How do I create a Word object using a Web service, so it's created server-side and served to the cli

From a Winforms application, how do I create a Word doc object using a Web service, so that it is created server-side and then served to the client in a browser? This is for a Web-deployed Winforms application that works really well apart from the reporting. Would the SQL Reporting Services be a better option and, if so, how would I go about calling these reports from a Web-deployed Winforms app?
I'd avoid using Word, as you want to do, in a Web service. You're only asking for a lot of trouble, as you'll be loading essentially one copy of Word into each connection that requests the report generation. That's going to chew up a huge amount of memory and cause lots of problems in your application.

What I'd suggest you look at instead is Crystal Reports, which comes with the Enterprise Architect version of Visual Studio. It's a scalable, server-based reporting product that will handle pretty much anything you throw at it.

This was first published in April 2004

Back to top