Word Automation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Picho
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Picho

Hi all,

I have a problem automating word (office xp).
I am trying to create a mailmerge datasource using this code:

object oFieldsVector = (object)fieldsVector;

object oFileName = "doc123";//aDoc.Name;

aDoc.MailMerge.CreateDataSource(ref oFileName, ref missing, ref missing, ref
oFieldsVector, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref
missing);

aDoc.MailMerge.EditDataSource();

Word.Document aTable = WordApp.ActiveDocument;

Word.Table table = aTable.Tables.Item(1);

for (int j=1;j<dataSource.Rows.Count;j++)

{

table.Select();

table.Rows.Add(ref missing);

}



the problem is that when i get to the row adding part, a dialog opens up in
the word application asking something about the columns.

this issue never came up in all MS and others examples on the web.

did anyone see this too?

what am i doing wrong? (this is actually almost coppied from MSDN sample).



thanx,



Picho
 
Picho,

Here is some sample code that I used in VB.NET for performing a mail merge.

Dim wrdApp As Word.Application
Dim wrdDoc As Word.Document
Dim wrdMailMerge As Word.MailMerge
Dim strDataFile As String
' Create an instance of Word and make it visible
wrdApp = CType(GetObject("", "Word.Application"), Word.Application)
wrdApp.Visible = True
' Open the template
wrdDoc = wrdApp.Documents.Open(TemplateName, False, True)
wrdMailMerge = wrdDoc.MailMerge
Call wrdMailMerge.OpenDataSource(FileName, 0, False, True)
wrdMailMerge.Destination = Word.WdMailMergeDestination.wdSendToNewDocument
wrdMailMerge.Execute(False)
' Close the original form document
wrdDoc.Saved = True
wrdDoc.Close(False)
System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(wrdMailMerge)
wrdMailMerge = Nothing
System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(wrdDoc)
wrdDoc = Nothing
System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(wrdApp)
wrdApp = Nothing
GC.Collect()
 
Thanx for the reply. I do know how to open a datasource and execute the
merge. the problem starts when I want to create an internal dataSource for
the new document.

Picho
 
Hi Picho,

Which version of Word are you trying to automate? Do you have a particular
reason for wanting to use a Word table for the data source? Generally, a
delimited text source (which can be saved as a Word document) will do just as
well and will be faster to generate.

There are reasons for using Word tables:
- you want to include text formatting in the data source in the merge
- you want to include graphical objects in the data source
- you want to preserve leading or trailing spaces in the data

If none of the above apply, put your data together in delimited format, dump
it into a Word document (or a text file, but a Word doc is generally "safer"
across all versions of Word), save that and link it in as the data source.
I have a problem automating word (office xp).
I am trying to create a mailmerge datasource using this code:

object oFieldsVector = (object)fieldsVector;

object oFileName = "doc123";//aDoc.Name;

aDoc.MailMerge.CreateDataSource(ref oFileName, ref missing, ref missing, ref
oFieldsVector, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref
missing);

aDoc.MailMerge.EditDataSource();

Word.Document aTable = WordApp.ActiveDocument;

Word.Table table = aTable.Tables.Item(1);

for (int j=1;j<dataSource.Rows.Count;j++)

{

table.Select();

table.Rows.Add(ref missing);

}



the problem is that when i get to the row adding part, a dialog opens up in
the word application asking something about the columns.

this issue never came up in all MS and others examples on the web.

did anyone see this too?

what am i doing wrong? (this is actually almost coppied from MSDN sample).
Click to expand...

-- Cindy
 
Thanx Cindy,

I thought that I can link a "virtual" dataSource to the Doc.
My app is supposed to open a new doc with a new dataSource.
otherwise the user will have to handle the savings of two files: the doc and
the datasource.

correct me if I am wrong, but it is impossible to do right?

Picho
 
Hi Picho,
I thought that I can link a "virtual" dataSource to the Doc.
My app is supposed to open a new doc with a new dataSource.
otherwise the user will have to handle the savings of two files: the doc and
the datasource.

correct me if I am wrong, but it is impossible to do right?
Click to expand...
I don't know of any way for you to create a "virtual data source", but you
should be able to link up the data source for the user, and save him that
step. CreateDataSource does NOT create a "virtual data source" - notice you
have to give it a file name? And EditDataSource actually opens the file
(again).

Think of your requirement as separate tasks, and work on each task
individually, until you get what you need:
- creating the data source
- opening or creating the main merge document
- linking the data source (OpenDataSource method)
- generating the main merge document content
- presenting the result to the user

When looked at like this, it doesn't matter WHAT you use for the data source,
as long as the version of Word you're automating supports linking to it using
OpenDataSource with no problems. Given everything I know about your project,
my recommendation would be:

- concatenate the data into a delimited string
- create a new Word document
- put the string into the Word document (doc.Range.Text = szString - worlds
faster than the approach proposed in your first message)
- save the document and close it
- create another new document
- use OpenDataSource to link to the data document
- insert the text and merge fields

-- Cindy
 
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