You have your choice of downloading the software instantly or you can choose one of the various shipping options to have a CD and printed documentation delivered. The software automatically installs and creates a virtual directory called ExcelWriter that contains the documentation and samples. Downloading the ExcelWriter software was simple and trouble-free and the automatic installation process performed well. Shortcuts are installed for both the help file and the online documentation with code samples.

I was very pleased to see the amount of information included in both the online documentation and the help file. Each of ExcelWriter's features is thoroughly explained and includes samples of how they can be used. These samples can be run in the online documentation. An ExcelWriter programmer's reference includes detailed information on the object model and functions. Even though SoftArtisans provides extensive troubleshooting information, it proved unnecessary while using the application.

The documentation shows how to configure Internet Information Server (IIS) so that a spreadsheet can be streamed directly to the client without an Open or Save dialog box being displayed. This allows the spreadsheet to open in the browser window. ExcelWriter's documentation discusses which features of the application need security permissions to function correctly and how the different levels of ASP security affect these functions.