Embedding Excel on a page with <object>

I need advice

[httpwebwitch]

I know this will only work in IE. That's OK, this app is for a controlled environment.

So I found out that I can put a mini-Excel sheet on my page with this:

<object 
 id  = 'excel'
 classid = 'CLSID:0002E510-0000-0000-C000-000000000046'>
 <param name="DisplayTitleBar" value="false">
</object>

now, how can I insert data into that? and if I do editing within it, how do I get the data out again?

My goal is to make this into a front-end for editing a database table.

[httpwebwitch]

this feature of IE is abysmally documented. The subject seems almost deliberately avoided.

Has anyone here ever done any work using javascript to manipulate Excel as an embedded COM object?

I fear that is like asking "has anyone here ever tried to juggle jello pops while skydiving?

[Dijkgraaf]

I investigated this recently as a client requested this, and no, you can't do it with Excel so far as I know. You can however find some third party tools that allow you to do this, but of course they cost money. I can sticky you the URL for one such product if you are interested, the cheapest lisence agreement for this particular product is US$199. I can't tell you how good it is as we haven't tried

[iamlost]

You probably need to work through scripting or an application layer.

Example: php from DB (MySQL) into Excel worksheet:

<?
$csv_output = "column 1,column2";
$csv_output .= "\n";
$result = mysql_query("select * from table");

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$csv_output .= "$row[col1],$row[col2]\n";
}

header("Content-type: application/vnd.ms-excel");
header("Content-disposition: csv" . date("Y-m-d") . ".xls");
print $csv_output;
exit;
?>

Note that multiple users will eventually cause version conflicts. This is why custom code with transaction lock/version control is usually specified and also why it is rarely done and poorly (publicly) documented.

A custom application layer is a more common user DB interface.

[httpwebwitch]

I don't want to create a CSV file; I want to embed the actual Excel application in my browser. So far I've discovered a few ways in:

where "excel" is the id of my <object>,
excel.Cell(1,2).Value='3'
excel.range($A$1).Value='1'

I'm looking for any other ways to manipulate the embedded app with client-side js commands
~hww

[httpwebwitch]

For the benefit of anyone lurking, I'll share what I've learned so far.
These things are called Office Web Components (OWC).

I'll say OWC a few more times so this OWC post ranks higher for OWC the next time I'm searching for OWC.

They are abysmally documented online, almost as though Microsoft doesn't really want people to use them unless they spend $$ buying their books.

here are some nice paramters you can play with:

<object 
 width = 900
 height = 500
 id  = 'excel'
 classid = 'CLSID:0002E510-0000-0000-C000-000000000046' VIEWASTEXT>
<param name=DisplayTitleBar value=true >
<param name="DataType" value="CSVURL">
<param name="AutoFit" value="0">
<param name="DisplayColHeaders" value="1">
<param name="DisplayGridlines" value="1">
<param name="DisplayHorizontalScrollBar" value="1">
<param name="DisplayRowHeaders" value="1">
<param name="DisplayTitleBar" value="1">
<param name="DisplayToolbar" value="1">
<param name="DisplayVerticalScrollBar" value="1">
<param name="EnableAutoCalculate" value="0">
<param name="EnableEvents" value="0">
<param name="MoveAfterReturn" value="1">
<param name="MoveAfterReturnDirection" value="0">
<param name="RightToLeft" value="0">
</object>

I used an ASP script to write out a pile of individual javascript statements to insert values into the spreadsheet:

<script>
excel.range('a14').value = '435';
excel.range('b14').value = '0';
excel.range('c14').value = 'Downtown Businesses';
excel.range('d14').value = 'Friday';
excel.range('e14').value = '';
</script>

And I found a few interesting ways you can manipulate cells and properties:

<script>
function boldexcel(){
excel.ActiveCell.EntireRow.Font.Bold = true;
}
function excelalert(){
alert(excel.ActiveCell.Value);
}
function excelview(){
excel.ViewableRange="$A$1:$C$4";
}
</script>

[iamlost]

Thank you for the term "Office Web Components".

The limitation of SEs is their inability to work outside of explicit terms/phrases. Have added these SE returns to a file for future study. The initial quick glance showed much I had not known on a subject I thought I knew fairly well ... thanks httpwebwitch for adding to my knowledge (and workload).