Comments on: Using ColdFusion to Generate a Custom Word Document http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:42:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Joe http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1534 Joe Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:15:12 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1534 Just a note for Michael (above). You can also simply write html to a file with a .doc extension and Word will open it and it will have the html formatting. And if you have Word on your server, you can issue a read of the file and then issue a "save as" (via COM -- you'll have to good that) with an rtf extension and it will save it. (It creates an instance of Word on the server though, so you wouldn't want this to be high volume.) Also, ActivePDF will convert from html to PDF or Word to PDF. http://www.activepdf.com/products/serverproducts/docconverter/overview.cfm Just a note for Michael (above). You can also simply write html to a file with a .doc extension and Word will open it and it will have the html formatting. And if you have Word on your server, you can issue a read of the file and then issue a "save as" (via COM — you'll have to good that) with an rtf extension and it will save it. (It creates an instance of Word on the server though, so you wouldn't want this to be high volume.)
Also, ActivePDF will convert from html to PDF or Word to PDF. http://www.activepdf.com/products/serverproducts/docconverter/overview.cfm

]]> By: jen http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1521 jen Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:20:55 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1521 @Joe Thanks for the info. It is a kludge at best no matter how it is done. But, it can be done, like you said, with limitations. @Joe
Thanks for the info. It is a kludge at best no matter how it is done. But, it can be done, like you said, with limitations.

]]> By: Joe http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1511 Joe Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:07:45 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1511 I bet the person wanting to know how to get variables on page 2 or beyond may be using the same variable on those pages that they used on page 1. Therefore, they simply need the "All" parameter at the end of the replace() function. However, I will tell you that there may be some sort of limitation on the number of replacements in a single document because I'm fine up to maybe 100 statements or so and then it just stops replacing. It could be a memory limitation. I bet the person wanting to know how to get variables on page 2 or beyond may be using the same variable on those pages that they used on page 1. Therefore, they simply need the "All" parameter at the end of the replace() function.
However, I will tell you that there may be some sort of limitation on the number of replacements in a single document because I'm fine up to maybe 100 statements or so and then it just stops replacing. It could be a memory limitation.

]]> By: jen http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1006 jen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:25:42 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1006 @Don "Leave the porn! It makes your site more popular. lol" That actually crossed my mind... @Don

"Leave the porn! It makes your site more popular. lol"

That actually crossed my mind…

]]> By: Don http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1005 Don Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:20:32 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1005 What I really need I think is to be able to open the docs in WordPad. Can't find any documentation on how to instantiate and use a WordPad object tho. Leave the porn! It makes your site more popular. lol And I keep guessing wrong anyway. What I really need I think is to be able to open the docs in WordPad. Can't find any documentation on how to instantiate and use a WordPad object tho.

Leave the porn! It makes your site more popular. lol

And I keep guessing wrong anyway.

]]> By: jen http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1004 jen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:15:11 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1004 @Gary You may be running into a caching issue. I was able to put variables in on the second page without a problem. @Gary

You may be running into a caching issue. I was able to put variables in on the second page without a problem.

]]> By: jen http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1003 jen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:41:18 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1003 Convert an RTF or Word doc to PDF with CF? Not that I know of. Neither cfdocument nor cfpdf will do that. This whole method is clunky at best and may not work as Word and CF evolve. Actually, I was kinda surprised it can still be done at all. BTW, I LOVE the anti-spam because I no longer spend an hour a day deleting links to porn. Convert an RTF or Word doc to PDF with CF? Not that I know of. Neither cfdocument nor cfpdf will do that. This whole method is clunky at best and may not work as Word and CF evolve. Actually, I was kinda surprised it can still be done at all.

BTW, I LOVE the anti-spam because I no longer spend an hour a day deleting links to porn.

]]> By: Don http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1002 Don Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:26:18 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1002 FIRST! Your anti-spam thing drives me nuts because I always forget it the first time around. grrrr Anyway, yes, if I just put in the path to the file it opens right up correctly. So what I tried doing was using an iframe to grab the old CF5 template that opened the RTF file. It worked except I could not edit it. I then ran it from the link on the page that lists the documents. No go. Says it can't find the RTF file. That is strange. The link opens a new window. That window is the one that I put the iframe on originally. Maybe too many layers and permissions involved. Anyway, know of any workarounds for this? Before I go on a massive wild google chase, do you know if I can convert them to PDF? FIRST! Your anti-spam thing drives me nuts because I always forget it the first time around. grrrr
Anyway, yes, if I just put in the path to the file it opens right up correctly.

So what I tried doing was using an iframe to grab the old CF5 template that opened the RTF file. It worked except I could not edit it. I then ran it from the link on the page that lists the documents. No go. Says it can't find the RTF file. That is strange. The link opens a new window. That window is the one that I put the iframe on originally. Maybe too many layers and permissions involved.

Anyway, know of any workarounds for this? Before I go on a massive wild google chase, do you know if I can convert them to PDF?

]]> By: jen http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1001 jen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:05:29 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1001 @Don So if you open the file directly, without using CFCONTENT, it's OK? There's a big difference between CF5/Word 2K/Win2000 and what we have now. Unfortunately, Adobe didn't exactly embrace compatibility with its competitor's products. It wants you to use PDFs instead. BTW, CF5/Word 2K/Win2000 was the same environment where I first used this. Instructions are in the CF5 WACK book. @Don

So if you open the file directly, without using CFCONTENT, it's OK?

There's a big difference between CF5/Word 2K/Win2000 and what we have now. Unfortunately, Adobe didn't exactly embrace compatibility with its competitor's products. It wants you to use PDFs instead.

BTW, CF5/Word 2K/Win2000 was the same environment where I first used this. Instructions are in the CF5 WACK book.

]]> By: Don http://www.jensbits.com/2009/06/21/using-coldfusion-to-generate-a-word-document/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 Don Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:10:10 +0000 http://www.jensbits.com/?p=238#comment-1000 Problem is I get garbage out of my RTF files when I try to read them with CFCONTENT. Each RTF file has a .dot file in the same folder if that makes a difference. This used to work under CF5 on a W2K server that had Office 2k on it. Now I get garbage like this: ???>?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????3 ?????bjbj?? 1T??? ?@???lzzzz...B?*?*?*8?+?B??????%???47?z?|?|?|?|?|?|?$?  ??.S??@%?S?S? I do a fileread and then <cfcontent type="application/msword"> or application/rtf and get nothing but trash. Any ideas? Problem is I get garbage out of my RTF files when I try to read them with CFCONTENT. Each RTF file has a .dot file in the same folder if that makes a difference.
This used to work under CF5 on a W2K server that had Office 2k on it.

Now I get garbage like this:
???>?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????3 ?????bjbj?? 1T??? ?@???lzzzz...B?*?*?*8?+?B??????%???47?z?|?|?|?|?|?|?$?  ??.S??@%?S?S?

I do a fileread and then
<cfcontent type="application/msword"> or application/rtf and get nothing but trash.

Any ideas?

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