Best tools to build Document Generator?

[wildkick]

Hi guys,

I am a newbie, and would really appreciate some advice to get me going in the right direction, regarding the building of a Document Generator ("DG").

Here is what I think:

-o0o-

The DG shall consist of the following:

1. A database with various text-objects (category, heading, text, maybe numbering, etc).

And an interface to add/edit text-objects, record changes made/history of each object, and with a comment field

2. A user-interface to:
(a) select relevant text-objects for the current document, e.g. check/uncheck items from a pre-defined list of catogories/headings
[+ possibly dialogue box to fill in blanks etc], and then
(b) Generate the document in Word (with MS Word-format, styles, etc)

-o0o-

Is this doable? Maybe you immediately spot some serious diffelculties?

What would I need to learn to be able to do this? Or maybe it will take so much time and effort that I would be better off to out-source the project?

How would you go about it?

I would really love any input on this one. Also any overall suggestions/ideas, incl. choice of tools.

Could e.g. .Net and SQL (XML) be a sollution here?

Thanks in advance,

Wildkick

[WingedPanther]

Are you talking about generating standard documents on the fly with autopopulated data?

[wildkick]

Are you talking about generating standard documents on the fly with autopopulated data?

Yes, maybe 20 or so, more or less standard documents. Noone will be identical, but they will contain a few, some or many of what I may call "standard text-objects".

Instead of searching through documents, trying to find suitable "standard" text-objects, and copy/paste, I want to create one DB with all the "standard" text-objects I use, and then generate the documents "on the fly" by choosing the appropriate text-objects for that kind of document.

For instance: Let's say Document of Type 1, often will contain Text Objects No 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9-16. Instead of rewriting all the objects, or trying to locate them from previous documents, I want to have a DB with updated ojects. Then, when creating a Document Type 1 document, I want e.g. a GUI suggesting Text Objects No 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9-16, asking me to uncheck the ones I don't want, and then generate the document based on the selection.

After that is done, I may adjust it/do manual changes/input.

[WingedPanther]

If you're looking at doing this online, ColdFusion has some support for this type of thing with PDF output. ASP can hook into a Word document as well. .NET languages should also have hooks into Office.