[olug] Report Generator

[Jay Hannah]

On May 27, 2004, at 4:55 PM, Eric Penne wrote:
> I started out with html.  I created an HTML file with the sizes of the 
> pictures correct for the margins that I wanted to use in the document. 
> I centered them and closed the html file out.  I then opened the html 
> document in OpenOffice and saved it as MSWord.  The pictures don't 
> hold the resizing that I need for the margins so I dropped that path.

I thought your desired end result was .pdf? If so, why go through 
MSWord format at all?

> I could not find a Perl->Word

Hmmm... Haven't used Win32::OLE, but here are a couple examples?

    http://www.wellho.net/solutions/1480965085.html
    http://www.znark.com/tech/resumeword.html

> or Perl->OOWriter interface.

    http://search.cpan.org/~jmgdoc/OpenOffice-OODoc-1.106/OODoc/Intro.pod

> Even if I did I would then have to learn Perl.

Ya. It's good for you.

    http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/lperl3/index.html
    http://omaha.pm.org

> I did find some things with Python but I haven't had the time to check 
> them out.  I would like to learn Python because I've seen that it has 
> an interface for some GPIB instrumentation that I would like to use to 
> automate some testing.  Again I would have to learn Python first.

Perly GPIB?
    http://search.cpan.org/~jeffmock/GPIB_0_30/GPIB.pm

I just joined the Python mailing list, as I remain curious after 
meeting Guido @ OSCON 2003. Looks like only 2 posts to the mailing list 
this year -- about the same number as the Perl Mongers if you don't 
include my posts. -laugh-

> I barely know the basics of bash scripting and html so almost any 
> language would be a ground up learning experience for me.

Oh but the carpal tunnel will be your forever.

> I also need a script that will generate the correct directory 
> structure for all of this to work nicely.  The documents are all on a 
> Win2k server and I'm the only person with bash.  I write about 50% of 
> the reports so I'm not that worried about interoperabilty with my co 
> workers yet.

I'd Samba mount the Win box and whack the directories from Linux under 
whatever language you prefer <subliminal suggestion>perl</subliminal 
suggestion>.

Good luck!

j