Automating my MS Word Export...

kbmurphy - Thu Oct 15 13:06:50 EDT 2009
You can bypass the dialog by editing the DXL. It's unencrypted. You can find it here:

c:\<DOORS Install Path>\lib\dxl\standard\export\office\word.dxl

jpoindex - Tue Feb 22 10:14:21 EST 2011
I am trying to do the same. I dont want the UI, just run the export in batch mode. Does anyone know how to disable the dialog from being displayed?

Mathias Mamsch - Tue Feb 22 10:50:10 EST 2011
If you do not want the gui then you will have some major modifications to do to remove everything GUI related from the word.dxl. Why don't you want to have the GUI? Instead of running in batch mode, you can do an "Interactive Batch", meaning start DOORS in interactive mode, but with a commandline option to do an export of whatever module you need to, and exit_ doors after the export.

Regards, Mathias

jpoindex - Thu Feb 24 15:56:15 EST 2011
Can you give me an example of running word.dxl in Interactive Batch mode. I have tried from the command using -b option and even the -D. I still get errors. I want to just try to bring up the word.dxl UI since it is a difficult to do without. Thanks

WorkingStudent - Thu Mar 24 11:19:04 EDT 2011
Hey All,
I´ve got a probleme and i don´t know how to solve it:
Is it possible to have this script with the differnce, that you can do the export for a project and not only for a single module?

Thanks,
Clemens

Mathias Mamsch - Fri Mar 25 05:46:05 EDT 2011
Just wrap the script in another script, that will do: for item in project do { current = read (fullName I, false); otherscript ... }. Should be doable. Regards, Mathias

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Wed Oct 05 19:10:48 EDT 2011
Mathias,

Your automation word script is what I have been looking for last couple days. I want to export multiple
selected module from the GUI. Here what I have done....
My script showing all the modules from the current folder and displaying it on a GUI which has export button. I have the option to select multiple modules from the GUI and allows me to export by pressing the export button.

My script calls your scripts to export multiple modules. Works partially!

There are two issues I am encountering:

1. It exports the view to Book format. But I want to export it to Table format. How to change it in your script so that I can export all module to Table format ONLY.

2. Word export GUI pops up before my GUI shows up. I have to close the word export GUI and then select multiple modules from my GUI. How I can stop showing word export GUI.

I made minor changes to your script:

a) I have moved the following lines from your script to the top of my script

DB theDiag = null
#include <standard/export/office/word.dxl>

........
.........
..........

here is the function:
void exptMod(DB box)
{
int pos
bool closeIt
int total=0
string attName
int cnt=0
int counter=0
for pos in modListDBE do
{
cnt++
}
progressStart( copyDB, "Module Export in Progress...", "Something",cnt)
for pos in modListDBE do
{
string modName = getColumnValue(modListDBE, pos, 2) "/" getColumnValue(modListDBE, pos, 0)
string mName=getColumnValue(modListDBE, pos, 0)
if (open(module(modName)))
{
closeIt = false
}
else
{
closeIt = true
}
progressMessage("Exporting module " mName "...........")

destMod= read(modName, true, true)

if(null(destMod))
{
storeMsg("Unable to open the module "modName)
continue
}
else
{
destMod = read(modName, false)
load view "CSU VCRM View"
progressStep(counter++)
if (closeIt)
{
close(destMod)
}

// override some default message box functions, so they will only print the data but
// not pause execution. Write to a log file here!

bool confirm (string s) { print "Confirmed: " s "\n"; return true }
void ack (string s) {print "Acknowledge: " s "\n" }
void acknowledge (string s) {print "Acknowledge: " s "\n" }
void infobox (string s) {print "Info: " s "\n" }
void info (string s) {print "Info: " s "\n" }

// Now override block and show, to only do realize
void show (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
void block (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }

if (null current Module) {
print "You need to have a current Module set for the export."
halt
}

// we need braces, since -D will be executed at top level and we will get name
// clashes for variable defined in word.dxl and the other includes of it.

// now include the word.dxl -> this will pop up the dialog, but not halt execution
// due to the overrides above

// here we can change the dialog options. See itfui2.inc and word.dxl for all
// the options
set(exportHeadingsToggle, false) // turn off export of headings

// now manually launch the export button callback
doExport theDiag

// get rid of the dialog
if (!null theDiag) destroy theDiag

// close DOORS
// exit_

}

}
progressStop
// displayMessages
} // copyAttsCB

Mathias Mamsch - Fri Oct 07 00:58:52 EDT 2011
Try posting your code using the {co de} tag (remove space) next time. It makes it much more readable.

Anyway, you cannot do it like that. The gist of my post was that the redirection of the show and block functions must occur before the include. You are getting an exporter box you need to click on, because the redefinition of show is done after the include.

As you probably noticed, you cannot just move the include down to the redefinition without getting errors. This is because global variables in that include file will not be global anymore if you put the include in a function. Therefore you cannot have a function around your export code.

So refactor your code, that the call of the exporter dialog will happen on main level again, i.e. whereever you call your exptMod function, move the code and the include statement there. Return all necessary variables for that code by references in the expmod function (or any other functions around this). If this code gets to ugly you need to strip all globals from the exporter code, put them in a separate include and include this at the top. Then you can happily move the include down below the redirection and everything shall work fine.

Hope that helps, regards, Mathias

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Tue Oct 11 18:25:19 EDT 2011
Mathias,

Hmm...Interesting. Now it is clear why it was showing the Word export GUI. Thank

However, it was not clear what you mean by "wherever you call your exptMod function,move the code and the include statement there"...Where???

exptMod function is called by the export button in my GUI function. please explain...

Here is a pseudo code. can you give me a hint how you would have rearrange the code....

DB theDiag = null
#include <standard/export/office/word.dxl>

void exptMod(DB BD)
{

for selectedMod in the listbox do
{

void show (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
void block (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }

if (null destMod)
{
print "You need to have a current Module set for the export."
halt
}
set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)

doExport theDiag

if (!null theDiag) destroy theDiag
}

}

void myGUI()
{

.......
.......
.......

okBtnDBE = ok(copyDB, "Export", exptMod)

}
myGUI()

Mathias Mamsch - Tue Oct 11 18:49:21 EDT 2011

The idea was to get rid of the function, so you will have no global variable problem. The include must not be placed inside a function. Since this is not possible in your case I suggest an eval_ approach:
 

string expCode = "
DB theDiag = null
void show (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
void block (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
 
#include <standard/export/office/word.dxl>
set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)
doExport theDiag
if (!null theDiag) destroy theDiag
"
 
string exportCode (string sFullName) {
    string sExportCode = "
        Module mod = read(\"" sFullName "\", true)
        current = mod
        " expCode "
        close mod
    "
 
   return sExportCode
}
 
void exptMod(DB BD)
{
   for selectedMod in the listbox do
   {
       eval_ exportCode selectedMod
   }
}

Mathias Mamsch, IT-QBase GmbH, Consultant for Requirement Engineering and D00RS

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Wed Oct 12 16:06:06 EDT 2011
Mathias,

WORKS!!!.
The dxl is looping thru and exporting all modules. Thanks a lot!!!.

Last question, the default word export dxl exports the module in book format. But I want the default export be in table format.

How to force dxl to export it to table format????

Is there any documentation in dxl help where I can get all word export functions so that I can manipulate each function such as layout, OLE and page orientation etc.
FZ

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Wed Mar 07 14:01:52 EST 2012
Mathias,

Do you know how I can set a view so that all the modules will use the user defined view, not the standard view. I tried to load the view after the module is opened, but the dxl didnot like it.

string sExportCode = "
Module destMod= read(\"" sFullName "\", true)
load view ("myview")

And I also want to apply user defined template, not the normal.dot. How to change code and make it happend.

My impression was that the set function will allow me to change the template

set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)
set(exportLayoutChoice, layoutTypeBook)
set(autoformatToggle,false)
set templateName ="c:\temp\mytemplate.dot" //here is the problem..

Mathias Mamsch - Fri Mar 09 12:05:59 EST 2012

A new thread would have been better suited for this question. And if you post the same question twice and additionally mail it you will normally decrease the chance of getting an answer, not increase it!

You should try something like this:
 

set(advancedNormalTemplateToggle, false) 
set(advancedTemplateLabel, "c:/path/to/my/template.dot")

Also you need to be very careful about " when you put DXL code in a string:

string sExportCode = "
Module destMod= read(\"" sFullName "\", true)
current = destMod
load view (\"myview\")
"

should do the trick, I think you forgot the \ in front of the ". Maybe that help, regards, Mathias

Mathias Mamsch, IT-QBase GmbH, Consultant for Requirement Engineering and D00RS

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Fri Mar 09 15:06:44 EST 2012
Mathias,

Thanks for your suggestion what is the best way to post new threads and the feedback for the code.
I encoutered a problem,

.....
set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)
set(exportLayoutChoice, layoutTypeBook)
set(autoformatToggle,false)
set(advancedNormalTemplateToggle, false)
set(advancedTemplateLabel,"c:/temp/template.dot")

if I use the "c:/..." like the above code. I get an error message:

-E- DXL: <Line:49> incorrectly concatenated tokens
-E- DXL: <Line:49> undeclared variable (c)
-E- DXL: <Line:49> syntax error
-I- DXL: All done. Errors reported: 3. Warnings reported: 0.
set(advancedNormalTemplateToggle, false)
set(advancedTemplateLabel,c:/temp/template.dot)

If I don't use the "", Only the path c:/temp/template.dot, the GUI pops up and allows me to select modules then crushes. I get the following error message:

-E- DXL: <Line:16> syntax error
-E- DXL: <Line:16> undeclared variable (c)
-E- DXL: <Line:16> syntax error
-E- DXL: <Line:16> undeclared variable (c)

Any suggestion!

thanks

fz

Mathias Mamsch - Sat Mar 10 08:08:09 EST 2012

Read my comment again. You need to be careful with the " in the code. If you embed the code into a string, you need to escape the " characters. The reason that you got this message is that you tried to embed the code in a string and again forgot to escape the template string. Therefore he tried to do

"..." c :/ ...

Stopping at c, telling you it is an undeclared variable ... Regards, Mathias

Mathias Mamsch, IT-QBase GmbH, Consultant for Requirement Engineering and D00RS

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Mon Mar 12 11:45:41 EDT 2012
Mathias,

Now I got really confused!!!
When you say escape the " character. what you mean by that??
If I don't use the " in the c:/temp/template.dot, the dxl allows me to launch the form. the next step is to select the modules from GUI and run. As soon as I do that again I get the same error message.

-E- DXL: <Line:16> incorrect arguments for function (set)
-E- DXL: <Line:18> syntax error
-E- DXL: <Line:18> undeclared variable (c)

Here is the code. can you show me what you are trying to say...
string expCode = "
DB theDiag = null
void show (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
void block (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
#include <standard/export/office/word.dxl>
set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)
set(exportLayoutChoice, layoutTypeBook)
set(autoformatToggle,false)
set(useNormalTemplate,false)
set(advancedNormalTemplateToggle, false)
set(advancedTemplateLabel,c:/temp/template.dot)

doExport theDiag
if (!null theDiag) destroy theDiag
"
...........................
.........................
Thanks,

Appreciate it!!

FZ

SystemAdmin - Mon Mar 12 13:21:36 EDT 2012

Hello FZ,

about "escaping":
let's go back one step.

you need to define a string that contains the " character, because the set command needs a string as its second parameter.

In DXL, as in many other languages, the content of the string is enclosed in " characters.
So, in a usual code you would write the line

string s = "<This is a string>"

If you execute this code, you have a variable which contains the text

<This is a string>

Now, if you want to have a variable which contains the text

<This is a string having the character " in the middle>

and you would write it in this way:

string s ="<This is a string having the character " in the middle>"

then the parser would read the line and think that the content of the string ends after the second " character.
So, DXL would think that string s shall contain

<This is a string having the character

and afterwards it would find some gibberish command

in the middle>

and would complain, because such a command makes no sense.

So, what do you do to tell DXL that you actually want a " character in the middle of the string? You tell it that the " character shall not be the end of the string, it shall be read just as it is.
This is done by preceding the " character with a so-called "escape"-character. This escape character says: ignore the next character you find in the code.
In DXL, the escape character is the backslash \
To conclude the example, you would have to write the code as such

string s = "<This is a string having the character \" in the middle>"

(I hope that your browser or email client does not mess up this line. There is a backslash, then a quotation mark.

And finally, to come back to your original question, you would have to write the following line:

set(advancedTemplateLabel,"\c:/temp/template.dot"\)

because your string begins in line 1 (string expCode= ") and ends in the line containing only a " character. All " in the middle must be preceded (escaped) by a \
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Mike

PS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_character

llandale - Tue Mar 13 13:15:01 EDT 2012
I may not be following this thread correctly, but perhaps you have the slashes in the wrong spot:

• from .. set(advancedTemplateLabel,"\c:/temp/template.dot"\)
• to ...... set(advancedTemplateLabel,\"c:/temp/template.dot\")

• print "set(advancedTemplateLabel,\"c:\\temp\\template.dot\")"

• set(advancedTemplateLabel,"c:\temp\template.dot")

SystemAdmin - Tue Mar 13 13:27:39 EDT 2012
> from .. set(advancedTemplateLabel,"\c:/temp/template.dot"\) to .. \" ..

Oops, I stand corrected. Thanks for proof reading my mail:-)

Mike

faisal.zahidi@boeing.com - Tue Mar 13 14:43:09 EDT 2012
Louie/Mike,

If I use the following code:

set(advancedTemplateLabel,\"c:/temp/template.dot\")

I get an error message:

-E- DXL: <Line:16> incorrect arguments for function (set)

Am I doing something wrong????

Thanks,

Faisal Zahidi

Mathias Mamsch - Fri Mar 09 12:05:59 EST 2012

A new thread would have been better suited for this question. And if you post the same question twice and additionally mail it you will normally decrease the chance of getting an answer, not increase it!

You should try something like this:
 

set(advancedNormalTemplateToggle, false) 
set(advancedTemplateLabel, "c:/path/to/my/template.dot")

Also you need to be very careful about " when you put DXL code in a string:

string sExportCode = "
Module destMod= read(\"" sFullName "\", true)
current = destMod
load view (\"myview\")
"

should do the trick, I think you forgot the \ in front of the ". Maybe that help, regards, Mathias

Mathias Mamsch, IT-QBase GmbH, Consultant for Requirement Engineering and D00RS

SystemAdmin - Wed Aug 08 10:56:58 EDT 2012

Hello,

Is there a way of saving the export once it is complete?

Thank you,
-Jim
 

Skip selectedItems = getSelectedItems ()
Item I = null
for I in selectedItems do
{
    if(isDeleted(I) || null I) {continue}
        if (type (I) == "Formal")
        {
                Module m = read(fullName(I),true)
                load view "Standard view"
                delete column 0
                {
                        // override some default message box functions, so they will only print the data but 
                        // not pause execution. Write to a log file here! 
                         
                        bool confirm (string s) { print "Confirmed: " s "\n"; return true }
                        void ack (string s) {print "Acknowledge: " s "\n" }
                        void acknowledge (string s) {print "Acknowledge: " s "\n"  }
                        void infobox (string s) {print "Info: " s "\n" }
                        void info (string s) {print "Info: " s "\n" }
                         
                        DB theDiag = null
                         
                        // Now override block and show, to only do realize
                        void show  (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
                        void block (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
                         
                        if (null current Module) {
                                print "You need to have a current Module set for the export."
                                halt
                        }
                         
                        // we need braces, since -D will be executed at top level and we will get name
                        // clashes for variable defined in word.dxl and the other includes of it.
                        {
                                // now include the word.dxl -> this will pop up the dialog, but not halt execution
                                // due to the overrides above
                                #include <standard/export/office/word.dxl>
                         
                                // here we can change the dialog options. See itfui2.inc and word.dxl for all 
                                // the options
                                set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)   // turn off export of headings
                                set(exportWarnUnregOLE,false)   //turn off ole warning
                         
                                // now manually launch the export button callback
                                doExport theDiag
                         
                                // get rid of the dialog
                                if (!null theDiag) destroy theDiag
                         
                                // close DOORS
                                //exit_
                        }
                }
                close(m)
        }
}
 
delete selectedItems

SystemAdmin - Wed Aug 08 10:56:58 EDT 2012

Hello,

Is there a way of saving the export once it is complete?

Thank you,
-Jim
 

Skip selectedItems = getSelectedItems ()
Item I = null
for I in selectedItems do
{
    if(isDeleted(I) || null I) {continue}
        if (type (I) == "Formal")
        {
                Module m = read(fullName(I),true)
                load view "Standard view"
                delete column 0
                {
                        // override some default message box functions, so they will only print the data but 
                        // not pause execution. Write to a log file here! 
                         
                        bool confirm (string s) { print "Confirmed: " s "\n"; return true }
                        void ack (string s) {print "Acknowledge: " s "\n" }
                        void acknowledge (string s) {print "Acknowledge: " s "\n"  }
                        void infobox (string s) {print "Info: " s "\n" }
                        void info (string s) {print "Info: " s "\n" }
                         
                        DB theDiag = null
                         
                        // Now override block and show, to only do realize
                        void show  (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
                        void block (DB x) { realize x; theDiag = x }
                         
                        if (null current Module) {
                                print "You need to have a current Module set for the export."
                                halt
                        }
                         
                        // we need braces, since -D will be executed at top level and we will get name
                        // clashes for variable defined in word.dxl and the other includes of it.
                        {
                                // now include the word.dxl -> this will pop up the dialog, but not halt execution
                                // due to the overrides above
                                #include <standard/export/office/word.dxl>
                         
                                // here we can change the dialog options. See itfui2.inc and word.dxl for all 
                                // the options
                                set(exportHeadingsToggle, false)   // turn off export of headings
                                set(exportWarnUnregOLE,false)   //turn off ole warning
                         
                                // now manually launch the export button callback
                                doExport theDiag
                         
                                // get rid of the dialog
                                if (!null theDiag) destroy theDiag
                         
                                // close DOORS
                                //exit_
                        }
                }
                close(m)
        }
}
 
delete selectedItems

SystemAdmin - Thu Mar 14 00:14:24 EDT 2013
Hi Elliscnck,

I can run your DXL script after selected the document items from DOORS database view. Did you have the answer already how to save the export once it is complete? If yes, it would be great if you can share with us.

Many thanks,
Gary

SystemAdmin - Thu Apr 04 10:43:03 EDT 2013

Hello. I have a question related to the initial post:

With regards to the user-submitted scripts on the first page, how would i modify them to use a different EXPORTDIRECTORY (in automation)?

NOTE: I modified the dxl script to use the rtfexp.dxl script, not word.dxl.

I've tried to
 

string exportDirectory = "\\c:\\Documents and Settings\\user\\newFolder"  
setenv("EXPORTDIRECTORY", getDirOfNoSlash(exportDirectory))

and similarly tried to just 'set EXPORTDIRECTORY "c:\Documents and Settings\user\newFolder"' from the top-level batch script, but neither seem to work. The output always goes to MyDocuments.

SystemAdmin - Thu Apr 04 10:43:03 EDT 2013

Hello. I have a question related to the initial post:

With regards to the user-submitted scripts on the first page, how would i modify them to use a different EXPORTDIRECTORY (in automation)?

NOTE: I modified the dxl script to use the rtfexp.dxl script, not word.dxl.

I've tried to
 

string exportDirectory = "\\c:\\Documents and Settings\\user\\newFolder"  
setenv("EXPORTDIRECTORY", getDirOfNoSlash(exportDirectory))

and similarly tried to just 'set EXPORTDIRECTORY "c:\Documents and Settings\user\newFolder"' from the top-level batch script, but neither seem to work. The output always goes to MyDocuments.

llandale - Thu Apr 04 14:24:17 EDT 2013
Your code works for me without the getDirOfNoSlash() call. setenv() takes effect immediately, and can be seen in the Registry.

This may surprise you:

• string exportDirectory = "\\c:\\Documents and Settings\\user\\newFolder"
• string exportNoSlash = getDirOfNoSlash(exportDirectory)
• print "Export: >>" exportDirectory "<<\n"
• print "NoSlash:>>" exportNoSlash "<<\n"

• setenv("EXPORTDIRECTORY", "\\c:\\Documents and Settings\\user\\newFolder")

dalvia - Fri Dec 27 17:17:30 EST 2013

Thanks everyone for posting snippets. Almost getting mine to work. Only problem is that I can't seem to set output file name for the word document. I tried this-

set(exportFileName,"c:/tmp/temp.doc")

and I get this error-

My guess is that  the exportFileName DBE isn't getting allocated. I tried doing it, but no use. Any ideas ? 

dalvia - Thu Jan 02 13:08:35 EST 2014

I have made some progress since. I can see the outpuit filename I want in dialog box after it is created. However the actual word file does not get saved. My export_batch.dxl script has been attached. Also had to make 1 line change in word.dxl so that the DBE for data export file name is allocated

Changed this line ( line 3341 )

makeExporterUI(wordTitle, helpExportWord, false, false, null, null)

to ( mde 3rd argument true )

makeExporterUI(wordTitle, helpExportWord, true, false, null, null)

Now the dialog boz gets created. I can see the file name that I set ( "c:/adi.doc") on the dialog box as it gets created. However it does not trickle down to the word document. The document still opens as "Document2". Don't know what to do about it. Any ideas ? Ideally would like the word document to be saved on c:/ as "adi.doc"

export.bat "/MLB Evo_FAS_IS_EF/MLBevo1/xxx/xxx/TLM - xxx"

Ursy - Wed Apr 20 01:24:54 EDT 2016

Hello guys, 

I am new on this forum, so first of all I want to salute you all. I need your help to make my life easier,  I am trying to make an automation, using a batch file in order to obtain a proper excel export from DOORS. I followed all the instructions from here:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21567793

The thing is that I am getting errors in DXL, which from my point of view belongs to the path of the module. I entered in the export.bat the following: 

After execution I get the following error:

 -R-W- DXL: <Line:1> null value passed to DXL command (current Module)
Backtrace:
    <wizard/welcome/welcomewiz.dxl:703> 
    <Line:1> 
You need to have a current Module set for the export.

Help!

Ursy - Wed Apr 20 01:24:54 EDT 2016

Hello guys, 

I am new on this forum, so first of all I want to salute you all. I need your help to make my life easier,  I am trying to make an automation, using a batch file in order to obtain a proper excel export from DOORS. I followed all the instructions from here:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21567793

The thing is that I am getting errors in DXL, which from my point of view belongs to the path of the module. I entered in the export.bat the following: 

After execution I get the following error:

 -R-W- DXL: <Line:1> null value passed to DXL command (current Module)
Backtrace:
    <wizard/welcome/welcomewiz.dxl:703> 
    <Line:1> 
You need to have a current Module set for the export.

Help!

Mathias Mamsch - Wed Apr 20 06:36:59 EDT 2016

Note that you are getting two things: 

• A warning that you are executing  current = null (because the read('..', true) statement does not find the module
• A message from the export script, that the current module is not set. 

One reason for this can be, that you simply have a typo on your module name, or the user that runs the script has no access to the module. The other possibility is that you might have unsupported characters inside the module name. Note that the export.bat script creates the following command line parameter: 

-D "current = read(\"%~1\", true); #include <export_batch.dxl>"

where %~1 means the first command line parameter. To find out whats going on, you can change this part of the batch file to: 

-D "string sMod=\"%~1\"; print sMod; current = read(sMod, true); #include <export_batch.dxl>"

Normally DOORS will not allow you special ascii characters. But its possible if you got certain non-ascii characters inside the module name, that the command line will not correctly transfer them. 

So

1. double check the module as you pass it over the command line exists and the user can access it.

2. do the above change and post the full module name to test if there are any non ascii characters on it, that might be transferred badly over the commandline. 

Regards, Mathias