Editing from Microsoft Word

[nsvsrk]

Hi,

A requirement of our potential project says "CMS should allow Editing from Microsoft Word".

I am trying to first understand this requirement (we are yet to clarify this from client) and then examine whether AEM has this feature.

Is the requirement that we should be able to import Word documents in to the CMS and be able to edit the word document from within CMS?

Or probably word file creation itself should happen within CMS and of course its editing also subsequently.

Followed Documentation for AEM 6.1 Offline Importer and imported a word document.

When I double clicked it, I am able to edit it, but this is not what the requirement is.

I would guess that we should be able to edit using Word editor.

Could you please throw some light on your understanding of this requirement and AEM's feature towards it?

Appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Rama. 

[Kunal_Gaba_]

I guess the requirement means that the users should be able to use the Microsoft Word editor for editing the word documents which lives in the CMS. The operation of creating new word document and editing a new word document should be possible from within the editor. They would not like to login into AEM and download the asset for editing and then uploading it back whenever they are done. 

And for this requirement you can explore using the CRX webdav support feature - https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/crx/2-3/how_to/webdav_access.html

[Jitendra_S_Toma]

@Rama,

Agreeing with @Kunal and I think that is the only thing possible (Using WebDav to upload updated docs).

@Kunal,

One quick question, if we upload the document in the same path (from where it was downloaded) with the same name, will the uploaded file be a new file or will it override the existing file?. 

Jitendra

[nsvsrk]

Thanks Kunal and Jitendra for replying.

I used WebDav before for uploading a number of images, css and jS files from the Windows file system to AEM.

So, here, the user creates the word doc on the file system and uploads to AEM using WebDav.

When updates to the document are required, he makes edits to the word doc on the file system and uploads to AEM again.

Thus, we are not considering incorporating Word editor within AEM.

Is it what you suggest?

Also, is the upload after edits automatic or manual?

Is there a way to consider Word editor within AEM?

Thanks,

Rama.

[kautuk_sahni]

Hi 

There is Apache POI library for read,writ,create and manage MS-Word documents using Java.

Link doe Tutorial :- http://www.tutorialspoint.com/apache_poi_word/apache_poi_word_document.htm

//Example ti create a blank Document

import java.io.File;import java.io.FileOutputStream;import org.apache.poi.xwpf.usermodel.XWPFDocument;public class CreateDocument{public static void main(String[] args)throws Exception{//Blank DocumentXWPFDocument document= new XWPFDocument();//Write the Document in file systemFileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(new File("createdocument.docx"));document.write(out);out.close();System.out.println("createdocument.docx written successully");}}

Now just create a OSGi sling service or component and use above library to read,writ,create and manage MS-Word documents.

I hope this would help you.

Thanks and Regards

Kautuk Sahni

[Jitendra_S_Toma · Accepted solution]

Yes Rama,  there is no word doc editor in Aem and you have to upload docs manually after updation.  I believe, it would not be easy to build a app which syncs update docs with aem dam.  Though it is feasible thing.  It is like Google Drive.

[Kunal_Gaba_]

If you use webdav then you can mount the CRX folders on the local machine as folder. And any document you create/update or delete in that folder will be automatically synced to the AEM repository. With this approach, you can use any editing software for all the document types you want to manage in AEM DAM. However, the only drawback here is that if you want authors or editors to add any custom metadata associated with the document then they will have to login into AEM and then set the metadata in AEM UI itself. 

I do not understand your question of incorporating word editor in AEM. The word processing software are generally desktop software and allow you to edit documents offline. With Google docs you can edit the documents online but then integrating with AEM will be a complex effort. 

[nsvsrk]

Thanks a lot to all who have responded.

Now I am more knowledgeable on this subject.

Thanks,

Rama.

[Jörg_Hoh]

Hi,

when you say "CMS should allow editing from Microsoft Word", does this mean, (1) that the authors should be able to maintain content of web pages via Word? Or does it just mean, that authors can easily upload Word documents to the AEM?

kind regards,
Jörg

[nsvsrk]

Hi,

Thanks for responding.

The way I understand the requirement is that the content itself should be maintained in AEM and should be edited in Word editor, from AEM, by double clicking.

Once this requirement is in place, I guess that one should be able to create Word documents in AEM directly.

Thanks,

Rama.

[Jörg_Hoh]

Hi,

nsvsrk wrote...

Hi,

Thanks for responding.

The way I understand the requirement is that the content itself should be maintained in AEM and should be edited in Word editor, from AEM, by double clicking.

Once this requirement is in place, I guess that one should be able to create Word documents in AEM directly.

Thanks,

Rama.

If that "pages in AEM should be edited in Word editor" is really the requirement, I wonder why you purchased an AEM license at all...

Technically Word can export HTML, but the markup itself is horrible (at least it was the case when I checked it a few years ago); but it can only export the whole document as HTML, not individual parts. So how would you create headers, footers or individual components? How do you make sure, that the editors follow your corporate identity and your style and design? How do you want to maintain a teaser or a carousel in Word? How embedd references to assets in AEM?

AEM has a quite comfortable editmode (in both classic UI and touch UI), so there is no need at all to use a different editor; AEM is not designed for it, and I never saw or heard of anyone who's ever thought of doing so.

kind regards,
Jörg

[namechange10232]

I want to edit text AFTER a file has been transferred from MS to Adobe Acrobat format.  Is this possible or not?

[aheim02]

Hi rd2,

Just to confirm - you say you want to edit text in Adobe Acrobat? ie not Adobe AEM.

The Acrobat forum is at:

- https://forums.adobe.com/community/acrobat

They will be able to help your further.

[namechange10232]

That is what I said.

And, no information on this topic is located there.

[namechange10232]

Adobe Acrobat X.