Thanks Steve, that was helpful. Gives me some ideas.... --- In [email protected], Stephen Allison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi, > > I think using a server side component to take data from Flex and > return it in a format suitable for Excel is the best approach, but if > that's not possible, it is possible to do this all client-side if: > > 1. Your users are using Internet Explorer on Windows > 2. Their security settings are not so locked down that you can't > access ActiveX from Javascript (IIRC the default is that you are > warned about a potentially dangerous operation, though this may have > changed in Vista) > 3. You can ship an HTML wrapper as well as the SWF. > 4. Your app is not using the local-with-filesystem sandbox. > > If you can live with the above you need to write a Javascript > function and put it inside the HTML wrapper of your app. In this > file you need a function that uses ActiveX to start up Excel. Once > you've done this you can access the object mode of Excel to put > values in cells, create charts etc etc. > Googling Javascript, Excel, ActiveX should turn up some examples of > the kind of Javascript you need. In your Flex app you just then use > ExternalInterface to invoke the JS function (hence caveat 4 above). > > The only other way to do this I know of (and it's horrible) requires > shipping an XLS file with your app, you then can put data, formatted > as CSV or TSV, on to the clipboard, then you use navigateURL to load > the XLS file in a new window, and in the XLS file you have some > VBScript that pastes the contents of the clipboard into the sheet. > Told you it was horrible! The only plus of this is that it doesn't > use ExternalInterface and so will work if you are working in the > local-with-filesystem sandbox. > > But seriously... a server side component is the way to go for > robustness (any of the above could break with the next release of IE > for all I know). > > HTH... > Steve. > > > On 30 Aug 2007, at 20:46, essuark wrote: > > > Thanks for the reply Paul. Other than when the swf loads, there is NO > > server side component like a websevice. It needs to be initiated from > > the swf with data from with-in the swf.... > > > > --- In [email protected], Paul deCoursey <paul@> wrote: > > > > > > NavigateToUrl should work. This is really more of a general Web > > > Development question though. The real work would need to be done > > on the > > > server in some sort of web application. You need to set the header > > of > > > the response to the correct mimetype so that the browser can decide > > what > > > to do with the file. You can also send headers to will instruct > > what to > > > use for a filename. I can't really provide much more guidance > > without > > > more details on what you are using server side, and that would > > really > > > bring us out of scope for this list. > > > > > > Paul > > > > > > essuark wrote: > > > > Hello all, > > > > > > > > I have some simple data that I wish to export to Excel from my > > flex > > > > application. Basically I want to click a button and have > > the 'Save As' > > > > dialog on the browser appear, so the data is dynamic. This needs > > to be > > > > contained in the swf and not access a file somewhere on a server, > > and > > > > since there isn't file, I am not sure if can use NavigatetoURL. > > In > > > > short I wish to send or stream xml data to; I guess, another > > browser. > > > > So again, any ideas on how to send simple xml data, like > > > > <Msg>Hello</Msg> and have the browser's save as dialog show up so > > the > > > > user can save it on their harddrive? > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > Ralph > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
