Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Conference Live: New Word Automation Services and Open XML SDK
Posted by Ron Yeager on Tue, Oct 20, 2009 @ 11:58 AM
Today with MOSS 2007:
- Application object model was not designed for bulk automation or server scenarios
- Does not scale
- Dialog boxes stop automation
- Reboot application on server every x hours
New with SharePoint 2010 & Office 2010
- Open XML File Formats
- Default for 2007 & 2010
- Open XML is an ISO standard
File Container for Developer (.ZIP)
- Document properties
- Comments
- WordML
- Custom defined XML
- Images, video, sound
- Styles
- Charts
Open XML SDK
- Allows you to create and modify Open XML docs
- Based on .NET, compatible with LINQ
- Consistent client and server solutions
- Open XML SDK extends reach of Excel Services
- Integrating Word Automation Services and Excel Services
- Rich end-to-end solution with Office Services and Open XML SDK
- SDK does NOT(accomplished with Office Services)
- Replace Office app object models
- Perform layout and recalculation tasks (TOC & formulas in a workbook)
- Perform file conversions to other formats (PDF & XPS)
- Version 2.0 of the SDK release around same time as Office 2010 (April 2010)
- SDK is very fast
- Easy to merge multiple Open XML docs
- Easy to integrate with SharePoint and Document Sets
- 1:1 mapping
Example: Integrate the following and publish into a single Word document
- Document Sets - related document or binder of related docs
- Utilizing Content Controls to define schematics within the doc
- Smart Art graphic from a PowerPoint
- Charts in Excel workbooks with substantial data
Word Automation Services
- 100% fidelity, server side rendering
- File > Save As on the server
- High volume through-put with scalability
- Printing on the server through PDF
Performance:
Word Automated Services 20-30 pages per second where as competitor .333 or Word 2007 5-7 pages. Per hour, 7200 pages with Word Automated Services verses 900 with Word 2007.
Example: Word Automation Services to Publish to PDF
Select a bunch of documents in a library and convert to PDF through a web part that asks which documents to convert and which library to post to. You can control server resources and configure when to start and which servers to utilize to perform the conversion.
- Sever ready version of Word
- 100% fidelity with client
- Maintains layout, export to fixed format, file conversion, and handles complex field calculations
- Open XML SDK and Word Automated Services very complementary to one another.
- Server side Word doc solutions without client
- Dealing with legacy binary formats, no problem converting back from binary
Example: Publish Monthly Invoices
Choose month for invoices and click on Create Invoices. Utilizing Word Automated Services, takes the data and creates 100s of invoices within seconds to both Word and PDF.
Integrating Excel Services to query Word documents
Highlight content with a specification document as an ISSUE style and then utilize Word Automation Services and Open XML SDK to publish data to a chart that takes the highlighted issues, count each and generate a graph.
SDK reads the data in the Word documents and pump them into Excel as numerical counts based on who the author is, what stage it is in and how many issues. Then take that and create a new chart based on the data within the files.
New file I/O SharePoint 2010 Integrates Co-Authoring with Word Automated Services
When authoring your document, a region with a dotted line will appear in the Word document when another user is modifying the document. When you hit Save, Word brings in the modifications and integrates them into your active document. "Updates Available" will appear on the bottom taskbar. The ability to manipulate the file while it is being edited now exists. More to come on this later today...
Real User Value
- Allow them to stay within the familiar environment of Office
- Save time by automating tasks and reduce repetitive busy-work
- Give them what they need faster
- Reduce the need to switch between applications or tasks
Sandra Tersteeg