Open Word Document from SQL Server and Save back again

[Jude_44]

Hi there

I currently have a site that stores versions of Word and Excel docs in SQL
Server. User can Download the file, edit it and then Upload it again, where
it is stored in SQL Server DB as a new Version.

Following complaints from users, we need to look into options to allow users
to open the word doc from SQL, and then when Save is clicked it would save
the updated document from memory back to SQL Server.

Is there any way to accomplish this (Essentially along the lines of
Sharepoint's functionality) in ASP.NET, assuming users could be using almost
any version of Word?

Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks
Dave

 

[John Timney \(MVP\)]

Why can't you just install WSS

Regards

John Timney (MVP)
http://www.johntimney.com
http://www.johntimney.com/blog

 

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

Is there any way to accomplish this (Essentially along the lines of
Sharepoint's functionality) in ASP.NET, assuming users could be using
almost
any version of Word?

Why don't you just use SharePoint - this is one of the requirements for
which it was specifically designed...

 

[Jude_44]

Yep, I had considered that; essentially it seems like a large amount of work.
Also, security is maintained based on specific workflow conditions, roles
and many other limitations all handled within my existing ASP.NET application
etc, and I have an existing checkin/checkout structure in place as well as
specific behind-the-scenes functionality tied to checkins/checkouts and
actual Sending of any document. To shift it all over to Sharepoint would be a
large amount of work, and would make it far more complex to handle and give a
larger attack surface for the app.
Very specific rights would be applixcable to each version of each document,
and to try and implement this in Sharepoint with all the above seems like a
large task.
If Sharepoint is the only means of accomplishing this, then so-be-it, I can
keep in mind for later versions of the application, but theres not enough
time to attempt that for our current release schedule. I was hoping there was
some means of simply getting the in-memory binary of the doc at save-time and
saving it back to SQL directly, in the same way as I do it at the moment at
document generation time on the server.

Thanks for your suggestion; if anyone else has any other ideas to add, I am
again happy to hear

Thanks
Dave

 

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

If Sharepoint is the only means of accomplishing this, then so-be-it, I
can
keep in mind for later versions of the application, but theres not enough
time to attempt that for our current release schedule. I was hoping there
was
some means of simply getting the in-memory binary of the doc at save-time
and
saving it back to SQL directly, in the same way as I do it at the moment
at
document generation time on the server.

I wouldn't say that Sharepoint would be the only way of achieving what you
want but, from my experience with it, I'd say that it would be much less
work than trying to roll your own...

 

[bruce barker]

word uses webdav to talk to sharepoint. this is an open standard and you can
can write a webdav frontend to your sqlserver. sourceforge has a starter kit.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[siccolo]

Hi there

I currently have a site that stores versions of Word and Excel docs in SQL
Server. User can Download the file, edit it and then Upload it again, where
it is stored in SQL Server DB as a new Version.

Following complaints from users, we need to look into options to allow users
to open the word doc from SQL, and then when Save is clicked it would save
the updated document from memory back to SQL Server.

Is there any way to accomplish this (Essentially along the lines of
Sharepoint's functionality) in ASP.NET, assuming users could be using almost
any version of Word?

Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks
Dave

well, you can use OLE Automation in SQL Server ( look under
sp_OACreate and others in Books Online).
see my articles http://www.siccolo.com/Articles/SQLScripts/how-to-create-sql-to-convert-Excel_to_table.html
and http://www.siccolo.com/articles/cod...e/how-to-print-from-sql-stored_procedure.html

HTH

 

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

Well, you can use OLE Automation in SQL Server

How would that help in ASP.NET...?

 

[siccolo]

How would that help in ASP.NET...?

hmmm... the original title is "Open Word Document from SQL Server and
Save back again Options "...that's why I suggested SQL Server OLE
automation...sorry if I mislead author...


... more at http://www.siccolo.com/articles.asp ...