Feature Request - Render to Word

[tony.herstell1]

We can reder to PDF, Render to Excel is there any library/piece of work that could work with Seam to render to Micro$oft Word (the new format is open isn't it)?

New project; new problem...

Problem

:
Customer wants to have reports, from multiple disperate people, combined into one report. Reports are done in Word and often people have messed up the styles, (bullet points etc.) etc. meaning hours of re-formatting etc. at the last minute when they are cut-paste together.

Solution, me thinks, is to get rid of styles so... get rid of word... Add the text using smart (Ajax) web pages into a back-end store using buttons to [Add Title], [Add Sub Title], [Add Paragarph], [Add Table] (select number of Cols) viewed in real-time using the WYSIWYG Wiki Text.

You get the gist... create the document serverside by stringing all the bits together with some smart processing to create the Front Page, TOC etc.

Display on screen using wiki text but allow download to Word, PDF etc.

For now I can render to PDF, but I am still being asked to render to Word.

Real Time editing is required when the meetins are progressing; of course, with other useful abilities (Actions/Minutes/etc.).

Ho Hum... Thre may be a COTS product that someone could suggest?

[svetzal]

There's no specific Seam support, but I've had excellent success in the past using Apache FOP to render either an HTML subset or your own XML markup into formats like RTF. Plus you have easy access to embed vector SVG graphics to assist in the visual design of your document(s).

FOP has a couple restrictions (you can't have floating inline elements for example) but it is a reliable engine for XSL-FO processing. I have a system stable in the field 2 years now that generates about 3000 documents daily up to 12 pages each.

It's truly a shame you don't see XSL-FO used more out there.

[tony.herstell1]

Useful post I will look at this avenue.

[accountclosed]

I haven't used FOP for about five years now and I remember it working although it was a glutton for memory. Having said that I was generating 200 page documents.

To the OP:
There's also the Open Office API for Java and also a project called OpenXML4J that purports that it is dedicated to the creation and manipulation of Office Open XML (ECMA-376) and OPC based documents (for example Office 2007 Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents).

Just as a suggestion, why not get them to do their real time editing right in your web app rather than supporting the ransom-note-style disparated (or desparate ;) styles? That sounds like it would simplify the process considerably and would only require Seam's built-in PDF support.

[tony.herstell1]

I will look at these too:

Open Office API for Java

and

OpenXML4J

> why not get them to do their real time editing right in your web app
This is my intention... but then you know what clients are.

> That sounds like it would simplify the process considerably and would only require Seam's built-in PDF support.
My thinking completely.

Just got to sell it to them.