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terbar

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Word Merge Issue

I just emplemented word merge in our browser based case management system.  I created a directory on each of my user's C drives, c:\webmerge, to hold the MSWord merge documents and the source data text files that the merge documents will use as a data source.  My merge documents are programmed to look for the text file in the c:\webmerge folder, and I also require that a copy of the master merge document be manually copied down to the c:\webmerge folder whenever the master template document is updated (which may be every few months or so).

This is used in my application by the user requesting a form from a list on a certain customer's account, and then the Word Document will seemlessly open with the customer's data merged into the document.  Behind the scenes, my web server queries the database and creates the souce data text file, c:\webmerge\form119.txt, and then builds the html that will open the specific document, c:\webmerge\form119.doc, and sends this down to the client.

This works fine, however, I would like to move away from my c:\webmerge folder method to possibly a more conventional method of storing these files on the client so that I don't have to create a specifically named folder on each client and I don't have to manually copy the template down each time we modify them... or maybe there's some other way of accomplishing this all together.  I definately want to stay away from server-side processing.

Thanks

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Brian Mulder
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Hi terbar,

The only way to solve it differently (is there a good reason for that?) is
-let a component query the database (as it does now through the webserver)
-instead of writing the data to a textfile do the merge right in the program
-that frees you from the textfile
-but the template has to be there anyway, and it doesn't matter much but you can store it
in the word template directory on the client under c:\programfiles\office etc...
-so then you don't need the webmerge directory

but i'm still curious why you would to solve it differently, how have you done it now with ASP or something?

HAGD:O)Bruintje
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terbar

ASKER

How do I merge in the program?  Would I have to run MSWord on the Server... :(.  Do you have example?  Could the template remain on the Server side v. c:\programfiles\office...?
thougt you said in your question

>>definately want to stay away from server-side processing

on your client it would be vb
on your server it would be asp

could you please give a bit more background on your current setup, just to get an idea? before i make the wrong assumptions
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Alon Hirsch
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AlonHirsh,

Do you know of any sample code that I can look at?  I'm looking for a specific solution that doesn't require research and trial and error time.

Unfortunately, I can't give you the code I used - company copyright stuff and all that, but you can simply wrap the Internet Transfer Control into an OCX, setting the URL etc.

HTH,
Alon
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ASKER

I understand.  Unfortunately, this doesn't solve my problem as I will have to research OCX development, and therefore it will be my next question.  I'm looking for specific solution/examples if the solution involves OCX or ActiveX.
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ASKER

AlonHirsch, Does your company make the code you used availabe for purchase?
Hi terbar,

found another way of looking at this

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q285176

of course don't know if it exaclty what you need but there's some in it that could be useful

just let us know

:O)Bruintje
Hi,

Unfortunately not, but if you really need something, I can throw a simple sample together and email it to you.
Let me know your email address if you would like me to go ahead and do it.

Thanx,
Alon
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ASKER

Alon,

That would be great!  Email is sndip@cox.net

Thanks!