Use XML to Generate Excel 2003 Workbooks

When I say XML and Office 2003, the next words that come to the minds of most Office developers (who stay up to date on things) is usually WordML. That is with good reason. However, Excel actually made the jump to more complete XML support before Word did by putting out an XML Spreadsheet file format back in Excel 2002. Well, that format continues in Excel 2003, but there more support was added (XML Maps and so forth). In this article, Using Visual Basic and ASP with XML to Generate Excel 2003 Workbooks, we just published, Frank Rice provides one of the best entry points into the world of XML and Excel that can be found.

In this line of thinking, you should also check out these two articles:

Add XML Functionality in Microsoft Office Excel 2003 from Microsoft Visual Basic .NET

and

Importing XML Maps, XML Lists, and Dynamic Chart Sources in Excel 2003

Rock thought for the day: Re-listened to Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", and it blew my mind all over again. This guy was a great song-writer and an incredible guitarist. When I watched him on TV as a kid, I saw him do his thing, but it was usually part of some special, some contrivance of a variety show or something. It seemed out of place. It was out of place. Chuck Berry and his music should never be part of a display or some vignette in a show. He's too real for that.

Rock on.