Subject:Converting to XML from a variety of file formats Author:Glenn Meadows Date:29 Nov 2006 11:15 AM
Hi folks,
I want to build a web-collaboration app using XML tecnologies.
I have many different data folders for a variety of different file formats. For example, one user might edit a letter using Microsoft Word and another might use a different editor and in other folders I might have CAD files that have been edited using a variety of different CAD software applications.
How can I convert this information to XML as these documents and/or CAD files are uploaded to the web-server. Ultimately, I want to take the XML and convert the file to a PDF.
Subject:Converting to XML from a variety of file formats Author:Tony Lavinio Date:29 Nov 2006 01:14 PM
We have adapters for some file formats, but what you seem to want
is a universal set of adapters.
Some companies offer these, but they are fairly expensive, and don't
do the anything-to-XML-to-PDF that you appear to want.
Our partner RenderX does have some stylesheets that can help somewhat;
See http://www.stylusstudio.com/xml_to_pdf.html for a few pointers.
Subject:Converting to XML from a variety of file formats Author:Glenn Meadows Date:29 Nov 2006 01:43 PM Originally Posted: 29 Nov 2006 01:39 PM
My objectives are as follows:
1) Have a user upload any type of file format to a web-server and have that file converted to XML on the fly using server side scripting. For example, I would like to convert AutoCAD's DWG file format to XML and Microsoft's Word documents to XML - and of course, all on the fly.
2) Convert the XML file to a PDF file on the fly using server side scripting and then have the PDF available to web visitors.
Can this be done with SS Enterprise ?
BTW, I am new to XML but I am sure this is evident ...
Subject:Converting to XML from a variety of file formats Author:Tony Lavinio Date:29 Nov 2006 05:10 PM
For Word documents saved in the newer XML formats, you can use
stylesheets such as those provided by RenderX.
For the binary format, you'll have to find an adapter that will
convert the .doc file to XML. Apache has some as part of their
POI project, but they aren't finished. If you're on a Windows
platform, you *might* be able to do some sort of automation; I'm
not sure.
As far as DWG files from AutoCAD, well, that's harder.
The structure for DWG files isn't published, as far as I can see.
There is a DWF toolkit available from AutoDesk, but no corresponding
library for manipulating DWG files.
Subject:Converting to XML from a variety of file formats Author:Glenn Meadows Date:29 Nov 2006 05:31 PM
Hi Tony,
I am looking at Adobe PDF's to get a consistent feel to a web-collaboration app. Multiple file formats is a challenge and Adobe will, for the most part, conform to "open-standards".
I am currently looking at an Adobe web-service that at this point might end up being my silver bullet.
AutoDesk's DWF Composer is a good product but
1) It's platform specific and
2) It needs to be on each client at $200/seat