write Microsoft Word file

[Larry]

I have a potential project to develop (and host) a web app that has
the ability to produce reports in Microsoft Word format (client
requirement, not my idea!). I really would like to be able to develop
this in Perl on my existing Linux server, but I'm wondering if this is
feasible or whether I would need to get a Windows server for this
project.

As far as how I would write the Word files from Perl on Linux... the
only idea I have so far is automating OpenOffice. Is this a prudent
approach? I don't want to paint myself into a corner.

 

[Martijn Lievaart]

I have a potential project to develop (and host) a web app that has the
ability to produce reports in Microsoft Word format (client requirement,
not my idea!). I really would like to be able to develop this in Perl
on my existing Linux server, but I'm wondering if this is feasible or
whether I would need to get a Windows server for this project.

As far as how I would write the Word files from Perl on Linux... the
only idea I have so far is automating OpenOffice. Is this a prudent
approach? I don't want to paint myself into a corner.

Some possible workarounds, use HTML (see http://use.perl.org/comments.pl?
sid=1005&cid=1001) or write it in RTF. Not fantastic but the world cannot
be perfect. Or use vmware to run a Windows instance under Linux.

HTH,
M4

 

[Mark Hobley]

Some possible workarounds, use HTML

Where a word formatted document is required, I tend to use html format and
name it using a double suffix:

document.html.doc

The documents are then accepted as word documents within Microsoft Windows.

(You can just call it document.doc if you want.)

Regards,

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley
393 Quinton Road West
QUINTON
Birmingham
B32 1QE

Email: markhobley at hotpop dot donottypethisbit com

http://markhobley.yi.org/

 

[Dr.Ruud]

Martijn Lievaart schreef:

Larry wrote:

Some possible workarounds, use HTML (see
http://use.perl.org/comments.pl?sid=1005&cid=1001) or write it in
RTF. Not fantastic but the world cannot be perfect. Or use vmware to
run a Windows instance under Linux.

I don't see RTF as a workaround. It is a sensible solution for this kind
of thing. Just put .doc at the end of the file name.

http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?RTF::Writer
http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Pod::Simple::RTF

 

[Larry]

Martijn Lievaart schreef:





I don't see RTF as a workaround. It is a sensible solution for this kind
of thing. Just put .doc at the end of the file name.

http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?RTF::Writer
http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Pod::Simple::RTF

Would this still be acceptable even if the customer wants to modify
the report in Word after my app creates it?