Open excel file at client side and gain control over it

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a1jit

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Aug 19, 2005
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Hi Guys,

How can i open an excel file at client side and gain control over it..

Gain control meaning a want to write to it cells by cell..

when i place data into it..i want to go by cell and sheets..

meaning like cells(1,1) = "test"

Is it possible..Any reference or guidance..

Thank you very very much...
 
You can only do with vbscript on the client side (works in IE only) embedded in the page orn through an activex control. In both cases they would get a security warning. Depending on what you are trying to do it might be better to craete the spreadsheet server side and then provide it as a download..

:)
 
hi thx..

I have 2 questions

1) have you seen any example on this? writing an excel file cell by cell using activex control at clients side?

2) If i create at server side, and allow it to be downlaoded by client, how does the file get processed? I dont understand the concept.Maybe 2 or three users might send request at the same time, how does the program knows which user requested for which file or report?
 
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Most clients only think they need excel to work with, when in reality all they want is tabulated data - which is what a data grid is for. They want excel so they can use their formula's, column resizing, etc. So when those requirements come across my email (for my home business) I tell them I can either write a web application/windows application that can export data to CSV, SLK, or XLS, or they can make their own Excel workbook (because I'm not going to), or they can spend the extra money for me to develop (actually for them to license, it's already developed) a custom control that works a lot like Excel (resizing, freezing columns, etc...not the formulas). I'm not afraid to turn work down...I rather loose out on one job than take a job that will be 6 months of headaches.

Point is, you're suppose to be writing a web application, not an Excel workbook. It's a common mistake to let users dictate how you will implement there requirements. And 'I want it to look like Excel' is not a functional requirement - a weak arguement could be made that it's a supplemental requirement - I wouldn't buy it though... You go down the road of trying to make you application work or look like Excel you're in for a very long, ugly, project. Even buying a control that encapsulates the functionallity will result in a lot of headaches because the users are still going to want their Excel formulas and things that may not be in the control. They only want Excel because that is what they are comfortable with. It's your job to make them comfortable with something new. Change is good.
 
I am thinking you should reassess your design.

Just for fun, with out mentioning 'web pages' and 'spreadsheets' and 'control,' describe what you want to accomplish.
 
Ok the main objective that i want to accomplish here is to load data into spreadsheet from client side..i want the client to see the data while its getting loaded in
 
a1jit said:
Ok the main objective that i want to accomplish here is to load data into spreadsheet from client side..i want the client to see the data while its getting loaded in
Click to expand...
You were supposed to refrain from talking about spreadsheets. ;)
The above is a proposed solution for accomplishing a task. . .

In general, you are saying:
1. The user points the application to a datafile in the local filesystem
2. The application manipulates the datafile.
3. The manipulated datafile is presented back to user in edit mode.

To build on aj -
While it is entirely possible to do the above, isn't this a violation of the HTTP protocol?

I wouldn't do it in an html based app. I mean, are you going to write client side jscript to manipulate the datafile? or are you planing on pushing the entire datafile to the server to do the processing and return it back???

I am not saying that you shouldn't develop an html/http app, just that if html/http is an architectural requirement you might want to consider a different approach. Although, IMHO, html/http should never be a requirement!

Are you developing this for a third party, or is this for in house purposes?

I would like to know more about what you want to do. Tell me what you are trying to bake, not how you want to bake it.

To build on bri -
Spreadsheet/Client-Side/Display are physical, not functional requirements.

Using the bake analogy, the functional requirements would be:

Invoking bake(temp, time, concoction) heats concoction for time mins at temp degrees

A physical requirement is that baking will be done in a convection oven.

Physical and functional requirements are, for the most part, independent.
 
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