Frequently asked questions about Word document
14 Feb 202523 minutes to read
The frequently asked questions about Word document manipulation using DocIO are listed below.
How to open a document from stream using DocIO?
A document can be opened as stream by using HttpWebResponse. This stream does not support seek operation and so the contents should be read manually to get the position and length of the stream. The following code illustrates how to load the document from stream.
//Gets the document as stream
HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create("https://www.swiftview.com/tech/letterlegal5.doc");
HttpWebResponse response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse();
Stream stream = response.GetResponseStream();
//Converts it to byte array
byte[] buffer = ReadFully(stream, 32768);
//Stores bytes into the memory stream.
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
ms.Write(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
ms.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
stream.Close();
//Creates a new document.
WordDocument document = new WordDocument();
//Opens the template document from the MemoryStream.
document.Open(ms, FormatType.Doc);
//Saves and closes the document
document.Save("Sample.docx", FormatType.Docx);
document.Close();'Gets the document as stream
Dim request As HttpWebRequest = DirectCast(WebRequest.Create("https://www.swiftview.com/tech/letterlegal5.doc"), HttpWebRequest)
Dim response As HttpWebResponse = DirectCast(request.GetResponse(), HttpWebResponse)
Dim stream As Stream = response.GetResponseStream()
'Converts it to byte array
Dim buffer As Byte() = ReadFully(stream, 32768)
'Stores bytes into the memory stream.
Dim ms As New MemoryStream()
ms.Write(buffer, 0, buffer.Length)
ms.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin)
stream.Close()
'Creates a new document.
Dim document As New WordDocument ()
'Opens the template document from the MemoryStream.
document.Open(ms, FormatType.Doc)
'Saves and closes the document
document.Save("Sample.docx", FormatType.Docx)
document.Close()The following code illustrates the method used to read the stream and convert the stream to bytes.
public static byte[] ReadFully(Stream stream, int initialLength)
{
//When an unhelpful initial length has been passed, just use 32K.
if (initialLength < 1)
initialLength = 32768;
byte[] buffer = new byte[initialLength];
int read = 0;
int chunk;
while ((chunk = stream.Read(buffer, read, buffer.Length - read)) > 0)
{
read += chunk;
//After reaching the end of the buffer, check and see whether you can find any information.
if (read == buffer.Length)
{
int nextByte = stream.ReadByte();
//End of stream? Then, you are done.
if (nextByte == -1)
return buffer;
//Resize the buffer, put in the byte you have just read, and continue.
byte[] newBuffer = new byte[buffer.Length * 2];
Array.Copy(buffer, newBuffer, buffer.Length);
newBuffer[read] = (byte)nextByte;
buffer = newBuffer;
read++;
}
}
//Buffer is now too big. Shrink it.
byte[] ret = new byte[read];
Array.Copy(buffer, ret, read);
return ret;
}Public Shared Function ReadFully(stream As Stream, initialLength As Integer) As Byte()
'When an unhelpful initial length has been passed, just use 32K.
If initialLength < 1 Then initialLength = 32768
Dim buffer As Byte() = New Byte(initialLength - 1) {}
Dim read As Integer = 0
Dim chunk As Integer
chunk = stream.Read(buffer, read, buffer.Length - read)
While (chunk > 0)
read += chunk
'After reaching the end of the buffer, check and see whether you can find any information.
If read = buffer.Length Then
Dim nextByte As Integer = stream.ReadByte()
'End of stream? Then, you are done.
If nextByte = -1 Then Return buffer
'Resize the buffer, put in the byte you have just read, and continue.
Dim newBuffer As Byte() = New Byte(buffer.Length * 2 - 1) {}
Array.Copy(buffer, newBuffer, buffer.Length)
newBuffer(read) = CByte(nextByte)
buffer = newBuffer
read += 1
End If
End While
'Buffer is now too big. Shrink it.
Dim ret As Byte() = New Byte(read - 1) {}
Array.Copy(buffer, ret, read)
Return ret
End FunctionYou can download a complete working sample from GitHub.
How to attach a Template to a Word document?
The following code illustrates how to set the template for the document.
//Loads a source document
WordDocument document = new WordDocument("Template.docx");
//Attaches the template document to the source document
document.AttachedTemplate.Path = @"D:/Data/Template.docx";
//Updates the styles of the document from the attached template each time the document is opened
document.UpdateStylesOnOpen = true;
//Saves and closes the document
document.Save("Sample.docx", FormatType.Docx);
document.Close();'Loads a source document
Dim document As New WordDocument("Template.docx")
'Attaches the template document to the source document
document.AttachedTemplate.Path = "D:/Data/Template.docx"
'Updates the styles of the document from the attached template each time the document is opened
document.UpdateStylesOnOpen = True
'Saves and closes the document
document.Save("Sample.docx", FormatType.Docx)
document.Close()You can download a complete working sample from GitHub.
How to check the compatibility mode of the Word document?
The CompatibilityMode of a Word document can also be determined. The following code example illustrates how to check the compatibility mode of the Word document.
//Load an existing Word document.
using (WordDocument document = new WordDocument("Input.docx", FormatType.Docx))
{
//Get the compatibility mode.
CompatibilityMode compatibilityMode = document.Settings.CompatibilityMode;
Console.WriteLine(compatibilityMode);
//Save a Word document.
document.Save("Sample.docx", FormatType.Docx);
}'Load an existing Word document.
Using document As WordDocument = New WordDocument("Input.docx", FormatType.Docx)
'Get the compatibility mode.
CompatibilityMode compatibilityMode = document.Settings.CompatibilityMode
Console.WriteLine(compatibilityMode)
'Save a Word document.
document.Save("Sample.docx", FormatType.Docx)
End UsingYou can download a complete working sample from GitHub.
Which units does Essential® DocIO uses for measurement properties such as size, margins, etc, in a Word document?
Essential® DocIO library uses Points for measurement properties in a Word document.
How to convert Units (cm, mm, or inches) to Points for DocIO?
Syncfusion® .NET Word Library (DocIO) uses points as the default unit for various measurements, such as margins, indentation, and spacing. If you have measurements in centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm), or inches, you’ll need to convert them to points before using them in DocIO code.
Conversion Formulas for Units to Points
- Centimeters (cm) to Points: Multiply the cm value by 28.3465.
- Millimeters (mm) to Points: Multiply the mm value by 2.83465.
- Inches to Points: Multiply the inch value by 72.
// Assuming you have a margin value in centimeters
float marginInCentimeter = 2f;
// Convert cm to points
float marginInPoints = marginInCentimeter * 28.3465f;
// Assuming you have a margin value in millimeters
float marginInMillimeter = 20f;
// Convert cm to points
float marginInPoints = marginInMillimeter * 2.83465f;
// Assuming you have a margin value in inches
float marginInInches = 1f;
// Convert cm to points
float marginInPoints = marginInInches * 72f;' Assuming you have a margin value in centimeters
Dim marginInCentimeter As Single = 2.0F
' Convert cm to points
Dim marginInPointsFromCentimeter As Single = marginInCentimeter * 28.3465F
' Assuming you have a margin value in millimeters
Dim marginInMillimeter As Single = 20.0F
' Convert mm to points
Dim marginInPointsFromMillimeter As Single = marginInMillimeter * 2.83465F
' Assuming you have a margin value in inches
Dim marginInInches As Single = 1.0F
' Convert inches to points
Dim marginInPointsFromInches As Single = marginInInches * 72.0FWhy does the ‘File Not Supported’ exception occur in Syncfusion® DocIO?
This issue may occur if the input Word document is in a pre-97 Word format (complex format document) created using Microsoft Word versions prior to Word 97. Syncfusion® DocIO does not support these older complex format documents.
To resolve this, resave the input document using a more recent version of Microsoft Word. DocIO supports documents created in Microsoft Word versions from 97-2003 and later.
For more information on compatibility, refer here.
Why do documents remain locked after use?
This issue often occurs because the FileStream class used to open the document is not closed properly. To ensure proper closure of the file stream, it is recommended to use the using statement. This guarantees that the FileStream is disposed of correctly, even if an error occurs.
The following code demonstrates how to use a using block to handle file streams:
using (FileStream stream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read))
{
// Use the file stream here (e.g., read data, write data)
}Using stream As New FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
' Use the file stream here (e.g., read data, write data)
End UsingCan DocIO perform line-by-line comparisons for Word documents?
A Word document is a flow document, meaning its content is not preserved page by page but sequentially, section by section. Each section can span multiple pages depending on its content, such as tables, text, images, etc.
When a Word document is opened in a viewer or editor, the content is dynamically rendered page by page for viewing or editing. However, as per the Word file format specification, this page-by-page and line-by-line rendered information is not preserved at the document level.
DocIO is a non-UI component that provides a comprehensive document object model for manipulating Word document content. However, it is not feasible to extract line-by-line information from a Word document using DocIO. Due to this limitation, line-by-line comparisons are not possible with DocIO.
Why “Wrong signature” exception thrown while trying to opening a .xml file using DocIO library?
If you encounter a Wrong signature exception while attempting to open an XML file using DocIO, it likely indicates that the XML file is not in the supported Word Processing 2007 or 2003 format. DocIO specifically supports these XML formats. To resolve this issue, please verify that the input XML file adheres to the Word Processing 2007 or 2003 format.
For more information on Word Processing XML, refer to the documentation here.
How to set the current culture while running the .NET application?
If you notice that certain content in a Word document, such as dates or other culture-sensitive fields, is displayed in the wrong language or format, it could be due to the culture settings of your application. To ensure that the application displays content according to a specific culture, you can set the current culture programmatically.
For example, if you want to set the culture to French to display date and time in French, you can follow these steps:
The following code illustrates how to get the current culture.
CultureInfo currentCulture = CultureInfo.CurrentCulture;Dim currentCulture As CultureInfo = CultureInfo.CurrentCultureThe following code illustrates how to set the culture.
CultureInfo culture = new CultureInfo("fr-CA");
CultureInfo.DefaultThreadCurrentCulture = culture;
CultureInfo.DefaultThreadCurrentUICulture = culture;Dim culture As New CultureInfo("fr-CA")
CultureInfo.DefaultThreadCurrentCulture = culture
CultureInfo.DefaultThreadCurrentUICulture = cultureAfter setting the culture, you can load documents and process them according to the new culture, ensuring correct formatting throughout your application.
Is it possible to split Word document by pages using DocIO?
A Word document is a flow-based document, where contents are not preserved page by page. Instead, the contents are preserved sequentially, section by section. Each section may extend across multiple pages based on its contents, such as tables, text, images, and more.
The Word viewer/editor renders the contents of the document page by page dynamically when opened for viewing or editing. However, this page-wise rendered information is not preserved at the document level, as per the Word file format specification.
DocIO is a non-UI component that provides a full-fledged document object model to manipulate the Word document contents. Hence, it is not feasible to split the Word document by pages.
You can, however, split the Word document by sections, headings, bookmarks, or placeholders. Refer to the documentation for more details.
How to check if two Word documents have the same content while ignoring formatting changes?
By default, DocIO checks both content and formatting in Word files. To focus only on content, you can use the DetectFormatChanges API to skip formatting checks.
To check if the compared Word document has changes, you can use the HasChanges property in DocIO to identify content differences when comparing two Word documents.
The following code snippet demonstrates how to compares two Word documents while ignoring formatting changes and saves the result and print the result if there are any changes between the original and revised documents.
// Load the original and revised Word documents.
//Load the original document.
using (FileStream originalDocumentStreamPath = new FileStream("Data/OriginalDocument.docx", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read))
{
using (WordDocument originalDocument = new WordDocument(originalDocumentStreamPath, FormatType.Docx))
{
//Load the revised document.
using (FileStream revisedDocumentStreamPath = new FileStream("Data/RevisedDocument.docx", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read))
{
using (WordDocument revisedDocument = new WordDocument(revisedDocumentStreamPath, FormatType.Docx))
{
// Configure comparison options to ignore formatting changes.
ComparisonOptions compareOptions = new ComparisonOptions();
compareOptions.DetectFormatChanges = false;
// Compare the documents.
originalDocument.Compare(revisedDocument);
// Check if there are content differences.
if (originalDocument.HasChanges)
Console.WriteLine("Differences detected in the document content.");
else
Console.WriteLine("The documents have the same content.");
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
}//Load the original document.
using (WordDocument originalDocument = new WordDocument("Data/OriginalDocument.docx", FormatType.Docx))
{
//Load the revised document.
using (WordDocument revisedDocument = new WordDocument("Data/RevisedDocument.docx", FormatType.Docx))
{
// Configure comparison options to ignore formatting changes.
ComparisonOptions compareOptions = new ComparisonOptions();
compareOptions.DetectFormatChanges = false;
// Compare the documents.
originalDocument.Compare(revisedDocument);
// Check if there are content differences.
if (originalDocument.HasChanges)
Console.WriteLine("Differences detected in the document content.");
else
Console.WriteLine("The documents have the same content.");
Console.ReadLine();
}
}' Load the original document.
Using originalDocument As New WordDocument("Data/OriginalDocument.docx", FormatType.Docx)
' Load the revised document.
Using revisedDocument As New WordDocument("Data/RevisedDocument.docx", FormatType.Docx)
' Configure comparison options to ignore formatting changes.
Dim compareOptions As New ComparisonOptions()
compareOptions.DetectFormatChanges = False
' Compare the documents.
originalDocument.Compare(revisedDocument)
' Check if there are content differences.
If originalDocument.HasChanges Then
Console.WriteLine("Differences detected in the document content.")
Else
Console.WriteLine("The documents have the same content.")
End If
Console.ReadLine()
End Using
End UsingYou can download a complete working sample from GitHub.
Is it possible to set a watermark for only the first page of a Word document?
No, it is not possible to add a watermark to only the first page of a Word document because watermarks apply to the entire document by default in Microsoft Word.
As a workaround, you can insert an image or text in the header of the first page to mimic a watermark effect. Refer to the GitHub sample for more details.
Why does the item index in a Word document differ from the DocIO library?
DocIO indexes items based on the document’s internal file structure rather than the UI rendering. Elements like floating objects may appear in a different order in Microsoft Word UI compared to their actual position in the document’s underlying structure. Since DocIO follows this structure, the difference in indexing is expected.
How to view Word documents in my .NET MAUI application using DocIO?
Currently, DocIO does not have dedicated viewer control for Word documents in .NET MAUI. However, we can achieve this by converting the Word document to PDF and then displaying the PDF using a PDF viewer control.
To convert a Word document to PDF in .NET MAUI using DocIO, refer to the sample provided here. To view the PDF in the .NET MAUI PDF viewer control, follow the documentation.