Publishing Excel Spreadsheets / Security?

[krak_d]

Hi all,

i need to publish an excel spreadsheet to the web and keep the functionality, validation and security/user password prompts etc intact!
This is something ive never done before. Is it possible to do all this?

Also ive heard that saving as webpage in excel creates a whole load of pointless code therefore creating HUGE files, is there a better way to go about this?

One more thing, do some hosts not allow certain file types? Ive just tried uploading a file with a .mht extension but it only displays the header and no spreadsheet?

Thanks in advance,

krak_d.

[QuietDean]

Hi krak_d,

You can just dump an .xls on the web, and should download from any browser, or open in Internet Explorer. However, its not at all secure (Even with the password protection, trust me, I had to 'crack' an .xls in work and it was not hard)

Depending on your priorities, you may want to look into adapting it slightly. For example, if the data is whats important, then ASP can read the .xls file as a data source, and you could of course then password off that page.

Or if the download is important, zip it up and password the download.

[krak_d]

Thanks Dean.

The spreadsheet holds information relating to a few thousand box files held by a secure storage company that deal regularly with solicitors etc. so i imagine security is a very big issue. What i've been told so far is that the storage company want there spreadsheet to be available and searchable online so people can call them up and ask them to pull that particular boxfile and courier it to them. A little vague i know but i'm meeting with them next week to clarify exactly what thay want and more to the point if i can do it!

By the sounds of it ASP is going to be the way to go ...unfortunately i know nothing of it, in fact i don't think my OS supports it (M$ ME)

I thought about just ftp'ing the excel sheet(s) but i don't know how often they will need to be updated or if the clients searching the spreadsheets will want to have to download it to do there search!

...Look like i may have to get a 3rd party in to do this one properly, i 'll keep you posted!

krak_d

[QuietDean]

Personally, I would transfer the whole thing from a spreadsheet to a secure database.

You can save the spreadsheet as a .csv and improt into a database easily enough.

Is your webserver ME? my god. Thats scary.

[krak_d]

I'm venturing into unknown territory!

You can save the spreadsheet as a .csv and improt into a database easily enough.

Can you recommend any links/tutorials etc on this ?

krak_d

[QuietDean]

Heres one in PHP for mySQL

http://codewalkers.com/seecode/448.html