RE: FN-FORUM: Spreadsheet Calculations to HTML form

date posted 15th May 2007 10:10

Hi Allan,

The answer really depends on the complexity of the documents you want to
produce and of the web server that's going to be handling the requests...
If you've got some kind of scripting available server side then it's going
to be best by far to use it.

There is a serverless solution, which is to have 2 input mechanisms:-
* a Word form which can be emailed in
* an html page with some scripting (javascript maybe) to handle the
calculations which can then build a mail using mailto: which can then be
emailed in.

I'd also look at removing Excel from the equation, for the simple
calculations you're looking at they don't require Excel and it would allow
people who have works instead of the full Office suite to be able to use
that solution.


Just because you *can* do it that doesn't mean that you should. If it were
my customer, I'd drop the Word/Excel solution and the sending out of CD's
entirely unless there's a very very good reason to keep doing it (I can't
think of any, even saying "if it ain't broke" - it is broken, it no longer
fits the requirements and cannot be adapted to fit). Go from there to a
purely online submission system even for orders they receive internally over
the phone to bring everything into one place. Even the most backwards
business I know of that has a computer has an internet connection and those
who don't have a machine are stuffed anyway. It also removes any potential
problems with changes to pricing in the future.

Hope that helps.
James



-----Original Message-----
Subject: FN-FORUM: Spreadsheet Calculations to HTML form


I've developed a Word/Excel solution for a client to collect data from
customers via a CD-ROM, they now want a solution that can be either online
or offline. There are lots of very simple calculations built into the
spreadsheet - sum of values and percentages for example - but I am unsure
where to start - anyone done this kind of thing before who could offer any
sugestions please?

I am aiming to have a choice on-screen for online submission or print
version - so that the user - from the CD, can complete the form and then,
depending on their initial selection, print off and post the form in, or
send the content via email direct to my client.