ASP.NET, A Web Service, XML, and Word 2003 1

[VBRookie]

I'm trying to understand the benefits of web services and XML to see how I can use them. I created a Time Tracking App for my company in ASP.NET using C#. I want to enhance it to give them the ability to print invoices in Word from reports run against the database through the app.

I've been reading up on XML and Web Services and was thinking that maybe I could create a webservice that would spit out the data in XML and then save it as a word doc to be viewed there. I suppose then that I would have to write something to tell Word how to display it. Would that be XSL or WordML? I'm very much a rookie here.

Does this make sense? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks,
- VB Rookie

 

[BoulderBum]

"I'm trying to understand the benefits of web services and XML"

I haven't dinked around with building MS Office consumers for Web Services, but I can note that by implementing the results as a Service, you can import the data, not only to Word, but to a whole host of applications Microsoft or not.

The beauty of XML is the portability. In delivering Services, you won't limit yourself to a particular implementation.

 

[VBRookie]

So then I'm on the right track? I was thinking that I could achieve the same results using office automation but if I use the web service approach and a department wanted to say create an invoice using a PDF instead of Word or in Microsoft Money I wouldn't have to re-write my code for it ...

So my own app would the be 'consumer' of the service I guess? If that is the case why can't I just create a regular old object? Web Services are essentially for allowing other apps to access my data correct? If its my own app do I really need one?

- VB Rookie

 

[VBRookie]

Question: If my app will be the only consumer of my web service is there any point to create one? Would it be better to just create an object instead?

To service or not to service ... that is the question.

VB Rookie

 

[BoulderBum]

" I was thinking that I could achieve the same results using office automation but if I use the web service approach and a department wanted to say create an invoice using a PDF instead of Word or in Microsoft Money I wouldn't have to re-write my code for it ..."

Portability is the beauty of XML. All you'd need to do is build new consumers.

" If my app will be the only consumer of my web service is there any point to create one? Would it be better to just create an object instead?"

It would be good experience, and allows you flexibility in the future, and is very scalable, but it may not be the easiest way.

Calling an Office object with the server is unreliable. MS Office wasn't designed for large transactions. You CAN, however designate that the response be in a certain format (Word, Excel, etc.).

Check it out:

http://www.aspnetpro.com/NewsletterArticle/2003/09/asp200309so_l/asp200309so_l.asp

 

[VBRookie]

Thanks Bum ... I'll check it out.

VB Rookie