This Friday (Noon Pacific time, March 13, 2009) I invite anyone to join a special Friday Webinar. I want to review an Alpha Five web application I have in the works. It's a re-work of an application I built in A5V6, one of the very first Alpha web apps in production.
"Special" because I want to also show integration with a 3rd party utility that takes XML output from my Alpha application, merges it with a template and creates output in RTF, PDF, and HTML.
That 3rd party app is called StyleVision from Altova. It is a WYSIWYG document template utility that generates "XSLT" files which I use on my server to generate the final documents from client-generated XML output.
In addition, I will show how to use WatchDirectory (a file watch program) on my server. This program fires the merge process "off-line" so it will happen sequentially even if dozens of users are merging docs at the same time. It also avoids me having to implement a more rigorous API process where a command-line utility is available.
I'm no expert in the XSLT world, but I will do my best to show the following:
I consider being able to create complex merged documents out of Alpha as the Holy Grail. I've tried for years to create an all-Alpha solution, but this Altova product is a very nice companion and the process is "industry standard".
TO JOIN: Go to my website a few minutes before (Friday, Noon Pacific) and click Webinars and click JOIN for the appropriate date. There is no advanced sign-up - my webinar software allows 12 max visitors, so I will tape it if more than that show up and want to view.
Maybe send me an email, or reply here so I have an idea about the numbers.
"Special" because I want to also show integration with a 3rd party utility that takes XML output from my Alpha application, merges it with a template and creates output in RTF, PDF, and HTML.
That 3rd party app is called StyleVision from Altova. It is a WYSIWYG document template utility that generates "XSLT" files which I use on my server to generate the final documents from client-generated XML output.
In addition, I will show how to use WatchDirectory (a file watch program) on my server. This program fires the merge process "off-line" so it will happen sequentially even if dozens of users are merging docs at the same time. It also avoids me having to implement a more rigorous API process where a command-line utility is available.
I'm no expert in the XSLT world, but I will do my best to show the following:
- data-entry and basics of my Alpha web application
- exporting XML from my Alpha application
- my very flexible XML output model
- creating the document template in Altova StyleVision
- writing the XSLT file
- what's an XSLT, what's an XML Schema, what's an XML
- setting up the server to create client documents on demand
- setting up WatchDirectory to fire the command-line "XSLT" process for the merge
I consider being able to create complex merged documents out of Alpha as the Holy Grail. I've tried for years to create an all-Alpha solution, but this Altova product is a very nice companion and the process is "industry standard".
TO JOIN: Go to my website a few minutes before (Friday, Noon Pacific) and click Webinars and click JOIN for the appropriate date. There is no advanced sign-up - my webinar software allows 12 max visitors, so I will tape it if more than that show up and want to view.
Maybe send me an email, or reply here so I have an idea about the numbers.
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