What is WordWriter?

WordWriter is a high performance .NET assembly that creates Microsoft Word documents on a Web server from an existing Word template file and a data source. A few simple lines of code generate editable presentation-quality documents that can be saved or viewed instantly by thousands of concurrent users.

The documents generated by WordWriter are in native Microsoft Word format (.doc) and preserve all of the familiar features associated with Word documents. WordWriter offers high-speed performance and, since Microsoft Word is not required on the Web server running WordWriter, your Web applications have licensing flexibility and ease of deployment.

To generate a Word file with SoftArtisans WordWriter:

1. In Microsoft Word, create a template file containing merge fields that will bind to a data source.
2. Create an ASP.NET WordWriter script that opens the template, sets the data source, populates merge fields, and either saves the file or streams it to the browser.

For example, you could create a form letter and insert merge fields for the recipient's name and address. In the ASP.NET code, use WordWriter to populate the fields from a database table, and generate a new Word file. WordWriter's object model is simple, compact, and intuitive, allowing you to write the necessary code in minutes.

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