Using MS-Word as a file generation engine

[Rich]

Greetings,

We've developed an ASP site for internal employee use that took data
from a database and created meticulously formatted documents for a
client (who checks every space, table alignment, etc., with a ruler).
Our site used Word as the file generator, opening Word, formatting and
inserting data as required.

The client is now asking us to make the tool accessible to him, so he
can generate is own documents (I guess we're getting it right), and
he's mentioned that the site is slow. We're trying to find a way to
speed things, and I'm looking for suggestions.

I've heard people say that we shouldn't be using Word in this way,
running it on a server, opening and closing documents, etc. because of
potential memory leaks. We may be moving the tool to a
client-supported server soon, and their system admins don't like the
fact that they'll have to install Word and maybe having it running all
the time so it doesn't open and close.

I'm just not sure I trust some of the "Word file generation tools"
I've investigated to get the formatting perfect every time. Has
anyone else run across a situation like this, and might you have any
suggestions?

Any advice or guidance is appreciated,

Rich

 

[McKirahan]

Greetings,

We've developed an ASP site for internal employee use that took data
from a database and created meticulously formatted documents for a
client (who checks every space, table alignment, etc., with a ruler).
Our site used Word as the file generator, opening Word, formatting and
inserting data as required.

The client is now asking us to make the tool accessible to him, so he
can generate is own documents (I guess we're getting it right), and
he's mentioned that the site is slow. We're trying to find a way to
speed things, and I'm looking for suggestions.

I've heard people say that we shouldn't be using Word in this way,
running it on a server, opening and closing documents, etc. because of
potential memory leaks. We may be moving the tool to a
client-supported server soon, and their system admins don't like the
fact that they'll have to install Word and maybe having it running all
the time so it doesn't open and close.

I'm just not sure I trust some of the "Word file generation tools"
I've investigated to get the formatting perfect every time. Has
anyone else run across a situation like this, and might you have any
suggestions?

Any advice or guidance is appreciated,

Rich

How about converting your ASP page's logic to an HTA and let it rely on a
local copy of MS-Word?