Automated update of Visio

Started by timbo, November 10, 2009, 05:03:42 PM

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timbo

November 10, 2009, 05:03:42 PM
I have created a Windows app using .NET and the Visio 2003 SDK which generates and/or updates Visio diagrams from a database storing data columns as Custom Properties.

I then save this as a web diagram and publish to our intranet which has proved extremely popular with software architects and IT infrastructure guys. (The Web Interface in IE is really impressive!)

Now I'm being asked to update some diagrams from the database to reflect latest performance using a daily scheduled job run on a server.

I was planning to use a .NET ConsoleApp but the problem is that the SDK code I have used thus far involves Windows Forms and I don't think that will work on a scheduled job on a server.

Has anyone done this sort of thing or can I actually have a Windows.Form in a ConsoleApp?

I did consider saving the diagram as XML and updating the XML but then I'm not sure how I convert the XML to Visio As A Web Page since this also seems to require a Visio document on a Windows Form...

Any help greatly appreciated!

aledlund

#1
November 10, 2009, 06:59:40 PM
Having learned the hard way that these short term fixes end up being long term solutions I'd step back to look at what might be coming

http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/archive/2009/11/05/embedding-a-web-drawing-into-a-sharepoint-page.aspx

I'm a fan of using sharepoint from a number of issues (security of information being just the first)

al

timbo

#2
November 11, 2009, 10:39:26 AM Last Edit: November 11, 2009, 06:41:21 PM by Visio Guy
The idea of embedding in SharePoint looks good. That said I always find that in the end SP never quite does what you hope it will or in an intuitive way! Additionally in my experience companies take ages to upgrade so what's coming up in the next version is, in practice, years away...

For my own case I had a rethink and realised that since the "Visio for Web Page" format uses XML to connect Custom Properties to the Shapes I can update that XML "in place" which will update the web site directly.

Thanks for the response - excellent forum!

Visio Guy

#3
November 11, 2009, 06:47:26 PM
If you want to get in and dink with Visio's Save As Web stuff, be sure and check out John Goldsmith's visLog. He's the master at tearing Visio Save As Web apart and understanding the guts of its output.

To date, he's got quite a few interesting articles:


You can also just jump to his Save As Web category, to see all the entries and look for future additions.
For articles, tips and free content, see the Visio Guy Website at http://www.visguy.com
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timbo

#4
November 12, 2009, 11:35:57 AM
TypePad is blocked here at work but I'll definitely check it out from home...

Just from the titles it looks like it's the bee's knees!

Quote from: Visio Guy on November 11, 2009, 06:47:26 PM
If you want to get in and dink with Visio's Save As Web stuff, be sure and check out John Goldsmith's visLog. He's the master at tearing Visio Save As Web apart and understanding the guts of its output.

To date, he's got quite a few interesting articles:


You can also just jump to his Save As Web category, to see all the entries and look for future additions.
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