SMART Uses Aspose.Words for .NET to Import and Split Word Documents into Sections Based on Heading Styles

About SMART

At Smart Global Solutions, we help our clients to remain safety compliant through the use of our SMART Insight solution. A complete solution enabling businesses to adopt, monitor and improve a risk management strategy across its entire enterprise.

Problem

As the process of importing and splitting the Word document was to occur on a website. The usual methods that would be employed on a Windows desktop environment could not be used. Although there were many solutions that could convert word documents into HTML, very few of them had the ability to split the document into sections based on the heading styles.

Solution

After researching several solutions, it was decided that Aspose.Words matched our requirements to the furthest extent in comparison to the other options found. This proved to be an excellent choice for the following reasons:

  • Excellent performance even when converting large documents.
  • The ability to split documents based on heading styles within the word document itself.
  • Quick and easy conversion to HTML format. It also provides us with the ability to convert to other formats such as PDF if required.
  • The conversion to HTML also proved to be very accurate and it mirrored the formatting of the original Word document very closely.
  • An easy to use .NET component that is backed up by excellent documentation and support.
Uploading the document

From here we can set the number of levels down this document that can go based on the heading styles within. If the manual tick box is ticked then it splits the document and allows each of the heading sections to be viewable and editable directly without the need to download and search through the entire document. We are also able to link an external related document, such as a dropbox or share point link. This becomes incredibly useful for resource management, as it allows for all related materials to be organized and tracked in one place.

A section from a split and converted document

The editing of the Word document in its various heading sections is shown above. We have access to various styling options, as well as multi-media controls for image insertion and hyperlink editing. This gives users both flexibility in how they can access and edit the document as well as the control they require to format the document the way they desire.

Experience

Finding a solution: We needed to find a way to provide Word documents through a website. Where users could upload, review, edit, reference and collaborate on them. After looking at multiple forums online Aspose was consistently recommended, from here we began looking into existing case studies on their various tools and found Aspose.Words for .NET was exactly what we needed.

Implementation: Due to the quality of both documentation and support available, implementing Aspose into our website was simple and convenient.

Outcome: Due to the implementation of Aspose we managed to meet our requirements objectives within a shorter time frame and to a higher standard had we gone with our alternative fix of using a cloud sharing file storage platform.

Next Steps

With the use of Aspose having solved our issue, we are now able to progress onto other aspects of our system functionality. With the peace of mind that this matter has been solved with the best tool available on the market.

Summary

The result of using this system as our solution has meant that both, us and our clients, have greater control over our Word documents, through a cloud-based centralized platform. Opposed to the prior solution which would have been the use of a cloud file sharing service, requiring the user to constantly upload and redownload a document every time they want to make, or receive a change. Thus, potentially resulting in fragmented and conflicting file versions. Simultaneously, saving money and increasing efficiency. The user is only required to have a device capable of accessing websites via the use of a browser to be able to use the system we have provided with the use of Aspose.

Darren Edwards,
Managing Director