Jump to content

Reports with OpenOffice.org


Recommended Posts

Hi,

I know there's a toolkit to generate reports with MS Office, but I think it would be a good idea if it was possible to do reports with OpenOffice.org. This offiec suite is open source, free, downloadble from internet without fees and an standard of ISO.

Link to comment

The standard Open Document is based on XML file but I think it would be a very hard work to learn firstly the format and after that implement with LabVIEW. There must be something easier to comunicate with OpenOffice, and API or something like that.

cheers

Link to comment
The standard Open Document is based on XML file but I think it would be a very hard work to learn firstly the format and after that implement with LabVIEW. There must be something easier to comunicate with OpenOffice, and API or something like that.

cheers

In fact something like this does exist here. I also thought I would look just for :laugh: at a basic text document in the open office native file format (Open Document Text in this case). And the file is not simple XML. I couldn't read it with a basic text editor. If someone else wants to shed light on how to read an Open Document file in a basic text editor please show us the light. I enjoyed reading an article from ArsTechna about the Open Document format and the recently release Google Spreadsheet which might help to explain why this toolkit doesn't exist yet.

Link to comment
In fact something like this does exist here. I also thought I would look just for :laugh: at a basic text document in the open office native file format (Open Document Text in this case). And the file is not simple XML. I couldn't read it with a basic text editor. If someone else wants to shed light on how to read an Open Document file in a basic text editor please show us the light. I enjoyed reading an article from ArsTechna about the Open Document format and the recently release Google Spreadsheet which might help to explain why this toolkit doesn't exist yet.

I think it is a compressed set of XML documents. You can decompressed the file to get the XML documents or set an option in OOo to save the files uncompressed.

Link to comment

Hi,

Yes there's an API for OpenOffice.org that can be downloaded from api.openoffice.org as chrisdavis says. I've installed the OpenOffice 2.0 SDK in my computer.At first glance it's possible to communicate with OpenOffice.org by many different programming languages (C++, C#, java...). With LabVIEW it would be possible too because there's ActiveX and classes of .NET but the Developer's Guide has got 1141 pages in PDF format and it seems to be quite difficult.

So, and this the reason of this topic: Why theres is a LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office and not for OpenOffice.org.

I sent a message to National Instruments suggesting to create a toolkit for OO but until now, I haven't received any answer.

Link to comment
So, and this the reason of this topic: Why theres is a LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office and not for OpenOffice.org.

Because of demand - if enough people want the OpenOffice toolkit and it produces enough of a ROI, then I'm sure NI would consider it. I just don't think there are enough people that are using both OpenOffice AND LabVIEW to make it worth their financial while. That said, there's nothing stopping you from writting such a toolkit - in fact, if you need help, it could be an appropriate OpenG project.

Link to comment
...but the Developer's Guide has got 1141 pages in PDF format and it seems to be quite difficult.

So, and this the reason of this topic: Why theres is a LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office and not for OpenOffice.org.

If you align the whole office API tree on msdn I doubt it would be less than the 1141 pages. ;)

Link to comment
If you align the whole office API tree on msdn I doubt it would be less than the 1141 pages. ;)

True, but there are also small ActiveX based libraries giving LabVIEW programmers limited functionality in sevveral of the Office applications. Several of these tools are free and you even get some in the \examples\comm folder that ships with LabVIEW. So if you want more, but do not want to pay for it you can add to the tools in the examples.

Here is an idea: JdP, if you really want Open Office access why not start small on a proof of concept project that won't take much time? Take the ExcelExamples.llb in the LabVIEW and copy over to a new OO_Examples.llb and then just get these few VIs to work with the Open Office spreadsheet application. That will give you a good idea on how big the project would be to do a major toolkit like NI's Report Generation Toolkit.

Further, if you released even that much here or as yeast/starter for an openG / sourceforge project I bet you would then get some help to add more functions.

In fact, I'll make a pledge JdP: If you will do the conversion above, I will download and add at least 10-15 VIs/functions.

I'm sure a few others would do likewise.

Link to comment
Hi,

Yes there's an API for OpenOffice.org that can be downloaded from api.openoffice.org as chrisdavis says. I've installed the OpenOffice 2.0 SDK in my computer.At first glance it's possible to communicate with OpenOffice.org by many different programming languages (C++, C#, java...). With LabVIEW it would be possible too because there's ActiveX and classes of .NET but the Developer's Guide has got 1141 pages in PDF format and it seems to be quite difficult.

So, and this the reason of this topic: Why theres is a LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office and not for OpenOffice.org.

As Chris said demand is the key issue with NI. But another issue is that OpenOffice was not a well known topic at all back when the report generation toolkit was created. Otherwise chances are that at least a basic interface to OO may already have been built into by an enthuastic NI developer. Several of the example libraries and toolkits started out as a private pet project of someone inside NI and sometimes even outside of NI.

Rolf Kalbermatter

Link to comment
  • 2 years later...

Hello!

This thread is quite old, but the demand is still there, I think, for an OpenOffice export from Labview.

One of the main problems with the OpenOffice API is that it is very difficult and complex at a first glance.

This is why I attached an example to create a OO spreadsheet from C#, i.e. using .NET. Using Labview's .NET functionality, it should be no problem to port this to Labview.

Any volunteers? :-)

QUOTE (rolfk @ Jun 16 2006, 09:19 AM)

As Chris said demand is the key issue with NI. But another issue is that OpenOffice was not a well known topic at all back when the report generation toolkit was created. Otherwise chances are that at least a basic interface to OO may already have been built into by an enthuastic NI developer. Several of the example libraries and toolkits started out as a private pet project of someone inside NI and sometimes even outside of NI.

Rolf Kalbermatter

Link to comment

... now I created the example myself. The procedure is straightforward:

- download the OpenOffice 3 SDK and install it

- there is an example for C#: ...\Program Files\OpenOffice.org_3.0_SDK\sdk\examples\CLI\CSharp\Spreadsheet\SpreadsheetDocHelper.cs ; compile this example (you can use e.g. the Visual C# Express Edition)

- now you can use this generated assembly in Labview and create spreadsheet documents etc.

A corresponding example VI, version 8.0 of Labview, is attached.

Any suggestions how to build a Labview library, now that we have an example for OO reports?

QUOTE (professor_rumsdiegeige @ Oct 30 2008, 12:42 PM)

Hello!

This thread is quite old, but the demand is still there, I think, for an OpenOffice export from Labview.

One of the main problems with the OpenOffice API is that it is very difficult and complex at a first glance.

This is why I attached an example to create a OO spreadsheet from C#, i.e. using .NET. Using Labview's .NET functionality, it should be no problem to port this to Labview.

Any volunteers? :-)

Link to comment
  • 5 months later...

Hi Folks,

there is an open source project called ODF Toolkit. A module of this toolkit is the AODL library, a .net module for the ODF Toolkit.

AODL (An Open Document Library)

I just tryed to call the AODL via LabVIEW .net access. I only tested a short example, but it worked.

So why not, building an OpenOffice access via that library?

I attached my quick and dirty coded vi.

BB ... Karsten

Download File:post-8807-1240328196.zip

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.