Extended Properties in Word as Placeholder for custom values

How practically would it be if a word document could be filled with some values at predefined places (like placeholder)? In one of my customer projects the requirements were like this:

The customer manages his service agreements in a SharePoint list. Endusers type in the data in a normal SharePoint form. After that they can generate a word document with exactly these data. The data will be transformed into a word template for those agreements. So it is obvious that the data from the sharepoint listitem should be displayed and saved in the word template at certain predefined places. And this scenario can be true by using openxml.

Let me explain with an example more simple. We just insert values from c# into the word document. I’ll show you what you need to do in word and what you need to do in code.

Step 1: Prepare the word document

Insert a custom property

In word open the start menu – extended properties and in the tab customize: There you can add you own “variables” or better properties.

openxmlProps1

There we insert these properties:

1. Location

2. Status

Set custom property into word body

To insert those properties into text, we do the following: In word just open the tab “Insert” and look for the quick edit blocks and then fields. In the category docproperty you’ll find your custom properties.

openxmlProps2

openxmlProps3

Repeat it for location. That’s it on this side. Now let’s see what we need to do in code.

Step 2: Using OpenXml to fill custom properties with values

First we have to get the file and open it by using the wordprocessor. Then we go into the custom properties and change the values and save those.

[sourcecode language=”csharp”]

using (WordprocessingDocument doc = WordprocessingDocument.Open(tempFilePath, true))
{
//Reading Properties Part
var customProps = doc.CustomFilePropertiesPart;
var props = customProps.Properties;
CustomDocumentProperty prop = null;

var searchProp = props.Where(p => ((CustomDocumentProperty)p).Name.Value == “Location”).FirstOrDefault();
if (searchProp != null)
{
prop = searchProp as CustomDocumentProperty;
prop.VTLPWSTR = new DocumentFormat.OpenXml.VariantTypes.VTLPWSTR(“Germany”);

}
var searchProp2 = props.Where(p => ((CustomDocumentProperty)p).Name.Value == “Status”).FirstOrDefault();
if (searchProp2 != null)
{
prop = searchProp2 as CustomDocumentProperty;
prop.VTLPWSTR = new DocumentFormat.OpenXml.VariantTypes.VTLPWSTR(“Assigned”);

}
//Save the changes
DocumentSettingsPart settingsPart = doc.MainDocumentPart.GetPartsOfType().First();
UpdateFieldsOnOpen updateFields = new UpdateFieldsOnOpen();
updateFields.Val = new DocumentFormat.OpenXml.OnOffValue(true);
settingsPart.Settings.PrependChild(updateFields);
settingsPart.Settings.Save();

doc.MainDocumentPart.Document.Save();
}

[/sourcecode]

After running the code you’ll see your values in the word document if you open it. It maybe that word asks if you want to refresh data. Just click OK.

openxmlProps4

Hope this helps you.

The article or information provided here represents completely my own personal view & thought. It is recommended to test the content or scripts of the site in the lab, before making use in the production environment & use it completely at your own risk. The articles, scripts, suggestions or tricks published on the site are provided AS-IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

About Karsten Schneider 312 Articles
Consultant for Microsoft 365 Applications with a strong focus in Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business as well as PowerPlatform with PowerApps, Flow and PowerBI. I provide Workshops for Governance & Security in Office 365 and Development of Solutions in the area of Collaboration and Teamwork based on Microsoft 365 and Azure Cloud Solutions. In his free time he tries to collect tipps and worthy experience in this blog.

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