Project DescriptionfleXdoc can be used to produce Word 2007 (docx) documents without the need to have Microsoft Word installed.
It takes a document template (document containing data-placeholders) and an XML-based data-file and merges them to create the final document. It supports advanced scenario's like repeating sections (lists, tables), images, custom formatting, etc.
To get a quick overview of fleXdoc, you may want to read the
Quickstart-Manual (updated: 2009/11/03).
NB: To compile the sources, the Open XML SDK 2.0 must be installed.fleXdoc is totally free, but donations are always welcome!fleXdoc currently supports the following features:
- Creates Word 2007 docx-files (OOXML-standard compliant)
- Webservice facade for the API, making it possible to use fleXdoc as a service in a SOA-environment
- Templates are created from within Word without the need for any additional software/plugins
- Word is not needed for generating the final document, which makes this an ideal server-side solution
- Template placeholder support the following types:
- ValueOf: renders a single value, including formatting (text, numeric, datetime, custom)
- UseContext: sets the context for the data-file, making it possible to use relative xpath-queries
- ForEach: repeat the inner placeholders for each item (for creating lists/tables), incl. sort-support
- IncludeTemplate: include an external document/template: uses altchunks which are only supported by Word
- ImportTemplate: fysically import an external document/template: no altchunks used, so supported by any viewer
- If: Conditional rendering
- ImgOf: renders an image (base64-encoded inside the data-file, or referenced by uri)
- Data is selected using xpath-queries, thus supporting rich constructs
- Easy to use API (.NET class library)
- ServiceClient-tool for easy testing of templates
- Support for webbased access (url) to template, data-files and images, allowing fleXdoc to retrieve them from a website/webservice
- High performance: up to 60.000 documents per hour!
The fleXdoc-project is supported by:
WARNING: Current version of fleXdoc depends on a feature of Microsoft Word, that will be removed in Office 2010 due to patent issues! This also applies to US-versions of Office 2007 released after november 2009. Read more
here.
I am currently investigation possibilities to redesign fleXdoc, making it no longer depend on this feature. However, it will take quite some time to implement this new design, so don't expect it too soon!
Want to be a developer for fleXdoc? Contact me!