August 13, 1999

In Microsoft Excel 2000 and Microsoft Access 2000, you can use Microsoft Office Web Components to display data dynamically in HTML. Users can manipulate, modify, and format this data on the Web. Even users who have not yet installed Office 2000 can take advantage of Office Web Components — the feature can be installed automatically when users view the Web page.

By using Office Web Components, you can publish a simple Web page with interactive spreadsheet, chart, PivotTable, or data source content. Alternatively, you can use scripting to create a custom application that uses Office Web Components. For example:

• Create a Web page to display current earnings. Users can filter the results by division, product, date, or other parameters.
• Create a timesheet application. Users can fill in information and update the server with their data. Managers can check to see which projects are taking up the most time and allocate resources accordingly.
• Create a sales calculator application. Sales people and managers can track current sales and see whether they are meeting or exceeding their goals.

Installing Office Web Components automatically

If you are in the process of deploying Office 2000 in your organization, users can work with Office Web Components even before they install Office 2000. When they view a Web page containing interactive data, the Office Web Component feature is installed automatically.

When you publish a Web page that uses Office Web Components, the page includes the capability to start a Web-based installation on the user's computer. In the source code for the page, the following line is added to the page as part of an object definition, identifying the installation point:

codebase="file:\\installationpath
\msowc.cab#version=version"

The codebase path points to the Office 2000 installation point on a network server, or to a location specified in the Windows® registry or in the Web Options dialog box (Tools menu, Options command) in Excel.

Note   The codebase path uses the file:// protocol. The http:// protocol is not enabled, so that only users with access to your file server can download Office Web Components by means of the Web page.

When a user who does not have Office Web Components installed views the page in Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or later, a dialog box appears and provides the option of installing them. If the user clicks Yes, the Windows Installer installs Office Web Components. If the user clicks No, the user can view, but not interact with, the data.

Installation requirements

Software prerequisites   Office Web Components are included in all editions of Microsoft Office 2000. To install and use the Office Web Components, users must have Internet Explorer 4.01, Service Pack 1 or later.

Disk space   Office Web Components require approximately 30 MB of disk space on the user's computer. Office Web Components themselves use about 5 MB of this space. The remaining 25 MB is taken up by other required components, such as Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). When you install Office Web Components, MDAC is automatically upgraded to version 2.1.

Product license   Because Office Web Components are part of Office 2000, the same licensing requirements apply. You must have an Office 2000 license for each user who installs Office Web Components, even if those users do not install the full Office 2000 product.

Installation location

Because Office Web Components are included in Office 2000, the download path for Office Web Components is set by default to the Office 2000 installation point on a network server.

You can also have users install Office Web Components from a different location — for example, an installation point set up for only Office Web Components. To specify a separate administrative installation point for Office Web Components, use any of the following methods.

To specify an installation location through a system policy

1. Set the policy Microsoft Office 2000\Tools | Options | General | Web Options…\Files\Download Office Web Components.
2. In the Settings for Download Office Web Components area, select Download Office Web Components from.
3. In the Location box , type the path to the location on the file server you want to use.

To specify an installation location in the Windows registry

1. Start the Registry Editor and locate the following subkey:

   HKEY_USERS\UserID\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common
   \Internet

2. In the LocationOfComponents value entry, type the path to the location on the file server you want to use.

To specify an installation location in Excel 2000

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
2. Click Web Options, and click the File tab.
3. Under Office Controls, type the path to the location on the file server you want to use in the Location box.

Related links

For more information about Office Web Components and other Office 2000 features that help users publish, analyze, and collaborate on an intranet, see Using Office Documents in a Web World in the Office 2000 Resource Kit.