Microsoft Word Task Pane Add-In Powered by IMDB

This is an add-in for Microsoft Word that provides important information about movies, powered by IMDB's API. A user can gain important movie-related information within the context of Microsoft Word.

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Inspiration

As a senior programmer, I've no doubt come across Amazon Web Services (AWS) many times but never found the opportunity to use it. One reason was due to verification issues arising out of making a payment of $1 from a UK bank account, which was also explained in my Feedback Submission as part of this hackathon, which was thankfully solved recently which meant I could take part. I really like IMDB for how informative their website is for everything movie-related and so wanted to use this opportunity to test out their API, which was provided through this hackathon. The experience was very interesting although as reflected in my Feedback Submission, also somewhat difficult to use because it is slightly unconventional in its approach and uses technologies such as GraphQL that I am not familiar with.

What it does

This is an add-in in Microsoft Word that is powered by IMDB. It leverages the vast information that IMDB has of movies and provides the end user information about it in Microsoft Word. This add-in enables a user to easily find information about movies within the context of Microsoft Word. For example, let's suppose that a person wants to find information about the popular and groundbreaking film "Toy Story" on IMDB. Originally, a user who wanted to find out information about a movie would have to visit a search engine of their choice (e.g. Google, Bing, Yandex, etc) and then type in "Toy Story". They would then have to navigate through a myriad of search results, which results in wasted time. If they are lucky, they might stumble upon the IMDB result of this, but this is not guaranteed. This wasted time can be costly in situations where a deadline has to be met such as in school or university settings. With this add-in, all a user needs to do within the context of Microsoft Word is type in the result of what they are looking for and it will be brought up in Microsoft Word. This is also beneficial to IMDB because, as of November 2022, they do not appear to have a presence on Microsoft's AppSource, a platform where add-ins can be distributed.

How it is built

This program leveraged the add-in functionality provided by Microsoft Word, one of the most popular word processing tools available. It is programmed in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and TypeScript. It utilises the IMDB API using its Typescript SDK.

Requirements

In order to use this add-in, you need to have the following:

Windows

  • Internet access
  • Microsoft Word (2016 version or later)

Mac

  • Internet access
  • Microsoft Word

Instructions

In order to use this add-in, it is recommended you read the following instructions depending on what operating system you are using.

Windows

Mac

Challenges we ran into

I actually envisaged creating a different program, which utilised box office performance but sadly was informed that it was only available to premium customers, and so I had to settle on this idea of providing movie information within Microsoft Word.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I'm glad for developing my first Microsoft Word Add In as well as working my way around AWS - the system is somewhat complex so I'm glad I've used some time into learning how to use it.

Applications of the Microsoft Task Pane Add-In?

There are many potential applications of this Microsoft Task

What we learned

I've developed a better understanding of how Amazon Web Services (AWS) works as well as the API of IMDB. I will be sure to use it in the future.

Requirements

What's next for Microsoft Word Task Pane Add-In Powered by IMDB

I envisage this add-in can be extended to other Office tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint as well as Microsoft Excel.

Disclaimer

This program does not necessarily imply the endorsement or association of Microsoft and/or IMDB.

Fun fact

Fun fact - As part of this hackathon, I learned that IMDb is owned by Amazon. I actually thought they were two entirely different companies. That answered the question I subconsciously asked myself of why the IMDB was associating with Amazon for this hackathon.

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