How can I integrate an external word processing application using a Java Swing application?

Question

I need great advice on this.

I have a Java Swing application that needs to run a word processor to allow the user to do some work, and then get the result of this work and evaluate it later.

In my head, I think that my application can look in the usual places for Open Office or Word executables to check if one of these programs is installed, then create a process and lock the Swing window until this process will return. Is this really the best way? Also, how can I transfer data back and forth?

I already looked in the Open office java bean, but, alas, I do not think that there is support for Mac / Linux.

So to summarize my question:

• is creating a process for a word processor the best way to do this?
• How can I transfer information between my application and a word processor (more precisely, when they finished creating their document, how can this Swing application do).

Thank,

Ben

Answer 1

Use the open sdk office, which is available for Linux. You might want to use an open office in server mode.

Answer 2

You can integrate docx4all (a Swing-based docx word processor) into your application.