Reg. Integration of LibreOffice with WPF

[vidyacal]

Hi

I am evaluating to use Open Office to do inline editing of office documents in Windows Presentation Foundation application.

I am looking to check the feasibility of doing the following tasks

1. Open office documents(word, excel, powerpoint, etc) in the same application window (Inline editing of documents)

2. Integrating/using Open office in WPF application using c# scripting.

Could you please let me know if this can be achieved using Open office?


Thanks

[floris v]

Welcome to the forum. Please note that this forum is run by users, not developers. This subject really belongs in the Macros and API forum.

As to your questions:
#1 I don't think that'll be possible, except with very simple documents. There are too many compatibility problems between OOo and MSO.
#2 I don't know, you'd have to get the software development kit for OOo.

[rudolfo]

Hm, floris v was a bit earlier saying more or less the same, but for the sake of ActiveX I post this anyway:

For some reason I can only think of Word Perfect when I see the abbreviation WPF? Allthough the final F won't really match. You might look in the macro forum which has a special subforum for OpenOffice togehter with external programs: Macros and UNO API: External Programs.
There is a UNO bridge for C#, so scripting through C# is supported. Inline editing is a bit difficult: Mostly the UNO bridge is used for (automated) backend operations (file format conversion and the like). If you need the GUI frame for editing interactively I am not sure if the UNO bridge can help you, but you can use the COM/ActiveX Interface of OpenOffice on MS Windows systems.
And if you think of Word, Excel, Powerpoint if you say "OpenOffice Documents", it might be easier for you if you use Microsoft's Office Suite for your purposes. Interoperability for these binary formats is okay in several cases, but for more complicated documents you might see format distraction.

[floris v]

WPF is short for Windows Presentation Foundation.

[vidyacal]

Thanks for your response.

As you suggested I have posted the same question in Macros and UNO API: External Programs as well.

rudolfo, Is there any COM/ActiveX Interface of OpenOffice is availabe to integarate with .net?

[rudolfo]

Maybe I should have mentioned in the other thread that it would be wise to change the title of the thread to something more specific before you repost in a different forum. But no problem you can change the title, also afterwards.
For your question from the original thread about the ActiveX/COM interface you might find some positive answers at:
Automating OpenOffice.org
Uno Bridge for CLI/.NET

Edit: And searching the macro forums for ActiveX or UNO bridge is also a good idea.

[RoryOF]

It would be better, as rudolfo says, to change the thread title, and best to change it to something more meaningful. One can take it for granted that almost every thread originates as a request for help.

[vidyacal]

I think it will be better if i am explaining my requirements a bit more . Please find my goals as follows:

1). Able to view Microsoft documents (Word,excel,powerpoint , etc..) from within application
2). Able to edit Microsoft documents (Word,excel,powerpoint , etc..) from within application
3). Keep the code purely managed.
4). Keep the document viewer / editor as light weight as possible.
5). Migrate doc to docx.
6). Not interfere with other applications running that use Microsoft
Word (such as Outlook).
7). The application will use the WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) technology.

I am redesigning a current application that uses the DSO Framer. Although the DSO Framer has given me some of the items above.

Could you please suggest me how to use libre Office to achieve the above goals.

Regards,
Vidya

[floris v]

You can't. Period. Use MS Office instead. The .docx format is still quite tricky for OOo (LibreOffice is better at it, but we still get regular docx files that LO can't open).

[vidyacal]

Is there any Activex control available for Libre Office/ Open Office to check its functionality?

[rudolfo]

There is no separate ActiveX control as you have it for example for Acrobat Reader. But as I have mentioned before OpenOffice and LibreOffice for MS Windows have a COM/Automation interface. See the above mentioned references.
And yes, this means to check it out you have to install either OpenOffice or LibreOffice.

[floris v]

I strongly suggest that you first test if LO can actually handle your docx's to your satisfaction. So far OOo can't even save in that format.

[gabrielel]

Hi vidyacal! I have your same problem? Can you help me?
Thanks a lot
Gabriel