented would he still be lpe?

Stefan

[qball]

I would rather be lpe


me too. The world is fair, it's the people that aren't. If lpe capable, they will either get credit at some point in time, or take capabilitites elsewhere...


My major sticking point is, I don't have a clue how to
1) push the users choices into the templates
2) trigger that push
any suggestions where to start to learn how to do that?


You have some options here. If you need the ASP to create the file from template, you need to reseach ASP.NET and how it integrates with Office. There should be an interface/API. See:

http://www.codeave.com/asp/code.asp?u_log=142

Not sure if that makes a real word doc???

If you can take request in ASP and then process later, you can do something like this:

In ASP request, write data from form/DB to text file. Return "Request has been accepted". ASP done.

Write a word/excel (PP???) macro that will open given text file, open template, populate fields, save template.

Less than ideal, plus you have multiple macros for each Office program. Or have a VB/java program do this. In this case it should be able to handle all formats.

If you can't take request in ASP and then process later, you need to either process in ASP, or have ASP call some program to process.

As far as access to templates, could very easily have them available for download on web page, whether the files are created dynamically in script, or processed later. Email, was just a bad solution that popped into my head.

[doowle]

Looked at the codeave, it creates a .doc file okay but not sure how I could use that code to assist, since it just creates it like creating a .txt file to store values. Doesn't open an existing one to put data in it.

But writing macros sounds like a simple, if not ideal, solution. Can't say I have ever written a macro, but my impression is that they aren't that difficult to learn. Will look into that, it seems the quickest (& most likely to work) way to learn how to do this that anyone has suggested yet (and I ask everyone I can!)

Need to look into .net soon anyway, but I am less confident about having sufficient time to learn that than I am to learn macros. Unless anyone out there thinks .net would be easier than macros...

If anyone knows offhand good macro tutorials, would appreciate pointers in their direction. Will look around on my own for them now.

THANKS for all the input!

[qball]

But writing macros sounds like a simple, if not ideal, solution.


Macros are simple, but, at best, possible solution, far from ideal. With MSOffice, macros are VBA/.NET/C#...

Open word/excel. Tools, Macro, Record New Macro...

Name it and do something, then Tools, Macro, Stop Recording Macro...

Then Tools, Macro, Edit Macro...

To view the macro code, or something like that...