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Automate the Generation and Distribution of Feature-Rich Excel Reports from a Server with SoftWidgets Spread Server

9 Sep 20052 min read 31.6K   4  
In just a few minutes, predefined templates, containing formatted sheets and charts, can be generated from any database using simple SQL statements, macros and/or custom C# or VB.NET snap-ins. Generated files can be distributed to a file server or as an email attachment. Usually, no coding is needed

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SoftWidgets Spread Server 2.0 – Automate your Excel Report Generation and Distribution with Ease

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Image 2 Prior to using your software, we were forced to manually manipulate large amounts of data from an Oracle database to an Excel spreadsheet. This process took time and often resulted in errors in our Excel spreadsheet due to errors in input. As a direct result of SoftWidgets, the entire process is automated and 100% reliable, with the end product being a highly customized Excel spreadsheet that is instantly updated. Image 3

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Image 4 Reference implementation for creating a business-friendly Excel reporting system
Image 5 Charts with no coding! Check out the Product Category Report example
Image 6 Download FREE 30-Day Trial Software

As seen in the diagram below, simply configure and run Spread Server and feature-rich template-based Excel reports can be automatically generated and delivered to anyone in your organization via email and/or file copy.

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Key Spread Server features and benefits:

  • Spread Server automatically generates spreadsheets from almost any data source (Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase, Access, and more) via simple SQL statements.
     
  • Spread Server automatically routes generated spreadsheets to multiple email addresses and/or to network file servers.
     
  • Spread Server can populate predefined templates that have look-and-feel elements designed by business users of the spreadsheet instead of the IT staff.
     
  • In a single run, Spread Server can generate multiple workbooks.
     
  • For each workbook generated by Spread Server, multiple worksheets can be populated with data.
     
  • File retention policy is configurable and purging is fully automated for each distribution node.
     
  • All processing information is logged, in detail, to the standard Windows application event log.
     
  • Best of all, the features cited above require no custom coding! Spread Server includes a very intuitive configuration interface that allows a business analyst or an IT professional to meet the majority of common automated spreadsheet generation and delivery requirements with no coding.
     
  • For more sophisticated spreadsheet population and formatting, Spread Server can execute Excel macro code embedded in your templates right on the server! This unique feature enables Excel macro writers / power users to automate the creation of rich reports using their existing skills and macro libraries.
     
  • In cases where the spreadsheet generation requirements are beyond the out-of-the-box capabilities of Spread Server, extensibility is provided for via a set of fully documented .NET 1.1 compliant snap-in interfaces.
     
  • Unlike competing reporting products, when extending Spread Server there is no need to learn any non-Microsoft APIs to manipulate Excel objects. The .NET snap-in interfaces provide run-time references to native Excel objects via Microsoft's own standard Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel assembly.

Get started automating your Excel reporting today by clicking on the link below and downloading the FREE 30 day trial software. Or, if you prefer, contact us for a demonstration of Spread Server in action.

Image 8 Download FREE Trial Software

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United States United States
SoftWidgets is a Connecticut based supplier of high-end software and design services for the Enterprise Application Integration and Business Intelligence markets. SoftWidgets innovative utilities are designed to tackle the most demanding back-office mission-critical tasks without the complexity and cost associated with the big vendors.
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