VBUG NEWCASTLE: Introducing OpenXML with Craig Murphy

With the release of Office 2007, Microsoft moved their document formats over to XML-based formats. This text-based format has many advantages, including, but not limited to readability, good compression and ease of reconstruction. However, as developers [responsible for report creation], OpenXML has significant benefits for us. We now have a consistent object model across all Office applications. More importantly, we no longer have to understand the intricacies of the Component Object Model (COM) in order to create an Excel spreadsheet (for example) from our applications. This in itself should be reason enough to consider looking at OpenXML! Looking at costs, OpenXML can bring savings. Server-side creation of Word, Excel, etc. documents can be performed without an Office license being purchased - these files are little more than text-based files. Similarly, if you are using a brand-name reporting engine, the cost of its license could be saved by using Excel or Word as your reporting medium. Over the course of 60-75 minutes Craig will introduce OpenXML and will demonstrate how he is incorporating it into one of his line-of-business applications. Code examples will be written using C#. Level: beginner to intermediate. Bio Craig Murphy is an author, developer, speaker, project manager, community evangelist, Microsoft MVP (Connected Systems) and is a Certified ScrumMaster. Commercially, Craig has been using Borland Delphi since 1998; today, he uses Visual Studio 2008, C# and when forced, Visual Basic. Craig plays is part of the team behind the DeveloperDeveloperDeveloper (DDD) events - he has been involved in locating speakers, preparing agendas, liaise with speakers, find swag and generally "make things happen". Now we have a small, but excellent, team to help share the workload! He regularly writes articles product/book reviews: The Delphi Magazine, International Developer, ASPToday, Developers Group magazine and Computer Headline have published his work. He specialises in all things related to .NET, C#, Borland Delphi, XML/Web Services, XSLT, Test-Driven Development, Extreme Programming, agile methods and Scrum. In his career to date, Craig has written cost estimating software for the oil and gas industry and asset valuation software for local councils and the Ministry of Defence. He has a day-job, a wife and a son. His blog is ranked 160 on Datamation's Top 200 Tech Blogs: http://www.craigmurphy.com/blog