A Problem I can't solve yet

[texxs]

I have a client that dropped me a problem I'm having trouble solving.

They use a lot of MS Excel Spreadsheets. He has one that they fill out out over the phone with a client that includes about 50 different fields of information. He wants me to post the spreadsheet on his site (I've done this part w/ other spreadsheets for him, it's problematic, but doable), let the clients figure it out and then send the spreadsheet to his e-mail addy.

I tried to talk him into just a regular HTML form that will send the info to him, but he wants it come in as unique .xls spreadsheets

Anyone have any ideas on how to do this? Or if this can even be done on his Linux web server? I work with php and JavaScript mostly. But I did his website in FP2003 so he could do updates his self.

If nothing else got a nice simple way to explain to him that this is not easy task?

[southplatte]

I have a php script that will pull in information from a csv file (save the excel as a csv format) and populate a mysql db with it. I imagine one could be able to find one that would pull from the database and write a csv formatted file that excel could then open as a normal spreadsheet.

I will post a link the importer script below:

http://codewalkers.com/seecode/175.html

Some export examples/info I found:

http://www.modwest.com/help/kb.phtml?qid=135&cat=6

This one below is not oss or free, but looks pretty powerful:

http://www.comdevweb.com/csvdatatool.php?code=CSVIM31

http://www.zend.com/codex.php?id=1036&single=1

http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum88/5504.htm

You could pull the csv into the mysql db, then allow the clients to use it in a form that pulls/adds/modifies/deletes the data that is necessary, then write it to the database, then create the csv file by pulling it from mysql and email it using the mail function. Each row in the csv file would become a mysql row, so it would use the same basic loops that you use for mysql I would think (as far as stepping through each field to read/write the csv file).

Of course, this means that the user that php/apache runs as would have writable access to a directory to create the csv file - which may open a security hole if done improperly.

[texxs]

I'm thinking he will not be happy with a cvs file, but let me give it a try and see how easy it is to convert it from the cvs to the .xls that he wants. He really wants to be able to open his e-mail and have these .xls's that he already uses all filled out and ready to give to his staff. I just don't think I can do it though.

[southplatte]

To get the csv file open in Excel, Excel should be associated with it....it would then work, act and be very similar to the original....the presentation may not be as pretty....as I do not think your csv would have any formatting.....

Here is another link with a 6 page tutorial on exporting directly to the .xsl excel extension format...

http://www.phpfreaks.com/tutorials/114/0.php

as I said though...there is no way to get the formatting, such as borders, colors/shading etc. that I know of....maybe with an MS server running some ASP.Net or VB.Net you could.

[texxs]

Hey now that's pretty good info!

Thanks a ton!