how to use MS Word from client ?

[Chris]

Hi,

- How can I open an existing word document from a C#-client and manipulate
that document from within the C#-client ?

- How can I open an excel document that is embedded in a word-document ?
- How do I read the value of a cell within an Excel document ?

I tried using a Word-OLB file (object library) that I set a reference to but
can't find the right methods I need in order to execute the above.

But instead of importing a COM-library , isn't there another way ... a
typical .NET-way ... by using a specific .NET-class for example or something
?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

[Arne Janning]

Chris wrote:

- How can I open an existing word document from a C#-client and manipulate
that document from within the C#-client ?
Hi Chris,

this is the way to open a Word-document in C#:

If you have Office XP or 2003 installed get the Primary Interop
Assemblies here:
[Office XP]
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

[Office 2003]
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?u...Assemblies.asp

If you're using Office 2000 you should consider working with late-binding:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302902

In case you have the PIAs installed you can use this code to open a
word-document:

using Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word;
[...]

//C# cannnot handle optional params
object miss = Type.Missing;
//new Word.Applicatio n
ApplicationClas s app = new ApplicationClas s();
//File we want to open
//Has to be an object for C#
object fileName = @"C:\\test.doc" ;
//open the file, use VB.NET in the future ;-)
DocumentClass doc = (DocumentClass) app.Documents.O pen(ref fileName, ref
miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref
miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss);
//make Word visible
app.Visible = true;
- How can I open an excel document that is embedded in a word-document ?
- How do I read the value of a cell within an Excel document ?

Once you have a reference to a word-document (variable doc in my example
above) you can get a reference to an embedded object by using

doc.InlineShape s(/index/).OLEFormat

You can cast this to an Excel.Workbook-Object if you add a reference to
the Excel-Typelibrary.

Excel.WorkbookC lass wbk = doc.InlineShape s(/index/).OLEFormat

The rest is just normal Excel-Programming:

MessageBox.Show (wbk.Cells(1, 1).Value)
I tried using a Word-OLB file (object library) that I set a reference to but
can't find the right methods I need in order to execute the above. But instead of importing a COM-library , isn't there another way ... a
typical .NET-way ... by using a specific .NET-class for example or something
?

As long as Office is based on COM: No.

Cheers

Arne Janning

[Chris]

Thanks a lot for that !!!

Chris

"Arne Janning" <sp************ *****@msn.com> wrote in message
news:Ou******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

Chris wrote:

- How can I open an existing word document from a C#-client and manipulate that document from within the C#-client ?
Hi Chris,

this is the way to open a Word-document in C#:

If you have Office XP or 2003 installed get the Primary Interop
Assemblies here:
[Office XP]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
[Office 2003]
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?u...Assemblies.asp
If you're using Office 2000 you should consider working with late-binding:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302902

In case you have the PIAs installed you can use this code to open a
word-document:

using Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word;
[...]

//C# cannnot handle optional params
object miss = Type.Missing;
//new Word.Applicatio n
ApplicationClas s app = new ApplicationClas s();
//File we want to open
//Has to be an object for C#
object fileName = @"C:\\test.doc" ;
//open the file, use VB.NET in the future ;-)
DocumentClass doc = (DocumentClass) app.Documents.O pen(ref fileName, ref
miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref
miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss); //make Word visible
app.Visible = true;

- How can I open an excel document that is embedded in a word-document ?
- How do I read the value of a cell within an Excel document ?

Once you have a reference to a word-document (variable doc in my example
above) you can get a reference to an embedded object by using

doc.InlineShape s(/index/).OLEFormat

You can cast this to an Excel.Workbook-Object if you add a reference to
the Excel-Typelibrary.

Excel.WorkbookC lass wbk = doc.InlineShape s(/index/).OLEFormat

The rest is just normal Excel-Programming:

MessageBox.Show (wbk.Cells(1, 1).Value)

I tried using a Word-OLB file (object library) that I set a reference to but can't find the right methods I need in order to execute the above.

But instead of importing a COM-library , isn't there another way ... a
typical .NET-way ... by using a specific .NET-class for example or something ?

As long as Office is based on COM: No.

Cheers

Arne Janning

[Arne Janning]

Chris wrote:

Thanks a lot for that !!!

Chris

Hi Chris,

perhaps I should have been more precise when I wrote about "casting" the
OLEFormat to an Excel.Applicati onClass. This is not as easy as one
might think of. If you search for a solution, you won't find an answer.

http://groups.google.de/groups?q=OLE...bject%20dotnet

The cast is only possible if you activate the Ole-Object first. Below
please find the full source code for reading an the Value out of cell
"A1" in an Excel-Sheet that has been embedded inside a Word Document:

private void button1_Click(o bject sender, System.EventArg s e)
{
//C# cannnot handle optional params
object miss = Type.Missing;
//new Word.Applicatio n
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. ApplicationClas s app = new
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. ApplicationClas s();
//File we want to open
//Has to be an object for C#
object fileName = @"C:\\test.doc" ;
//open the file, use VB.NET in the future
DocumentClass doc = (DocumentClass) app.Documents.O pen(ref fileName,
ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss,
ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss,
ref miss);

//make Word visible
app.Visible = true;

//let's say our Excel-Sheet is the first Object in the document
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. OLEFormat ole =
doc.InlineShape s[1].OLEFormat;
string progID = ole.ProgID;
//it won't work without activating the Ole-Object first!!!
ole.Activate();
//for Excel 2003; just for security reasons. One can leave this away
if (progID == "Excel.Sheet.8" )
{
//cast the Ole-Object to an Excel.Workkook-Object
Workbook wbk = (Workbook) ole.Object;
//get a reference to the first sheet
Worksheet sht = (Worksheet) wbk.Worksheets[1];
//get Cell "A1"
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Excel .Range rng =
(Microsoft.Offi ce.Interop.Exce l.Range) sht.get_Range(" A1", "A1");
//show the value of "A1"
MessageBox.Show (rng.Value2.ToS tring());
}
}

You see that some of the Methods in C# look different from what we have
been using in Excel-VBA. Instead of simply using sht.Range("A1") you
have to use Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Excel .Range rng =
(Microsoft.Offi ce.Interop.Exce l.Range) sht.get_Range(" A1", "A1")

Some good articles to start Programming Excel with C#:

"HOWTO: Automate Microsoft Excel from Microsoft Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=302084

"HOW TO: Handle Events for Excel by Using Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=302815

"HOW TO: Transfer XML Data to Microsoft Excel 2002 by Using Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307029

"HOWTO: Create an Excel Macro Using Automation from Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=303872

Cheers

Arne Janning

[Arne Janning]

Chris wrote:

Thanks a lot for that !!!

Chris
Chris wrote:
Thanks a lot for that !!!

Chris

Hi Chris,

perhaps I should have been more precise when I wrote about "casting" the
OLEFormat to an Excel.Applicati onClass. This is not as easy as one
might think of. If you search for a solution, you won't find an answer.

http://groups.google.de/groups?q=OLE...bject%20dotnet

The cast is only possible if you activate the Ole-Object first. Below
please find the full source code for reading an the Value out of cell
"A1" in an Excel-Sheet that has been embedded inside a Word Document:

private void button1_Click(o bject sender, System.EventArg s e)
{
//C# cannnot handle optional params
object miss = Type.Missing;
//new Word.Applicatio n
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. ApplicationClas s app = new
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. ApplicationClas s();
//File we want to open
//Has to be an object for C#
object fileName = @"C:\\test.doc" ;
//open the file, use VB.NET in the future
DocumentClass doc = (DocumentClass) app.Documents.O pen(ref fileName,
ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss,
ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss,
ref miss);

//make Word visible
app.Visible = true;

//let's say our Excel-Sheet is the first Object in the document
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. OLEFormat ole =
doc.InlineShape s[1].OLEFormat;
string progID = ole.ProgID;
//it won't work without activating the Ole-Object first!!!
ole.Activate();
//for Excel 2003; just for security reasons. One can leave this away
if (progID == "Excel.Sheet.8" )
{
//cast the Ole-Object to an Excel.Workkook-Object
Workbook wbk = (Workbook) ole.Object;
//get a reference to the first sheet
Worksheet sht = (Worksheet) wbk.Worksheets[1];
//get Cell "A1"
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Excel .Range rng =
(Microsoft.Offi ce.Interop.Exce l.Range) sht.get_Range(" A1", "A1");
//show the value of "A1"
MessageBox.Show (rng.Value2.ToS tring());
}
}

You see that some of the Methods in C# look different from what we have
been using in Excel-VBA. Instead of simply using sht.Range("A1") you
have to use Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Excel .Range rng =
(Microsoft.Offi ce.Interop.Exce l.Range) sht.get_Range(" A1", "A1")

Some good articles to start Programming Excel with C#:

"HOWTO: Automate Microsoft Excel from Microsoft Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=302084

"HOW TO: Handle Events for Excel by Using Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=302815

"HOW TO: Transfer XML Data to Microsoft Excel 2002 by Using Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307029

"HOWTO: Create an Excel Macro Using Automation from Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=303872

Cheers

Arne Janning

[Chris]

Hi Arne,

everything works apart from the last line :-((
rng.Value2.ToSt ring()

An exception is thrown : "Old format or invalid type library"
It gets compiled though (so he recognizes the property 'Value2').
So I suppose I'm using a incompatible type lib.

I'm using Excel 2002 : Excel 10.0 Object Library

Any ideas ? Maybe ... using another way to retrieve the value of a cell ?

thnx

Chris

"Arne Janning" <sp************ *****@msn.com> wrote in message
news:uH******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Chris wrote:

Thanks a lot for that !!!

Chris
Chris wrote:

> Thanks a lot for that !!!
>
> Chris

Hi Chris,

perhaps I should have been more precise when I wrote about "casting" the
OLEFormat to an Excel.Applicati onClass. This is not as easy as one
might think of. If you search for a solution, you won't find an answer.

http://groups.google.de/groups?q=OLE...bject%20dotnet

The cast is only possible if you activate the Ole-Object first. Below
please find the full source code for reading an the Value out of cell
"A1" in an Excel-Sheet that has been embedded inside a Word Document:

private void button1_Click(o bject sender, System.EventArg s e)
{
//C# cannnot handle optional params
object miss = Type.Missing;
//new Word.Applicatio n
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. ApplicationClas s app = new
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. ApplicationClas s();
//File we want to open
//Has to be an object for C#
object fileName = @"C:\\test.doc" ;
//open the file, use VB.NET in the future
DocumentClass doc = (DocumentClass) app.Documents.O pen(ref fileName,
ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss,
ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss, ref miss,
ref miss);

//make Word visible
app.Visible = true;

//let's say our Excel-Sheet is the first Object in the document
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Word. OLEFormat ole =
doc.InlineShape s[1].OLEFormat;
string progID = ole.ProgID;
//it won't work without activating the Ole-Object first!!!
ole.Activate();
//for Excel 2003; just for security reasons. One can leave this away
if (progID == "Excel.Sheet.8" )
{
//cast the Ole-Object to an Excel.Workkook-Object
Workbook wbk = (Workbook) ole.Object;
//get a reference to the first sheet
Worksheet sht = (Worksheet) wbk.Worksheets[1];
//get Cell "A1"
Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Excel .Range rng =
(Microsoft.Offi ce.Interop.Exce l.Range) sht.get_Range(" A1", "A1");
//show the value of "A1"
MessageBox.Show (rng.Value2.ToS tring());
}
}

You see that some of the Methods in C# look different from what we have
been using in Excel-VBA. Instead of simply using sht.Range("A1") you
have to use Microsoft.Offic e.Interop.Excel .Range rng =
(Microsoft.Offi ce.Interop.Exce l.Range) sht.get_Range(" A1", "A1")

Some good articles to start Programming Excel with C#:

"HOWTO: Automate Microsoft Excel from Microsoft Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=302084

"HOW TO: Handle Events for Excel by Using Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=302815

"HOW TO: Transfer XML Data to Microsoft Excel 2002 by Using Visual C#

..NET" http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307029

"HOWTO: Create an Excel Macro Using Automation from Visual C# .NET"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=303872

Cheers

Arne Janning

[Arne Janning]

Chris wrote:

everything works apart from the last line :-((
rng.Value2.ToSt ring()

An exception is thrown : "Old format or invalid type library"
It gets compiled though (so he recognizes the property 'Value2').
So I suppose I'm using a incompatible type lib.

I'm using Excel 2002 : Excel 10.0 Object Library

Any ideas ? Maybe ... using another way to retrieve the value of a cell ?

Hi Chris,

rng.get_Value(m iss).ToString() works as well for me.

Cheers

Arne Janning