Hi, what is the best way to manipulate MSOffice programs?  i understand that
regular web pages do not have the permissions (because of safety measures) to
open up MS word/excel programs, for example, from a web site.

What I need is a strategy for the best way to open up word/excel
applications and manipulate them by adding/removing text, formatting, and
doing mail merge types of transactions.  Would ActiveX be the best strategy
to accomplish this from a web page?

I am trying NOT to make a desktop application only because people want to be
able to use this program from remote locations.  I have also taken a look at
smart clients but I am not sure how difficult it is to code them or if it is
even a good idea?

Any thoughts or comments are welcome.  Thanks in advance.