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Program to beautify crappy exports from other applications?
Armando:
In theory, I like timns' solution. However, Stylus Studio -- even if great -- is at least 99 $... A tad expensive if all you want is to a few xml exports here and there. I also wonder how much energy and learning it would take to learn XML's basics and design nice templates in Stylus. It doesn't seem that hard, but... all that is very relative.
superboyac:
In theory, I like timns' solution. However, Stylus Studio -- even if great -- is at least 99 $... A tad expensive if all you want is to a few xml exports here and there. I also wonder how much energy and learning it would take to learn XML's basics and design nice templates in Stylus. It doesn't seem that hard, but... all that is very relative.
-Armando (February 26, 2011, 12:34 AM)
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Thanks Armando and timns. I went to Stylus Studio's and couldn't really tell what it did (too much corporate jargon nonsense). It sounds it can take xml files, and you can use the program to manipulate it and get it looking good. Then, I'm assuming you can save whatever configuration you did, and keep using it for other exports from each particular program. That's cool! If it can do it, it would be worth the $100, which is not too bad. I know I'd be more than happy to pay for it if it could do that.
It sounds similar to Crystal Reports. I just hope it's easier to use, and just not a headache like CR.
Curt:
I simply cannot understand why it isn't good enough for you to merely print the screen. It doesn't get more wysiwyg than that. Your first screenshot is my only prove. Please forgive me for being a slow thinker!
Shades:
In theory, I like timns' solution. However, Stylus Studio -- even if great -- is at least 99 $... A tad expensive if all you want is to a few xml exports here and there. I also wonder how much energy and learning it would take to learn XML's basics and design nice templates in Stylus. It doesn't seem that hard, but... all that is very relative.
-Armando (February 26, 2011, 12:34 AM)
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The emphasis is mine. XML does not look that impressive when learning it, but that is deceptive. Proper XML + XSD is a lot harder than it looks...at least when communicating database content with SAP software.
Maybe it is different with beautifying output but I would not get my hopes up too high. Then again, I do not have any experience with both Stylus and CR, so it is quite possible that my fear inspiring text is simply solved by a wizard in Stylus or CR.
timns:
Shades: yes, although it sounds like you're doing some pretty hardcore coding if you're dealing with SAP: the very mention of which fills me with terror.
Superboyac - if it's just one or two templates that you need, it would be reasonably easy to create you a sample from which you could get a good kick-start. Once you see how to do the basics, the formatting etc. would be up to you, and very similar to creating an html page.
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