FarPoint Spread

Last updated
FarPoint Spread
Developer(s) FarPoint Technologies, now GrapeCity
Initial release1991
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Available inEnglish, Japanese
Type Business Intelligence Spreadsheets Reporting
License GrapeCity EULA
Website www.grapecity.com/en/spread/

FarPoint Spread is a suite of Microsoft Excel-compatible spreadsheet components available for .NET, COM, and Microsoft BizTalk Server. Software developers use the components to embed Microsoft Excel-compatible spreadsheet features into their applications, such as importing and exporting Microsoft Excel files, displaying, modifying, analyzing, and visualizing data. Spread components handle spreadsheet data at the cell, row, column, or worksheet level.

Contents

This article is about the last FarPoint edition of the Spread product line. Spread is now developed by GrapeCity, Inc. Since the acquisition, Spread for Biztalk Server has been removed from the product line and SpreadJS, a JavaScript version, has been added.

History

Versions

Spread for Windows Forms

FarPoint Spread for Windows Forms is a Microsoft Excel-compatible spreadsheet component for Windows Forms applications developed using Microsoft Visual Studio and the .NET Framework. Developers use it to add grids and spreadsheets to their applications, and to bind them to data sources. [5] In version 4.0, new cell types were added to display barcodes and fractions, and exports for XML and PDF were added. [6] [7]

Spread for ASP.NET

FarPoint Spread for ASP.NET is a Microsoft Excel-compatible spreadsheet component for ASP.NET applications. Developers use it to add grids and spreadsheets to their applications,

Spread for COM

FarPoint Spread 8 COM allows COM and ActiveX applications to incorporate spreadsheet features. In the 1997 book Visual Basic 5 for Windows for Dummies, Wally Wang lists an early version of Spread COM in Chapter 35: The Ten Most Useful Visual Basic Add-On Programs. [8]

Spread for BizTalk

FarPoint Spread for BizTalk Server allows developers to integrate Microsoft Excel documents into Microsoft BizTalk applications. Spread for BizTalk Server includes two components:

Developers find it a useful tool for organizations with Microsoft BizTalk Server Enterprise Application Integration. [9] Prior to this release, BizTalk users wanting to use Excel data had to manually open the files and copy and paste data between the two applications. [10]

Features

These features are common to all versions.

Version-Specific Features

Spread for Windows Forms

Spread for ASP.NET

.

Spread COM

Spread for BizTalk

Supported document formats

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References

  1. Glass, Brett (May 1, 1995), "PRODUCT COMPARISON Visual Basic custom controls, Dress up your VB apps", InfoWorld, pp. 74–75, ISSN   0199-6649, OCLC   6510141
  2. Redmond Developer News: FarPoint Spread for BizTalk Released
  3. Business Wire press release: GrapeCity Acquires FarPoint Technologies
  4. BizJournals press release: GrapeCity to buy 50-person Triangle concern
  5. VSJ magazine review: Spread for Windows Forms
  6. "SDTimes review: FarPoint Spread for Windows 4.0". Archived from the original on 2012-02-25. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  7. Redmond Developer News: FarPoint Spread for Windows Forms 4.0 Released
  8. Wang, Wally (1997), Visual Basic 5 for Windows for Dummies, IDG Books Worldwide, p. 443, ISBN   9780764501227
  9. "PCQuest article: "XLS to XML in Just a Few Steps"". Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  10. "CodeBetter MVP: Spread is a "long awaited innovation"". Archived from the original on 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2009-12-17.