Re: Create Excel spreadsheet (including formulas, color, comments, etc) on iSeries unattended in batch mode

I agree that things matter - the RJS product uses sockets to communicate with a Windows box that would have Excel on it. OLE automation makes it all work.

There were prospects that didn't want the Windows server - OK, they weren't going to buy RPG2SQL.

I can't speak to OLE automation on a Mac - have never used a Mac for anything.

i-only solutions are possible, using, for example, the POI stuff. An ISV could use that, or you, of course, the global "you", can build your own or just call the procedures in Scott's service program.

Time to go home, methinks - more tomorrow = and the next day - and the nexx......

Vern

On 12/19/2013 3:59 PM, John Yeung wrote:

On Thu, Dec 19, 2013 at 4:33 PM, Vernon Hamberg
<vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Details of the underlying technology of Excel don't interest me enough
to worry about it - I guess I'm a high-level, here's what it looks like,
kind of guy. Sure it's kind of interesting to know that Excel updating
is basically a rewrite - and it doesn't help me much in doing my work.
And getting something out to a user.

Well, certain things do matter, even at a pretty high level. For
example, solutions that delegate tasks to an actual running instance
of Excel obviously need some machine other than the i (typically
Windows, but conceivably there would be ways to get a Mac to work, as
there is Excel for Mac).

And what the users want dictates to some extent what you can use. If
a user tells you "give me anything I can open in Excel, as long as
things come formatted the way I like", then CSV is completely out of
the picture. Some shops absolutely NEED everything to live COMPLETELY
on the i (so no delegating to Windows). Etc.

It's true that the difference between updating and completely
rewriting is mostly academic, but I mention it because I am wondering
about things like: Did the S/36 that Rob was talking about somehow
communicate with a Windows machine to do the Excel processing? Or did
the S/36 do everything by itself?

John