hyperlink to open an Excel Template as an xls file

[Richard Ames]

I have a hyperlink to an Excel template. Problem is when I click on it the
browser opens Excel with the file as a template instead of as an Excel file.
I don't want the users changing the template I want Excel to function in the
way it normally does when you double click on a template in windows
explorer.

I have seen a couple of posts re opening Excel outside the browser but that
means having access to all the PC's and changing their config, something
that is not realistic.

Is there anyway to either
Open Excel inside the browser with the template as an xls file
Or
Make the hyperlink open Excel outside the browser without having to change
the PC configuration.

Thanks

Richard

 

[Kevin Spencer]

Hi Richard,

We need to go over a few things here. First, when the browser downloads a
document, it only downloads a COPY of hte document. This is important to
remember with regards to the following. If you want your users to be able to
download an Excel file, you might as well link to an Excel document that was
created from the template, as the end result will be the same (they will
have a new empty Excel document formatted as the template was). Another
thing to remember is that, when they make changes to the document, they
can't save it back to the server. A browser is a one-way client. It doesn't
upload. They can save it to their hard drive. So, assuming that your goal is
to have them be able to download a new Excel document from a template and
save it locally, that's all you need to do. If your intention is to have
them open an Excel document, work on it, and save it back to the server,
you're going to need a professional programmer, as this will necessitate a
full-blown server-side web application to do.

So, I guess my only question to you is: What are your business requirements?
What are you trying to achieve with this? And by that I don't mean HOW, as
you've already explained your how, which is not possible, but WHAT? What do
you want to enable people to do? If you can explain that, we can provide you
with some workable HOWs.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Big things are made up
of lots of little things.

 

[Richard Ames]

What I am trying to do is create a number of forms for users to complete and
then save/Print/Email or whatever without changing the original "form". What
I have currently is a number of Excel Templates in a directory on the
server. The users only have read access. The user needs to "create" the copy
from the template which is what happens when you double click on the excel
template in Windows Explorer. This works currently except users being users
they can't find the files.

My quick and dirty thought was to create a web page with links to the
various forms's so that users could find them quickly and easily. That works
except for the fact that it is a template copy instead of a document copy.
When you click Save As it defaults to saving as a template. I guess it's no
big deal if the users save their copies as xlt's but it would have been nice
to make it function exactly the same way it does when it's not in a browser.
Anything "different" creates questions.

I would normally use Infopath, sharepoint, Visual Studio, etc but although I
have access to those at home I don't at work and there would'nt be anybody
else to support it. So I am trying to find a low tech flavor. I have
somebody I can teach the rudiments of Front Page, enough to be able to
create a page with a table and a bunch of hyperlinks.

Thanks

Richard

 

[Kevin Spencer]

Well, Richard, as I mentioned earlier, if all you want is for users to be
able to open an Excel document from a template, don't link to a template;
link to a document. The browser will download a copy of the document, which
the user can then edit and save locally, or email. The only thing they won't
be able to do is save it back to the server. Problem solved.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Big things are made up
of lots of little things.

 

[Richard Ames]

Aaarggh excuse me for being thick. I had the mindset they needed to be
templates but you're right they don't.

Thanks

Richard