We are looking for a web-based document merge solution.
Our application is a web-based project management tool built using Xataface - PHP on Windows IIS + mySQL. We have a function that allows the user to generate a status report in Microsoft Word format based on data in the tool.
Currently this function is implemented using LiveDocX. We have a status report template, and LiveDocX performs the merge into the template using data from our project management tool.
The main drawback is LiveDocx is web-service based. We are looking to replace LiveDocX in order to reduce our dependence on the up-time of a third-party web-service that we cannot control.
Does anyone have any suggestions on a web-based document merge solution that I can install on my IIS or PHP based server?
In reading your question, I'm not sure if what you're after is actual mail merge or just simply populating a single Word template server-side. In either case, here are some things to get your started:
For mail merge (multiple document
results based on multiple records,
say, from a database), you can use
either the Open XML SDK for a VS
solution or access the Open XML
directly. In that case, these are
good articles to start with:
Mail Merge in WordProcessingML
Mail Merging with a Custom Client
Using the Open XML SDK 2.0
For direct single-document
population with data, these are good
libraries that use PHP:
PHP Word
PHP OpenXML API (not incredibly
mature, but a starting point)
If you are still looking for solution then you can try Aspose.Words for .NET
it is a commercial component (not free).
Related
In the Office.js docs one reads the following about the new ExecuteAsync() method/pattern:
"This also allows us to use the same APIs even outside of an Excel add-
in. Imagine, for example, that you wanted to call Excel APIs against an > Excel workbook stored in OneDrive, but you wanted to do so from a stand-> alone web application, rather than one running inside Office 2016 for
Windows or Office Online. This async model lends itself well to that
capability."
Nevertheless, I wasn't able to find any explanation on how to implement such functionality in a standalone web application. Does anyone know how to do that?
This is referring to the new Excel REST API. Please see the documentation here: http://graph.microsoft.io/en-us/docs/api-reference/v1.0/resources/excel
Excel is so far the only Office host to support REST APIs, with the exception of OneNote's REST APIs which are independent from the Office.js effort.
A question regarding the integration of the document management system Alfresco into Oracle Application Express (APEX) based on CMIs-repository:
The aim is to use APEX as the portal-page and Alfresco showing it's results (document lists) based on search parameters coming form APEX.
A search result from a CMIS-query should be displayed in an APEX page-region.
Unfortunately I have no experience in this sector (REST, CMIS) - so any advice would be welcome!
A related question regarding user authentication and authorization via CMIS does also arise.
Has anyone out there implemented something like this or used these components together, yet?
The first thing that pops into my mind is making the choice where you want your communication with the repository to take place: client side or server side?
Alfresco supports Web Scripts, so I would be possible to create a javascript-heavy thick client which connects to your repository, get information about your files and redirect to their download links.
The alternative would be to design some way to connect to the repository from the database server. Again there are many ways to do this. You can connect to the repository during your page load and use PL/SQL regions to fire scripts that connect to your repository, get the data you want, and render your region with that information.
Another way would be to periodically check the repository for changes, and maintain a 'shadow copy' of the repository within your oracle database tables.
Of course all of these solutions have their own drawbacks.
From what I understand Filemaker is a database. A friend of mine is able to make forms out of filemaker. Is it possible to publish those forms as a website?
Basically is it possible to use filemaker as a web platform?
Can I make websites out of filemaker pro's form generation facility.
If the answer is yes, is it the ideal tool for website programming?
Thanks.
In response to Your main answer "Is Filemaker a web platform?" i would says no.
Filemaker it's a database engine with gui facilities, so You can build things fast, it's an ideal tool for making projects (more or less specific) inside an corp or organization or to prototype/develop an application.
Filemaker has btw at least to modes/tools to share data and gui functions out of the box (http://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/web-publishing.html):
Instant web publishing
avaiable in the Filemaker Pro (limited users and functionality) and Filemaker Server that enable You and Your group to share with minimum effort data and gui (forms)
Custom Web Publishing
only with Filemaker servershare data trough PHP code, with some tools to auto-generate PHP code.
So Filemaker i would says can share you data and forms build inside Your database over the web and can integrate with the Server version with PHP.
Good question btw!
Rob
Technically FileMaker server has a fairly good Web API that accepts GET and POST requests and returns data in XML. There's also an official PHP wrapper around it and a few unofficial wrappers, e.g. in Python. It's pretty much possible to use it as a database backend with Web projects.
I want to build a website that displays data from an external databases. The data must be displayed in the form of charts, because charts are more expressive. I've never developed any websites yet, can anyone give me some advice about existing web frameworks and what are the advantages and disadvantages of them?
Which framework should I choose? The data are stored in an SQL Server. Because new data report types might be required in the future, the framework must be easy to modify and expand.
This is purely subjective and there are many answers to this. With that said I'll tell you what I'd use:
You mentioned that your database is using SQL Server. I'll assume that you'll want to host your website on a windows server for sake of argument. Given that, I'd choose either ASP.NET or ASP.NET MVC given that they are natural picks for a windows server hosting websites on IIS. Then I'd find myself a nice jQuery charting plugin see this SO question.
I would like to use the information contained in BusinessObjects repository as a datasource for a Crystal Reports. Unfortunately, this information isn't persisted in a simple table structure--most of the properties are stored in encrypted, binary fields.
The are a number of ways to access BO's repository:
'traditional' SDK (Java, COM, .Net)
SOAP SDK (http://[server:port]/dswsbobje/services/listServices)
query tool (http://[server:port]/businessobjects/enterprise[11|115|12]/adminlaunch/query/)
Option 1 won't work in my situation, as I would like to deploy the reports with BO Enterprise, rather than a customized web application.
Option 2 may work, but I'm not certain how well Crystal Reports interfaces with SOAP, especially since it would need to connect to a second SOAP service for authentication.
Option 3 doesn't work because it returns HTML (not XHTML)
My most-viable option at this point is to re-write #3 to return an XML document and create the supporting XSD. If I do so, I'll probably post the solution on github.
Another option would be to (somehow) add a REST wrapper around the SOAP services. This sounds like a pretty daunting task.
Has anyone had any success doing what I need to do?
The SOAP option would be the most straight-forward, as enabling Web Services is a very simple option toggle in one the XML config files followed by a restart of Tomcat.
REST options may be available already, but would depend on your specific BO version. I'm pretty sure that Explorer had some type of REST option during the XI R2 era, and as of BO 4.0, SP4, you should be able to do this: http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/boexir4/en/xi4_bip_rest_ws_en.pdf
Finally, you have the option of direct ODBC access to the repository database. As of 4.0, MS SQL Server 2008 is the default for Windows, IBM DB2 for unix or linux, but MySQL (the prior default option) can still be used as well. ANy of these should be straight forward to access, and provide more detail than the standard repo interface.
If you go that direct-access route, for security reasons I would recommend a proxy setup, or replication into a database that already handled your reporting needs.