Strategy for Rendering Multiple Document Types From Single Source

[Jordan S.]

I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions on the following:

I am looking to render documents [that are constructed at runtime] into
multiple document formats. At a minimum the documents will need to be
rendered as HTML, and separately as PDF. Ideally we could also offer a
subset additionally as xls and docx (Excel and/or Word 2007) files.

All files will be distributed via ASP.NET Web site. This is a "greenfield"
project using .NET 3.5, and I can do whatever I want.

It appears to me that there are two general strategies I could take.

1. Render all documents initially as HTML, then to the other document types.

2. Render all documents initially into whatever the final document type will
be (i.e., do not render first as HTML, but just render the pdf file
directly, for example).

Keeping in mind that these files are all built at runtime from information
and templates stored in a database... These templates are basically HTML
snippets styled with css.

My initial preference is for alternative #1 above, as I could have one
single code base that builds these documents at runtime. That single code
base cranks out the HTML version, which is one of the required formats. From
the HTML, it would be a relatively trivial matter to convert the document to
PDF or whatever (there are 3rd party components that could do this
automatically and quickly - perhaps called via some custom HTTP module that
I write).

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!

[=?Utf-8?B?YnJ1Y2UgYmFya2Vy?=]

it depends on how complex the documents are. the html to pdf converters
either only do simple html, or use an IE instance and a print driver to
produce pdf.
-- bruce (sqlwork.com)
"Jordan S." wrote:

I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions on the following:

I am looking to render documents [that are constructed at runtime] into
multiple document formats. At a minimum the documents will need to be
rendered as HTML, and separately as PDF. Ideally we could also offer a
subset additionally as xls and docx (Excel and/or Word 2007) files.

All files will be distributed via ASP.NET Web site. This is a "greenfield"
project using .NET 3.5, and I can do whatever I want.

It appears to me that there are two general strategies I could take.

1. Render all documents initially as HTML, then to the other document types.

2. Render all documents initially into whatever the final document type will
be (i.e., do not render first as HTML, but just render the pdf file
directly, for example).

Keeping in mind that these files are all built at runtime from information
and templates stored in a database... These templates are basically HTML
snippets styled with css.

My initial preference is for alternative #1 above, as I could have one
single code base that builds these documents at runtime. That single code
base cranks out the HTML version, which is one of the required formats. From
the HTML, it would be a relatively trivial matter to convert the document to
PDF or whatever (there are 3rd party components that could do this
automatically and quickly - perhaps called via some custom HTTP module that
I write).

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!

[Jordan S.]

Some documents are short and trivial, but others complex and lengthy. In
either case I was hoping to leverage the styling (font properties, image
layout etc) that are already appled to the HTML so that I don't have to
duplicate that logic for each rendered file type.

-J
"bruce barker" <br*********@discussions.microsoft.comwrote in message
news:EA**********************************@microsof t.com...

it depends on how complex the documents are. the html to pdf converters
either only do simple html, or use an IE instance and a print driver to
produce pdf.
-- bruce (sqlwork.com)
"Jordan S." wrote:

>I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions on the following:

I am looking to render documents [that are constructed at runtime] into
multiple document formats. At a minimum the documents will need to be
rendered as HTML, and separately as PDF. Ideally we could also offer a
subset additionally as xls and docx (Excel and/or Word 2007) files.

All files will be distributed via ASP.NET Web site. This is a
"greenfield"
project using .NET 3.5, and I can do whatever I want.

It appears to me that there are two general strategies I could take.

1. Render all documents initially as HTML, then to the other document
types.

2. Render all documents initially into whatever the final document type
will
be (i.e., do not render first as HTML, but just render the pdf file
directly, for example).

Keeping in mind that these files are all built at runtime from
information
and templates stored in a database... These templates are basically HTML
snippets styled with css.

My initial preference is for alternative #1 above, as I could have one
single code base that builds these documents at runtime. That single code
base cranks out the HTML version, which is one of the required formats.
From
the HTML, it would be a relatively trivial matter to convert the document
to
PDF or whatever (there are 3rd party components that could do this
automatically and quickly - perhaps called via some custom HTTP module
that
I write).

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!

[John Timney \(MVP\)]

I would look to create one type of document using code, and then find
something that can convert that document type into other formats on demand.
Simplify your problem, find something to solve your most complex issue, and
then solve the other formats.

Regards

John Timney (MVP)
http://www.johntimney.com
http://www.johntimney.com/blog
"Jordan S." <[e-mail] in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

Some documents are short and trivial, but others complex and lengthy. In
either case I was hoping to leverage the styling (font properties, image
layout etc) that are already appled to the HTML so that I don't have to
duplicate that logic for each rendered file type.

-J
"bruce barker" <br*********@discussions.microsoft.comwrote in message
news:EA**********************************@microsof t.com...

>it depends on how complex the documents are. the html to pdf converters
either only do simple html, or use an IE instance and a print driver to
produce pdf.
-- bruce (sqlwork.com)
"Jordan S." wrote:

>>I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions on the following:

I am looking to render documents [that are constructed at runtime] into
multiple document formats. At a minimum the documents will need to be
rendered as HTML, and separately as PDF. Ideally we could also offer a
subset additionally as xls and docx (Excel and/or Word 2007) files.

All files will be distributed via ASP.NET Web site. This is a
"greenfield"
project using .NET 3.5, and I can do whatever I want.

It appears to me that there are two general strategies I could take.

1. Render all documents initially as HTML, then to the other document
types.

2. Render all documents initially into whatever the final document type
will
be (i.e., do not render first as HTML, but just render the pdf file
directly, for example).

Keeping in mind that these files are all built at runtime from
information
and templates stored in a database... These templates are basically HTML
snippets styled with css.

My initial preference is for alternative #1 above, as I could have one
single code base that builds these documents at runtime. That single
code
base cranks out the HTML version, which is one of the required formats.
From
the HTML, it would be a relatively trivial matter to convert the
document to
PDF or whatever (there are 3rd party components that could do this
automatically and quickly - perhaps called via some custom HTTP module
that
I write).

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!