LAUNCHER/400 Office V.2.5 

Since its first release, Launcher/400 Office provides a set of functions to generate and distribute documents from AS/400 native programs :

• Create and update Word and Excel documents
• Create, merge, print PDF documents
• Send eMails, with attachments, using Lotus, Outlook, SMTP
• Transfer AS/400 data to MS Access
• Launch Windows commands and exécutable files, open documents
• …

Major changes introduced with LAUNCHER/400 V.2.5 concern :

  - An enhancement of the Excel Interface.
  - A better support for Office 2007.
  - Commands to extract spool data, and convert to PDF, DOC, …
  - New commands to manage IFS objects.
  - SMTP interface independant from the user station configuration.

See QCLSRC source file in library LAUNCHER, for a set of samples programs using LAUNCHER/400 V.2.5.  

LNCTOXLS: Command enhancements

LNCTOXLS commands is used to export AS/400 data source (SQL Query, Query File, File) to a template, or to a new blank workbook.
New options are availables with Vversion 2.5 :

XLSMAP(*MAPNAME)
With this option, Fields from the AS/400 data source are copied to Excel columns, depending on the association between the filed names, and the cell names in the workbook.
The Excel template selects the fields to insert in the table, and the order they are inserted.
Colmuns with calculated fields can be inserted between columns updated from AS/400 data source.
Example program S_04EXL_2 in QCLSRC file, library LAUNCHER, shows how to use this option.

XLSMAP(*MAPVALUE)
This option is very close to previous one. Here, the association between data source fields and Excel columns, is based on the contain of the first row of the Excel table to populate.
See example program S_04EXL_3 in QCLSRC file, library LAUNCHER.

COLPREF()
Combined with option XLSMAP(), this option allows to add a prefix to the names of the cells, or the contain of the cells used to link the data source to Excel columns.
This prefix can be very useful for the template maintenance.

FREEZE(*YES)
With this option, all calculated cells in the workbook are replaced by their values.
You can send calculated data, without sending the formulas used for calculation.

SAVFMT(*NORMAL)
With MS Office 2007 a new workbook format has come: XLSX
Option SAVFMT(*NORMAL) saves the workbook in the default format of the Excel used: XLSX for Excel 2007, and XLS for Excel 97-2003.
Option SAVFMT(*XLS) saves always the document in XLS format XLS (97-2003) even with Excel 2007.
When SAVFMT(*NORMAL) is used, it is better to not specify the suffix for the document name. Excel will add the right one.

XLSOPT(*EXTEND)
With this new option of XLSOPT, you can append new lines to an existing names range in the workbook.
The named area is resized, including the new data inserted.

Enhacements for Word 2007

Word 2007 introduce a new document format : DOCX.
Option SAVFMT(*NORMAL) for LNCPRTDOC command, saves the document in the default format of the Word version used :DOCX for Word 2007, DOC for Word 97-2003.
SAVFMT(*DOC) always saves the document in DOC format(97-2003), even with Word 2007.

Don't specify the suffix for the document name. Word will add the right one, depending on its version.

Warning: If your application shows personalized Word menus, with Office 2007, those menus will not be visible for your user, unless he goes to Word "Add_Ins" menu.

Launcher/400 Office V.2.5 : New CL Commands

LNCFRMXLS
Import an Excel Workbook into an AS/400 database file.
This command is available only for OS/400 V5R2 and up.

LNCSPLCVT
Transfer a spool file to a Windows or network file, in TXT, PCL or native format.

NCSPLPDF
Spool file data is convert to PDF format.

LNCSPLDOC
Spool file data is converted to Word. A template can be used for the page layout.

LNCCHKACC
This new command allows you to check if a file is present and accessible in the IFS, or in a network directory.

Copies a file from IFS, to a directory on the PC or on the network.

LNCIFSPUT
Copies a file from a directory on the PC or on the network, to the IFS.

SMTP interface is independant from the configuration.

With Launcher/400 V.2.5, AS/400 program can specify the type of messaging system to use when sending eMails: SMTP or, Lotus or MAPI.

When Lotus or MAPI is used, the AS/400 program send the messages from the user messaging account.
With SMTP, the AS/400 program sets the sender name, and the reply address for each message sent.

Reminder : LAUNCHER/400 Office CL Commands.

LAUNCHER/400 Office V2.5: Installation:

If you are already running a previous version of Launcher/400, you cann install Version 2.5 in an independant library, to not disturb your production process while you are trying the new release.

1. Launch Launcher/400 installation procedure from a PC.
2. On the AS/400 Installation screen, change the default library "LAUNCHER" to a different one (ex: LAUNCHER25).
3. Open an interactive session, change your current job LIBL, by replacing LAUNCHER by LAUNCHER25.
4. Launch your applications.