Excel and Word Automation

Is there a way I can create an Excel Spreadsheet or a Word Document without having either on my machine?
I ask since I would use OpenOffice or LIbre to open any documents I create

For excel files you can use the MBS excel plugin. For word files I don’t know of any similar solution.
See here: https://forum.xojo.com/19274-searching-for-excel/p1#p161846

It would be cheaper for me to buy MS-Office Home and Student Edition, for $119 Cdn :slight_smile:
I was wondering if here was a open source solution

Since you want to read then with LibreOffice / OpenOffice on windows. You might have a look on this link: https://forum.xojo.com/4693-write-an-openoffice-libreoffice-document-with-use-of-xojo-windo. You could use LibreOffice / OpenOffice saving to Microsoft word/excel 2007

But you will have to write a vbscript as there is a bug in Xojo oleobject… See link: https://forum.xojo.com/18630-open-office-oleobject-trouble

Norman had some info on the GreatWhite site; maybe that helps.
https://forum.xojo.com/19274-searching-for-excel
http://great-white-software.com/rblibrary/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34

Eugene also has some pretty cool material on both Word and Excel. Look for the “I Wish I Knew How To …” series (I think also on the GreatWhite site).

@John What I really want to do is programmatically create a spreadsheet, Excel came to mind since Xojo has the Excel Plugin. Interesting about LibreOffice; Which I have discovered lately and like quite a bit.

@Langue, yes I bought those two publications a year ago and have seen it has been updated. A wealth of great material for the price.

BIFF files?, The description says its a rudimentary spreadsheet.
What about this?
http://great-white-software.com/rblibrary/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=91

[quote=163263:@Brent Eamer]
What about this?
http://great-white-software.com/rblibrary/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=91[/quote]

That writes an Excel 2004 style XML spreadsheet which funny enough Excel refuses to open :stuck_out_tongue:
In fact because of exactly that reason I should just make the darned thing free & update the description

EDIT : done

I see DELL sells Excel download , 1 license for 79 bucks , I mean what’s my time worth?
I want to learn this stuff and for that price maybe go for it

If you want to distribute a software which can create all kind of current Excel spreadsheets and workbooks, without the user having to install or buy some other software, then LibXL with the MBS plugin is the only option, as far as I can see.

I looked at MBS but cannot justify the 299 for learning/hobbiest purposes
I write code for a living (E-Health), and wanted to experiment with some Xojo generating Excel and Word Docs
We have a Health Information Unit at the provincial government where I work, and I approached them about alternative ways of getting information out, they won’t pay for any software unless they ‘own’ it and is resides at the work environment. At some point I was thinking of striking out on my own as a consultant for E-Health. We use CERNER with is the largest E-Health provider on the planet. Thanks to all who replied…

I use the Einhugur ExcelExporter Plugin, but it creates XML files (that can be read into Excel and OpenOffice), not native XLS. It’s a bit cheaper alternative ($199 for all plugins, $45 per year for upgrades).

http://www.einhugur.com/Downloads/Modules/ExcelExporter.zip