Accessing Word through ASP.NET

renoldr · May 3rd, 2006, 12:55 PM

I am faced with a new requirement in ASP.Net. The requirement is like this : there is a pre formatted Word template; I have to fetch the information from data base and to be replacing some values in pre formatted template and this to be saved as word document(into a network folder). The generated reports are to be sent to their customer by our client.

This is like generating word report. Here I am using find and replace concept to meet the requirement. Just go through the code you can easily understand it.

using System;
using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace Demo
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Summary description for WordHelper.
    /// </summary>
    public class WordHelper : MarshalByRefObject
    {
        private Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Application oWord;
        AuditLog al = new AuditLog();

        public WordHelper()
        {
            //
            // TODO: Add constructor logic here
            //
            CreateWord();
        }
        private void CreateWord()
        {
            try
            {
                GC.Collect(); //Release if any word instances running...
                oWord = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Application();
                oWord.DisplayAlerts = WdAlertLevel.wdAlertsNone;
                oWord.Visible = false;
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                al.Add(ex.Message,"CreateWord()", ex.StackTrace);
                throw(ex);
            }
        }

        private void CloseWord()
        {
            Object oMiss = Type.Missing;
            try
            {
                if(oWord != null)
                {
                    oWord.Quit(ref oMiss, ref oMiss,ref oMiss);

                    Marshal.ReleaseComObject (oWord);

                    oWord = null;

                    GC.Collect();
                }
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                al.Add("Error while releasing the word object","CloseWord: "+ex.Message,ex.StackTrace);
                throw new Exception("Error while closing the word");
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// It returns the template directory which contain welcome and claim letter templates
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns></returns>
        private string GetTemplatesDirectory(int planType)
        {
            SystemSettingDetails ssd = new SystemSettingDetails();
            ssd.GetSystemSettingDetails();

            try
            {
                string strRoot = "", strDirPath = "", strSecType = "";
                if(ssd.SystemSettings != null)
                    strRoot = ssd.GetValue("DocumentLibraryPath").ToString();
                else
                {
                    ssd.GetSystemSettingDetails();
                    strRoot = ssd.GetValue("DocumentLibraryPath").ToString();
                }

                strRoot.Replace("/","\\");
                if(!strRoot.Trim().EndsWith("\\"))
                {
                    strRoot = strRoot+ "\\";
                }
                if(@strRoot.Trim().EndsWith(@"\\"))
                {
                    strRoot.Substring(0,strRoot.Length-2);
                }

                if(planType == 3)
                    strSecType = "Section132";
                else
                    strSecType = "Section125";

                strDirPath = strRoot + "\\Templates\\" + strSecType ;

                return strDirPath;
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                al.Add(ex.Message,"GetTemplatesDirectory()",ex.Sta ckTrace);
                throw(ex);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the Renewal document libary path
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="planType">Type of Plan</param>
        /// <returns>path</returns>
        private string GetRenewalDirectory(int planType)
        {
            SystemSettingDetails ssd = new SystemSettingDetails();
            ssd.GetSystemSettingDetails();
            bool success = false;
            Impersonation imp = null;

            try
            {
                string strRoot = "", strDirPath = "", strSecType = "";
                if(ssd.SystemSettings != null)
                    strRoot = ssd.GetValue("DocumentLibraryPath").ToString();
                else
                {
                    ssd.GetSystemSettingDetails();
                    strRoot = ssd.GetValue("DocumentLibraryPath").ToString();
                }

                strRoot.Replace("/","\\");
                if(!strRoot.Trim().EndsWith("\\"))
                {
                    strRoot = strRoot+ "\\";
                }
                if(@strRoot.Trim().EndsWith(@"\\"))
                {
                    strRoot.Substring(0,strRoot.Length-2);
                }

                if(planType == 3)
                    strSecType = "Section132";
                else
                    strSecType = "Section125";

                strDirPath = strRoot + "\\Renewal\\" + strSecType ;

                imp = new Impersonation();
                success = imp.Impersonate();

                DirectoryInfo dir = new DirectoryInfo( strRoot +"\\Renewal");
                if (!dir.Exists)
                    dir.Create();

                dir = new DirectoryInfo(strRoot + "\\renewal\\"+strSecType);
                if (!dir.Exists)
                    dir.Create();

                return strDirPath;
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                al.Add(ex.Message,"GetRenewalDirectory()",ex.Stack Trace);
                throw(ex);
            }
            finally
            {
                if (success) imp.UndoImpersonation();
                //CloseWord();
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Generates new plan document , used in plan renewal
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>success or failure</returns>
        public bool CreateNewPlanDocs(int planType,string CoCode,string CoName,DateTime PlanYearStart,DateTime planYearEnd ,int gracePeriod,string Max1,string Max2,bool IsPrem,string FileName)
        {
            string StrFileName;
            if (planType==1)
                StrFileName = "enroll form(125).doc";
            else
                StrFileName = "enroll form(132).doc";

            string tmplDirPath="";
            string strPlanYearStart=PlanYearStart.ToString("MMMM") + " " + PlanYearStart.Day.ToString() + ", " + PlanYearStart.Year.ToString();
            string strPlanYearEnd=planYearEnd.ToString("MMMM") + " " + planYearEnd.Day.ToString() + ", " + planYearEnd.Year.ToString(); ;
            DateTime graceDate = planYearEnd.AddDays(gracePeriod);

            string strPlanYearWithGrace = graceDate.ToString("MMMM") + " " + graceDate.Day.ToString() + ", " + graceDate.Year.ToString();
            /*get the path to the directory that contains
                 * welcome and claim letter templates
                 * based on plan type */
            bool success = false;
            Impersonation imp = null;

            try
            {
                tmplDirPath = GetTemplatesDirectory(planType);

                DirectoryInfo dirInfo = new DirectoryInfo(tmplDirPath);

                /*customize the claim and welcome letters and
                     * print all the file that are in the directory*/

                imp = new Impersonation();
                success = imp.Impersonate();

                FileInfo[] finfo = dirInfo.GetFiles("*.doc");

                if(finfo.Length > 0)
                {
                    if (oWord==null)
                        CreateWord();
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                al.Add("CreateNewPlanDocs() : Access Problem in :"+tmplDirPath,ex.Message,ex.StackTrace.ToString() );
                return false;

            }
            finally
            {
                if (success) imp.UndoImpersonation();
                //CloseWord();
            }
            if(oWord == null)
            {
                oWord = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Application();
            }
            object M =Type.Missing;
            //bool isPrintable = false;
            object SaveChanges = WdSaveOptions.wdSaveChanges;
            Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Document oDoc;
            object V = tmplDirPath +"\\"+ StrFileName; //Convert to Object..
            object I = false; //Convert to Object
            object breadonly =true;

            string strEnroll = "enroll";
            string strWelcome = "welcome";
            Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Range rng;
            Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.FormFields flds;
            try
            {
                    if(StrFileName.EndsWith(".doc"))
                    {
                        imp = new Impersonation(); //Access denied problem
                        success = imp.Impersonate();

                        oDoc = oWord.Documents.Open(ref V,ref M,ref breadonly,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M);
                        rng = (Range)oWord.ActiveDocument.Range(ref M,ref M);
                        flds = rng.FormFields;

                        /*
                         * if filename contains the word "Enroll" considered as Enroll letter.
                         * */
                        if( StrFileName.ToLower().IndexOf(strEnroll) != -1)
                        {
                            /*
                             * customize the enroll letter.
                             * */
                            foreach(FormField f in flds)
                            {
                                if(f.Name == "Text1" )
                                    f.Result = CoName;
                                if(f.Name == "Text2" )
                                    f.Result = strPlanYearStart; // PLan Start
                                if(f.Name == "Text3" )
                                    f.Result = strPlanYearEnd; if(f.Name == "Text4" )
                                    f.Result = Max1;
                                if(f.Name == "Text5" )
                                    f.Result = Max2;

                                //isPrintable = false;
                            }

                            // To Remove the Premium table if not selected.
                            if (!IsPrem)
                            {

                                oWord.ActiveDocument.Tables[2].Delete();
                            }

                        }
                        /*
                         * if filename contains the word "welcome" considered as welcome letter.
                         * */
                        if( StrFileName.ToLower().IndexOf(strWelcome)!= -1)
                        {
                            /*
                             * customize the welcome letter.
                             * */
                            foreach(FormField f in flds)
                            {
                                if(f.Name == "Text1" )
                                    f.Result = CoName;
                                else if(f.Name == "Text2" )
                                    f.Result = CoCode;
                                else if(f.Name == "Text3" )
                                    f.Result = strPlanYearStart;
                                else if(f.Name == "Text4" )
                                    f.Result = strPlanYearEnd;
                                else if(f.Name == "Text5" )
                                    f.Result = gracePeriod.ToString();
                                else if(f.Name == "Text6" )
                                    f.Result = strPlanYearEnd; // End + Garce
                                else if(f.Name == "Text7" )
                                    f.Result = strPlanYearEnd;

                                //isPrintable = false;
                                //oDoc.SaveAs(ref dest,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,true,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M);
                                //TODO : still some forms must be customized, waiting for Sadiq clarification.
                            }
                        }

                        object F = true;

                        object dest = GetRenewalDirectory(planType) + "\\" + FileName;

                        try
                        {
                            //Change the logged on user
                            //imp = new Impersonation();
                            //success = imp.Impersonate();

                            oDoc.SaveAs(ref dest,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M);
                            // if(isPrintable)
                            // oWord.PrintOut(ref I,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M,ref M);
                            // else
                            // //oWord.
                            oDoc.Close(ref SaveChanges, ref M, ref M);
                        }
                        catch (Exception ex)
                        {
                            al.Add("WordHelper :CreateNewPlan"+StrFileName,ex.Message,ex.StackTra ce.ToString());
                            //CloseWord();
                            return false;
                        }
                        finally
                        {
                            if (success) imp.UndoImpersonation();
                            CloseWord();
                        }
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        al.Add("Not a valid document :"+StrFileName,"CreateNewPlanDocs()","Please remove unnecessay document in the foloder except word templates");
                        CloseWord();
                        return false;
                    }

            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                al.Add(ex.Message,"CreateNewPlanDocs : Error while generating document"+FileName,ex.StackTrace);
                CloseWord();
                return false;
            }
            finally
            {
                if (success) imp.UndoImpersonation();
                CloseWord();
            }
            return true;
        }
    }
}

renoldr · May 3rd, 2006, 12:59 PM

I seems to be getting an 'access denied' exception.
i have tried impersonation too but of no positive result. The user is given full access to the network directory. if i removed impersonation it says it cannto find the path (or that path is invalid) even though i can open it thru word.
Help!

RedDotVasilyev · December 2nd, 2013, 06:58 AM

If I may suggest you should check out this C# Word component, it will enable you to load your existing template files and do search & replace on them, without using a word interop in .NET.
I believe this is a much safer approach because you will not have to run MS Word on the server side in the background, which has some drawbacks. Also I would recommend you to try using a MergeFields for inserting a data into a DOCX file, here is a sample how to do a mail merge in C#:

Code:

// Create a new empty document.
var template = new DocumentModel();

// Add document content.
template.Sections.Add(
    new Section(document,
        new Paragraph(document,
            new Field(document, FieldType.MergeField, "FullName"))));

// Save the template document.
template.Save(strRoot + "\\Templates\\TemplateDocument.docx");

// Load a template document.
var document = DocumentModel.Load(strRoot + "\\Templates\\TemplateDocument.docx");

// Initialize mail merge data source.
var dataSource = new { FullName = "John Doe" };

// Execute mail merge.
document.MailMerge.Execute(dataSource);

// Save the document.
document.Save("Document.docx");

Also you can export a Word file in ASP.NET to the customer’s browser like the following:

Code:

document.Save(this.Response, "Document.docx");