Viewing XPS files

[ToddLC]

My environment: Windows Vista Home Premium x64, Office 2007.

I've installed the Save as PDF or XPS add-in in Office. This allows me to
save a file in Word in XPS format just fine. If I select "Open file after
publishing", I get bounced into the XPS viewer without a problem. However,
if I attempt to open an existing XPS file directly with Word, I get an error
message concerning problems with the file contents. Should I be redireded to
the viewer or is this currently expected behavior?

A few other related questions:

* The add-in does not appear on the list of Office add-ins in Word Options.
Is this a problem with this add-in or some Word bug?

* When I first installed the add-in and saved and then requested a preview
of the file, I was asked to allow installation of the .NET framework, which I
did. I thought this framework was already a part of Windows Vista. Am I
mistaken?

* Where do office add-ins such as this one that apply to multiple office
apps live(what directory) and how are they identified and registered in the
registry?

 

[ToddLC]

Can someone respond to this?

Thanks,

-Todd

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Todd,

XPS and PDF files are not file types that Word can 'open'. To open a file in Word is to be able to edit it. PDF files can be
inserted as objects, but as Word doesn't have a capability to expand an inserted object beyond a single Word page, you'll only see
the 'top sheet'. So yes, calling the XPS viewer to open the file works the same as if you call MS Office Document Imaging to open
Office app generated .MDI files (another one that Office can create but not open in the app that created it <g>).

The Export to PDF/XPS add-in is spread out in a couple of areas with the main part that is related to publishing (exporting) to the
XPS format bein ing
\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Office 12

and the resiliency from
\Program Files\MSECache\ExPdfXps\
folder

Although you're using File=>Save As to access it, the app is 'launched' when you use the 'Publish' button in that dialog and it
exports/creates the XPS file at that point. It's not an 'add-in' in the sense of one that is working for you within the document as
others are. It adds a capability to the Save As dialogs.
I suspect, although I haven't tested it that Office may have code built in that tells it something along the lines of

-look for the existence of the add-in
-if found display the Save As listing in the Office app.

Some of the questions you're asking you may want to ask in the Office Developer discussion group or in the XPS discussion group as
well on implementation of the viewer and apps that use it.There are guidelines as to how items are placed in the registry for
Windows services and apps to be able to find and use them but because add-ins/apps vary in type and capability not all of them are
going to fit into an 'always look here' to see them. The authors have some latitude in where to put things based on how they design
the bits and pieces. For the XPS/PDF exporter part of it is found in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Open Find\ and then under each Office app.


The .NET framework capabilities that a specific app may need can be version specific and the installer for that may be adding a
module, or only checking to see what, if anything it needs to install. From your description it sounds like it was the XPS viewer
that was looking for an update.

==================
My environment: Windows Vista Home Premium x64, Office 2007.

I've installed the Save as PDF or XPS add-in in Office. This allows me to
save a file in Word in XPS format just fine. If I select "Open file after
publishing", I get bounced into the XPS viewer without a problem. However,
if I attempt to open an existing XPS file directly with Word, I get an error
message concerning problems with the file contents. Should I be redireded to
the viewer or is this currently expected behavior?

A few other related questions:

* The add-in does not appear on the list of Office add-ins in Word Options.
Is this a problem with this add-in or some Word bug?

* When I first installed the add-in and saved and then requested a preview
of the file, I was asked to allow installation of the .NET framework, which I
did. I thought this framework was already a part of Windows Vista. Am I
mistaken?

* Where do office add-ins such as this one that apply to multiple office
apps live(what directory) and how are they identified and registered in the
registry?
--
Todd>>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[ToddLC]

Thanks. This partially answers my questions. However, I'm still interested
in the specifics: Is it a bug that opening an XPS from Word, doesn't
redirect (I understand that it can't open it), but just rejects the XPS (I
assume not from your answer.); Is this type of add-in not displayed by Word
as an add-in (I guess not, but should it be?); Is the .NET framework already
in Vista and is the request to install it just adding some hook to exisiting
code or did something new get downloaded?

As per your suggestion, I've reposted to the developer group.