Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Printing with Word unveiled tomorrow for XP

Beta tested and ready to give details. So far tested with XP Pro only. Too tired to post tonight.

Will be posted by 9PM, Friday, October 23, 2009.


*Workaround is to be used as is. Tested vigorously in XP only. Testing done exclusively on Virtual Machine (VMware Workstation version 6.5.2.) with Microsoft Word 2007. Should work with Open Office but not tested. The disseminated information is to be used only with the express written consent of me which it is. Not to be used at home but in office only. Microsoft XP Pro or Home and Microsoft Office should be fully licensed.

That's great!

I think so. You'll love it.

Oh, you keep me waiting.

This is as bad as V5 (but then you did say next week before, and now you're saying Friday noc.) I guess it is not really as bad.

This will give me the weekend to test it out,
Probably with Open office, but it may be at home on a test machine, hope I can get an exception to your EULA

The penalty for exceptions to the EULA are a case of Heineken.

And, all things are go for tonight.

Bert sure is cutting it close! The deadline is approaching!
du-duh-DUH !

Small glitch. Microsoft may have to push the deadline up a day. Working feverishly on it. Works perfectly on VM, but a small problem on the real computer.

The virtual world can be better. The virtual heineken has no calories and can be transmitted by thought. BTW, I sent you a truckload, virtually.

Don't have to work feverishly, just keeping the nose to the grindstone would be sufficient. Unless it is not done by today in which case... Just kidding.

Bert, we are tremendously grateful for all the work you do for the entire AC commmunity as well as the many ways you have helped me personally.

The board would not be the same without you.

AC would not be the same without the many things you have taught us all.

Thanks for the kind words, Wendell. This thing really works, however, I ran into a little issue that I have to straighten out. Probably what happens to Jon when he comes up with a certain date.

I may have to go Open Source with this idea, e.g. reveal the fix and then let others find the answer to the networking.

For want of a nail the shoe is lost, for want of a shoe the horse is lost, for want of a horse the rider is lost.
[1640 G. Herbert Outlandish Proverbs no. 499]

And, for want of two quotes " " the workaround was nearly lost.

After hours of beta testing until it worked to perfection with Word and Open Office, I realized that it opened in Word in HTML. In other words, it looked perfect and could be formatted but within the confines of HTML framework. Still trying.

I came late to the party here and have no idea what Bert is working on? But even from that framework of ignorance I can second Wendell's grateful enthusiasm for all that Bert has contributed. Am I right that this is something so that we don't need to cut and paste in and out of word when we write a letter? (I'm not the only one that does that am I?)

Thanks Martin, I really appreciate that.

Yes, it is so you don't have to cut and paste. Or at least now how you would envision it. I almost gave out all the details, and then the invisible HTML formatting got in the way. I have turned it over to Ed, who usually can figure these things out.

He's also working on another huge surprise for the community, but he lost the program. If he finds it, it will be awesome once again.

OK, since I put so much time into this, and since it came within one HTML encoded tables from hell from working, I am going to post the solution anyway.

I will make it open source. In other words, with 1500 AC users looking at the solution (OK, maybe 50 regular userboard users), someone is bound to figure out the last step.

Too tired tonight though. And, no this isn't another tease.

so, whre's the solution? is it posted elsewhere?

OK, so I will throw it out there, and some may want to try it. Others may not. Hopefully, some can add to it. I had one main issue which I may have fixed.

I have used it mainly with XP Pro and Word 2007. It will most likely work with Word 2003 or Open Office, but I know where there is one useful tool in 2007.

This is to insure that all HTML documents open in Word for editing and printing AFTER the letter has been printed and saved to the patient's import items folder.

The first thing I would do if you are using Office 2007 is bring up Word, right click on the ribbon, choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar, change Choose Commands From to All Commands and then scroll down to "Convert Table To Text." Double click on that and then choose OK to put that command on your Quick Access Toolbar. Don't blame me. This is how Microsoft chose to do it.

OK, all letters or notes or whatever printed by AC are saved as HTML files. When you need to re-print a letter you are forced to open the HTML file which is uneditable and is formatted in a fashion that is not professional. So, what if we could force it to open in Word? We can.

You can either go to Windows Explorer and any Window and choose Tools, Folder Options and File Types or you can go to Control Panel and select Folder Options, File Types.

The File Types controls what programs will open which files, etc. Once you have opened that windows, click on H on your keyboard so it will scroll down to the Hs.

Scroll down three to HTM (NOT HTML), and highlight it. You will notice that it says Opens with Internet Explorer or whatever your browser is. It is temping to select Change, but this will not do anything. You must click the Advanced button at the bottom right. You will now be at the Edit File Type window. Under Actions: you should see an Open and an Open in Same Window. These are set to open in HTML. We have to change them. (These can all be changed back). Double click on Open. You will see either %Open or Open at the top. It doesn't matter. Then there will be a path to your browser as that is the default application to open any file with an extension of .html. You will then see Use DDE with a bunch of jibberish below.

Uncheck Use DDE which will give you a smaller window and browse to Winword.exe. This is generally located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Winword.exe. If you use a different office version it may be Office11 or whatever.

For reasons that only Microsoft could know, it is sometimes located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Outlook\Office12\ even though Microsoft Office is sitting right next to it. Go figure. Either way, it is up to you to be able to find Winword.exe. Once you do, click on it, and it will replace the I.E. path.

Click OK, and then double-click on Open In Same Window. When you click on Browse, it will open the correct window and you select Winword.exe again.

After you have done this, go back and click on HTM -> Advanced, and you should see under Use DDE that WINWORD has replaced IEXPLORER under Application and the Topic should say System.

In AC, make sure your letter writer is set up in Center Format. This isn't imperative, but it makes everything easier. When you go to a patient's Imported Items and find the letter you wish to print, right click and choose Open In Default Application. It SHOULD then open in Word if you did everything correctly. When it opens, you could print it right there, and at least you wouldn't have some of the extra characters that some of us, including me, got in the past.

Now, just to reveal the embedded HTML tables which is what will keep you from editing it the way you want, click on the the famous Pilcrow symbol (the little icon which looks like Pi that you use to see paragraphs and spaces. If you click on View Gridlines under layout, you will see the incredible maze of HTML tables and see why editing is nearly impossible. BUT, if you recall our first step where we strategically places the Convert Tables to Word, you click on that, and presto, the tables are gone and you can edit away.

1. Granted, this may seem like a lot. But, like anything, once you do it, it is very easy.
2. It may seem like too much to do to solve the editing and HTML issues.
3. There can be a couple of glitches related to whether or not you have one or two browsers on your PC.

With WIN7 or Vista, I can't find the actual place where File Types are kept. Someone with those OS may be able to check that out.

Anyway, give it a try. You may like it. If you have questions, fire away.

That's an impressive construction! It seems as if most of that process only has to be performed once. Is that true?

How would that procedure compare to opening the html file in browser, saving as type .txt, and then opening it in winword.exe?

Sure, you can save to text and then view as Word, but then you are only viewing text format in Word and haven't really opened the HTML document as a Word document. To open in HTMl, then save to text, then open in Word, with text formatting and still have the extra Xs and words like Letter, etc. would not make it for me.

This enables one to open all saved imported items (that were saved as HTML) in Word format.

thank you for the explanation. part of my confusion is that I am still slowing adding more AC features to my repetoire--I don't send many letters so haven't used that feature yet.

Hi, Bert. Thanks for taking the time to post this. In Word 2003 I only see TableToOrFromText. Using that option when I click on the toolbar to do the conversion I am presented with the option to "Separate text with paragraph mark/comma/tab/other" In order to clear the formatting I choose "paragraph" then click on the Pilcrow and delete the extra spaces and paraghaphs. This is takes a long time to fix the letter. Can the letter be properly formatted automatically?

You must be using the old method or something. This method works flawlessly in about two steps. Email me, and I will run you through it. I suppose I should install 2003 on a VM to see how it works there.

I tried the method in Open Office.

When I right click and and "open in default app," Open Office opens then states:
first C:\Program Files\Amazing Charts\charts does not exist

then another box with C:\Program Files\Amazing Charts\new\ImportItems\3318\0000001.html does not exist.

Since this is not the main computer, of course it does not have the import items folder. I tried to create a folder which is a shortcut to Import items on the main computer without luck. Since it was looking at folder "new" I tried to nest it inside a folder new. (All of this in the local computer C:\Program Files\Amazing Charts) No luck.

If I browse with OpenOffice to the import items for 3318 and open the file, it works perfectly. It shows the table set up and the items in each field. I can edit as needed.

It can work manually, just cannot get it to forward to the main import item folder. Any ideas?

BTW the info at the top of the page on import items states the correct location at the main computer.

Wendell,

Sorry about that. I see what you mean. I had gotten past that problem before, but now I can't remember how I did it. Put it on hold for a few days. If the actual end result were better, i.e. didn't have the HTML formatting inside Word, I would be staying up night and day looking for the problem.

Of course, Ed will fix it as soon as he drops by. Ed is the man.

That's fine. I can work with the current system. It would be better to use a real word processor. I too have been so busy I have not had a lot of time to play with it. If I figure it out first, I'll let you know, but I won't hold my breath that will be the case.