Doc XML templates --> DOCX templates, convert to PDF

1st Official Post

    I'm researching the best way to not only convert over 400 Word 2003 templates, made in the old XML format, with custom xml "replacement" nodes embedded in the templates, to a DOCX mail merge templating system that will - once data is merged into docx - be output to PDF.

    Currently we use Delphi with data-based values in SQL Server & Oracle, NativeXML to parse the XML docs and replace our custom tags with data-based data elements, and then launch Tidy.exe PDF generator to create PDF output.

    I want to move this operation to DOCX, using mail merge tags from Word docx format, and output internally/directly to PDF. Obviously for the custom tags, I'll need to either have business users perform the conversions manually or - preferrably - I can write code that will read the custom tags in the old Word 2003 doc xml format, convert the doc xml document to docx format, and generate mail merge tags utilizing the existing node names/tags from the old doc format.

    Once that is complete I will then only have to code to automatically convert/output the docx to PDF, which with your docx add on to WPTools, be the easiest of the above listed tasks.

    Of the above listed tasks, what can WPTools cover as part of this process? Does WPTools support programmatic mail merge functions for docx? Any conversion capabilities from doc xml to docx? Any limitations that I should know about? Other products to recommend for any part of this task list?

    Thanks!

    I don't have to use Word DOCX mail merge fields, I could create my own custom "replacement field" format, should have specified that before, if that can work as well that might actually be more reliable. Besides I'd rather use a custom format if that is a superior option, otherwise if you think that Word's built in mail merge would be better please advise.

    Assuming the merge goes OK/works well, any issues with outputting the document to PDF from within WPTools? I don't want the app to have to load Word if that's possible... just perform operations inside Delphi code would be preferable.

    Thanks.

    • Official Post

    WPTools will not load Word, it does not depend on it.

    Word mailmerge fields can introduce problems, thats correct, because they can be connected to a database. But I understand you already have templates. In many cases WPTools can load the fields created in Word and do something with it. I really cannot say without seeing a sample.

    You can use or exe demo and insert a field using menu "Insert/Mergefield'. At the bottom of the "Insert" menu is "Test Mailmerge" which will update each field with its field name. You can use this to try out some of this functionality.

    The WPTools mail merge feature is very sophisticated though, you can not only write fields you can also read the contents. Insert links, bookmarks and images. So you can insert some defualt text in the field, read it out and interpret it as your custom commands.

    Regards

    I wrote the first prospectus today for the project, recommending the purchase of WPTools Premium, DOCX addon, wPDF Plus, and WPViewPDF Plus. When I add up the prices in Euros and convert it to US $$ it comes out to roughly US$2082 & change. Are there any bundle discounts, should we choose to go forward with the project?

    Thanks!