G'day Les, Document creation (including complex mail merge) is simple with the OpenXML SDK and conversion to PDF is easy with Word Automation Services in SharePoint 2010.
I did a couple of posts on it back in the day. Document Creation and Conversion with the OpenXML SDK and SharePoint 2010 Word Automation Services - Part 1<http://blogs.msdn.com/b/acoat/archive/2010/06/19/document-creation-and-conversion-with-the-openxml-sdk-and-sharepoint-2010-word-automation-services.aspx> Document Creation and Conversion with the OpenXML SDK and SharePoint 2010 Word Automation Services - Part 2<http://blogs.msdn.com/b/acoat/archive/2011/04/06/document-creation-and-conversion-with-the-openxml-sdk-and-sharepoint-2010-word-automation-services-part-2.aspx> Cheers Andrew Coates, ME, MCPD, MCSD MCTS, Developer Evangelist, Microsoft, 1 Epping Road, NORTH RYDE NSW 2113 Ph: +61 (2) 9870 2719 * Mob +61 (416) 134 993 * Fax: +61 (2) 9870 2400 * http://blogs.msdn.com/acoat From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Rob von Nesselrode Sent: Friday, 19 August 2011 5:58 AM To: 'ozDotNet' Subject: RE: Editing DOCX (mail-merge) and DOCX -> PDF Les, Bit late, but I've had a play recently with this from CodeProject: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/office/Fill_Mergefields.aspx >From the site: "Utility class for filling mergefields (loose fields and >tabular data) in a Microsoft Word (docx) template document, without needing >Microsoft Word itself" This uses the OpenXMLSdk to play with the zipped xml. Went as far as a working prototype for our app and its on the RSN shelf as I write. I noticed what may be a bug - it appears to replace the whole contents of a cell that includes a merge field (when the field is within a table) - this changed my cell formatting. Since I have the source I should be able to sort that. We will then render/email/print etc with one real Word instance on a server (where the docx/dotm files reside) which is easy enough to do with a wcf app that listens for file names and fires up word as required. Could use another rendering engine I guess - like Aspose. As long as you only need one instance. Rob ________________________________ From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com<mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com> [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com]<mailto:[mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com]> On Behalf Of Grant Castner Sent: Monday, 8 August 2011 11:30 To: ozDotNet Subject: Re: Editing DOCX (mail-merge) and DOCX -> PDF Hi Les, I use a combination of ckeditor, PDF metamorphisis, and the C# MailDefinition and Dictionary classes: * Create a html template with merge fields (e.g. use @@FieldName@@) * Users can edit the html template with something like ckeditor * Use the Dictionary class to replace the merge fields in the template * Create a pdf version of the resulting merged page using PDF Metamorphisis * Create the email using the MailDefinition class Cheers, Grant -- [http://www.castnerit.com.au/images/castnerITLogo_96x96.png] Castner IT Pty Ltd Dr Grant Castner Director e: gcast...@castnerit.com.au<mailto:gcast...@castnerit.com.au> w: http://www.castnerit.com.au<http://www.castnerit.com.au/> p: 0458 770 749 a: P.O. Box 952 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 twitter: @castnerit<http://twitter.com/CastnerIT> facebook: facebook.com/castnerit<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brisbane-Australia/Castner-IT/291936316886?v=info> On 8 August 2011 00:47, Les Hughes <l...@datarev.com.au<mailto:l...@datarev.com.au>> wrote: Hi All, I currently have a legacy app which uses an Access database to do a mail-merge with Word 2003. Due to upgrades, all of the Access 03 stuff is getting its last rights. Since we are now SQL server with security, mail-merges are a little harder than before, and not really practical. (but maybe I'm missing something?) A few questions: - Any good advise/links on how to do a similar thing to mail-merges? - I've been playing around with using System.Packaging to unzip the docx and find/replace on the merge fields. I'd like to be able to export the docx file to PDF without having Word on the machine, I've had a look at Aspose.Words and it seems pricey for what I want to do (docx->pdf on multiple client sites = ~$3000). Does anyone have any advice or experience with one product over another? I'm not 100% sure about what I am trying to do yet, so any info/stories/links/whatever would be appreciated. Thanks :) -- Les Hughes l...@datarev.com.au<mailto:l...@datarev.com.au>
