Re: Using Word with C# - C# Discussion Boards

3-Jan-04 5:43

I've tried to used this article http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/CsAutomateWord.asp?target=Word to create a character sheet.

I have a CCharacter class, that contains all information about a character, and I want to generate a MS Word document with these information.

So I've created .dot document, with thinks like
Name _Name_ Age _Age_
in arrays (I've tried also without the array, directly in the text). _XXX_ is code that I will use for replacement.

Now, to the code:

// Create a Word application
Word.ApplicationClass vk_word_app = new Word.ApplicationClass();
// Open the .dot
object FileName =Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()+"\\Models\\Sheet.dot";
Word.Document vk_my_doc = vk_word_app.Documents.Open(...
// Create a new document
Word.Document vk_new_doc = vk_word_app.Documents.Add((...
// Copy the .dot into the new document
vk_my_doc.Select();
vk_word_app.Selection.Copy();
vk_new_doc.Select();
vk_word_app.Selection.PasteAndFormat(Word.WdRecoveryType.wdPasteDefault);
// close the .dot
vk_my_doc.Close( ref vk_false, ref vk_missing, ref vk_missing );

All the previous steps work. I get a new document, build from my template.

Now, I'd like to fill it with actual information. So I do this

// Select the new doc
vk_new_doc.Select();
// Define some variable
object vk_false = false;
object vk_true = true;
object vk_num = Word.WdFindWrap.wdFindStop;
object vk_find = "_Nom_";
object vk_replaceWith = Name_Familly; // This one is a member of CCharacter class
object vk_replace = Word.WdReplace.wdReplaceOne;

// Try to replace the text
vk_word_app.Selection.Find.Execute( ref vk_find,
ref vk_false, ref vk_false,
ref vk_false, ref vk_false, ref vk_false, ref vk_true,
ref vk_num, ref vk_false,
ref vk_replaceWith, ref vk_replace, ref vk_false,
ref vk_false, ref vk_false, ref vk_false );

And... it doesn't work.

I got this error:

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x800706F7): Le relais a reçu des données incorrectes.
at Word.Find.Execute(Object& FindText, Object& MatchCase, Object& MatchWholeWord, Object& MatchWildcards, Object& MatchSoundsLike, Object& MatchAllWordForms, Object& Forward, Object& Wrap, Object& Format, Object& ReplaceWith, Object& Replace, Object& MatchKashida, Object& MatchDiacritics, Object& MatchAlefHamza, Object& MatchControl)

My form close, the word doc stays opened.

"Le relais a reçu des données incorrectes" would translate as "incorrect data received".

Any idea of a way to solve this would be greatly welcomed!

Heath Stewart3-Jan-04 8:03

3-Jan-04 8:03

The form is probably closing because you're not handling the exception like you should be. Users should never see an exception thrown but should see a nice little error message without your app crashing.

As far as the COMException, I'm betting the problem is where param values should be an empty variant but you're passing a reference to false. This is not the same in the world of COM. Instead, try the following:

object empty = Missing.Value;

Anywhere you need to pass an empty argument, pass a ref to empty (or whatever you call it).

Also, .NET naming conventions recommend that you don't use the hungarian notation, like putting "C" before a class name. Just consider how all the classes you use in the .NET Base Class Library (BCL) are named, as well as the methods, properties, etc. Using the same conventions is important, because anyone using your library or extending your application - and that's any language that targets the CLR like C#, VB.NET, MC++, COBOL.NET, and many others - should be consistent to avoid confusion and other hastles.

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.21
GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Stephane David3-Jan-04 9:58

3-Jan-04 9:58

Thank you for your answer. I agree that user should never see an exception, but I think it is even better to write correct code and avoid the exception, rather than displaying the error message. Exception would be nice if for instance the .dot file doesn't exist, but here it seems to be different.

About the empty : the Find.Execute function takes 15 parameters. The VBA help of Word gives me the feeling that none are supposed to be empty, but false. I have tried to use empty with some of these parameters, that are supposed to be facultative, but it changed nothing.

So I'm in need of more specific solution.

About the naming convention: I usually don't use hungarian notation, except in two cases. First, to differentiate between some parameters (like if I have a member Param, and a parameter Param), or when I'm porting an old C++ code, which is the case here, and I forget to rename a few classes or function.

Nick Parker3-Jan-04 10:05

Nick Parker

3-Jan-04 10:05

Stephane David wrote:
but I think it is even better to write correct code and avoid the exception, rather than displaying the error message.

I don't agree, exceptions are meant to happen and be handled, it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad. Since you need to properly handle them and using a MessageBox to the user is typically a good option, when it is pertinent. Some exceptions can be handled internally, however when they are of value to the user, they should be informed.

- Nick Parker
My Blog

Stephane David3-Jan-04 10:16

3-Jan-04 10:16

That's what I meant. In that case, the only information I can provide the user with is "this function doesn''t work, and I don't know how to make it work". If the error happens 100% of the time, then is it not an exception, it really is a programming error. It doesn't prevent me from handling the exception, but it is not a solution to my problem.

Heath Stewart3-Jan-04 10:58

3-Jan-04 10:58

Stephane David wrote:
I agree that user should never see an exception, but I think it is even better to write correct code and avoid the exception, rather than displaying the error message.

This is a bad assumption! Did you write Microsoft Word? I'm betting you didn't, so why trust the work of other people whom you probably don't know, and code in another application where a whole different set of problems exist? Never do. Never trust user input, and never trust another application. Always account for problems that might occur. Do you think that Word blindly accepts input from calling functions?

And just because a parameter takes a value of true doesn't mean that the converse is false. Look again at the type: Variant. When a variant isn't specified, it is an empty or missing variant, hence using Missing.Value (or sometimes you see

Type.Missing).<br />
<br />
I found this example on MSDN: <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_wrcore/html/wrtskhowtosearchfortextinworddocuments.asp">How to: search for text in Word documents</a>[<a target=_blank title='New Window' href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_wrcore/html/wrtskhowtosearchfortextinworddocuments.asp">^</a>]. They use <code>Type.Missing

to find text. You have the right values for the ReplaceWith and Replace parameters. Also, you can search over the whole document (since in the example they set the range to the first two paragraphs) by using Document.Content instead of Application.Selection.Range, which - if I remember correctly - is an empty range anyway. I don't know about that, though - it's been a while since I programmed with the Office libraries. In any case, Document.Content is a Range over the whole document, which seems to be what you wanted anyway. Good luck!

Stephane David3-Jan-04 19:00

3-Jan-04 19:00

Ok... I've tried to use an ActiveDocument.Content. I've tried with Selection. I've tried using Missing.Value with several parameters. Nothing works. I always get the same error... The execption starts to be not very... exceptional...

And to close the topic of exception, I never said I don't want to handle an exception. I said I don't know how to correct this one. Right now, my function always raise an exception, so it is useless....

Heath Stewart3-Jan-04 19:02

3-Jan-04 19:02

Like I mentioned in the message you replied to, try Type.Missing instead of Missing.Value. This is what was given in the article I linked for you.

Stephane David3-Jan-04 19:40

3-Jan-04 19:40

Arggh!!!!

I'm using this simple exemple directly from the article you linked for me. And it still doesn't work!!!
Would there be something else? Like not a simple parameter error, but perhaps a difference if I'm using Office XP or Windows XP?

// C#
internal void SelectionFind()
{
string strFind = "find me";
Word.Find fnd = ThisApplication.Selection.Find;
fnd.ClearFormatting();
fnd.Text = strFind;
object missingValue = Type.Missing;

if (fnd.Execute(ref missingValue, ref missingValue,
ref missingValue, ref missingValue, ref missingValue,
ref missingValue, ref missingValue, ref missingValue,
ref missingValue, ref missingValue, ref missingValue,
ref missingValue, ref missingValue, ref missingValue,
ref missingValue))
{
MessageBox.Show("Text found.");
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("The text could not be located.");
}
}

Heath Stewart3-Jan-04 19:42

3-Jan-04 19:42

Maybe you just typed your code fragment in wrong, but you didn't actually specify anything to find...or replace, for that matter. You're using ref missingValue in all of Find.Execute's parameters.

Stephane David3-Jan-04 19:49

3-Jan-04 19:49

That was on purpose. As the replace doesn't work, I've tried the very basic, with the simpliest exemple I could find in the library, just find a text. And I still get the exception.
In this exemple, they do not use a parameter, but Word.Find.Text instead

Stephane David8-Jan-04 11:04

Re: Disabled toolbar images

8-Jan-04 11:04

After many testing, I've discovered that it didn't work because of my Office XP. I have installed Office 2000 instead, and now it works.

Except for one thing. I'd like to replace text which is a TextBox, and not in the body of the document. But Word.Content doesn't include shapes apparently. Anyone with an idea?

Disabled toolbar images

richjm3-Jan-04 2:47

richjm

3-Jan-04 2:47

Hi,

I have a toolbar that displays 32 bit icons. When I set a toolbar button to disabled the image appears solid grey. Any tips for getting the icons to display in greyscale?

Thanks,

richjm

Heath Stewart3-Jan-04 7:38

3-Jan-04 7:38

You could always make a second set of icons to add to your image list that are offset by the length of the original images (so you can simply shift the image index by the number of colored images). You'll have to extend the ToolBar class, however, in order to draw the buttons using those images, most likely having to override WndProc since the ToolBar control is just a wrapper to the Windows Common Control's Toolbar class. Messages are sent/posted and notification messages are handled. You'll have to do the same.

To see what's happening behind the scenes with the class, you should get yourself a good decompiler like .NET Reflector[^]. Understanding the Windows Messaging system and the Win32 APIs is necessary.

There are also ways to convert a colored image to gray scale, but you'll still have to extend ToolBar to do so. There's a good one in a great series by Christian Graus here on CP, Image Processing for Dummies with C# and GDI+ Part 1 - Per Pixel Filters[^]. There is a b/w conversion algorithm mentioned in there and in his source code.

start menu?

warelord3-Jan-04 0:22

warelord

3-Jan-04 0:22

with my respect, I would like to ask you about the start menu lokated at the bottom of the Windows operating system desktop?

.........how can I build like it in my program using C#???? D'Oh! | :doh:

answer me on:

sfayoumy@yahoo.com
or
sfayoumy@hotmail.com

and

............................thank you all for this verey good site.... Smile | :)

this helps me in my primary project in the university

leppie3-Jan-04 1:37

leppie

3-Jan-04 1:37

Make a form borderless, and get the screen's bounds from the Screen class and apply to your form. Now you have the whole screen to play with. Smile | :)

leppie ::AllocCPArticle("Zee blog");
Seen on my Campus BBS: Linux is free...coz no-one wants to pay for it.

Jan R Hansen3-Jan-04 1:37

Jan R Hansen

3-Jan-04 1:37

Isn't it about time Chris makes a "help me do my homework / project / whatever" forum ?

Do you know why it's important to make fast decisions? Because you give yourself more time to correct your mistakes, when you find out that you made the wrong one. Chris Meech on deciding whether to go to his daughters graduation or a Neil Young concert

Steve McLenithan3-Jan-04 6:50

Steve McLenithan

3-Jan-04 6:50

Why would you want such a thing? That's going to confuse the hell out of your users.

// Steve McLenithan

Cluelessnes:
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.

Heath Stewart3-Jan-04 7:21

3-Jan-04 7:21

This over-used application UI went out of style last century (really). There are much better ways to organize your program. The Start menu should not be triffled with and not duplicated, as it might confuse many of your users. It's purpose is to allow quick access to programs and settings, just like Mac's Apple menu, and KDE and GNOME's similar menus. Applications have menus for this purpose, like File, Edit, View, Windows, Help, etc. You should stick with these and read the Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers[^] for Microsoft Windows. Designing a consistent UI is important for users.

Skins

Agent 862-Jan-04 12:18

Agent 86

2-Jan-04 12:18

Hello,
Is it at all possible to add additional buttons next to the ControlBox on a windows form (kind of like what's in WindowsBlinds)?? Also, I'm trying to completely skin an app, so was wondering if anyone knows of any other ways I can "tweak" a form's border. Also, does anyone know of any prewritten skinning components for windows apps that have been created? Thank you so much.

Agent 86

Re: Skins

Heath Stewart2-Jan-04 19:38