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If you can't use OpenOffice, then you may need to use an online service or just have them upload PDF files. The latter is likely best due to them verifying the file is converted correctly (by use of a printer driver in Word itself.)
Nah I can't have the customer do too much in this case... as usual they're quite technologicly challenged and having them create their own pdf file is really no option.
Installing a pdf printer would be lovely... but of course that is not an option either.... no access to the server, no way to have them do it for me.
Naturally everything is becoming more simple by the minute.
I'm afraid I'll probably end up having them enter the text in chunks in textareas and then creating the pdf on the fly from that... which is no problem, but it would create issues with layout and the ammount of chunks would have to be variable.... all in all quite a headache for both user and me.... I'm just hoping someone has a better idea.
Even simpler, ask the ISP to install that driver.. If not, get one that does.
(Client is king.. Even when he's a programmer that needs to get a job done. When the hosting is provided by your clients, make them aware of the addiontal cost because their ISP doesn't cooperate.. In my experience they seem to have more influence on those ISPs )
Different idea... Try and play with Tiny MCE. This is a richtext editor script in Javascript, but it has an option to paste from word where it then converts all the formating to HTML, which you can then use to generate the PDF. Google Tiny MCE and look at their examples.
Just text or images too? If there's images in the documents (which come in various formats pre/post 95) then it's gonna be almost a no-goer. If its just text you might stand a chance... I think I've seen a class (not free) somewhere that can open MS Word documents without COM. I'll have another search.
Most of the RTF parsers out there, however, are poorly written, and plus, with almost anything from Word (or anything WYSIWYG), you have to parse what they mean not what they wrote.
Well indeed... a word format would be an option, but not quite fool proof.
I think I can draw the conclusion that an online set of textareas combined with a table in the database is the way to go here.
I can't really see any other option that gives enough control. I've seen too many "customers" mess up o so simple tasks.