Custom XML Parts in Word Documents
- 4 minutes to read
You can embed arbitrary XML data (called custom XML parts) in documents in DOCX and DOC format. Custom XML parts are included in the document structure but are not visible in the document. Use the Document.CustomXmlParts property to access the collection of custom XML parts in code. You can create, modify or remove custom XML parts, obtain their content and display it in a document.
Add a Custom XML Part
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| CustomXmlPartCollection.Add | Appends a new custom XML part to the collection. |
| CustomXmlPartCollection.Insert | Inserts a new custom XML part at the specified position in the collection. |
The following example shows how to insert three custom XML parts into a document:
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;
using System.Xml;
// ...
using (RichEditDocumentServer wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer())
{
Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
document.AppendText("This document contains custom XML parts.");
// Add an empty custom XML part.
ICustomXmlPart xmlItem = document.CustomXmlParts.Add();
// Populate the XML part with content.
XmlElement elem = xmlItem.CustomXmlPartDocument.CreateElement("Employees");
elem.InnerText = "Stephen Edwards";
xmlItem.CustomXmlPartDocument.AppendChild(elem);
// Use a string to specify the content for a custom XML part.
string xmlString = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
<Employees>
<FirstName>Stephen</FirstName>
<LastName>Edwards</LastName>
<Address>4726 - 11th Ave. N.E.</Address>
<City>Seattle</City>
<Region>WA</Region>
<PostalCode>98122</PostalCode>
<Country>USA</Country>
</Employees>";
document.CustomXmlParts.Insert(1, xmlString);
// Add a custom XML part from a file.
XmlDocument xmlDoc = new XmlDocument();
xmlDoc.Load("Documents\\Employees.xml");
document.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlDoc);
document.SaveDocument("Documents\\CustomXmlTestDoc.docx", DocumentFormat.OpenXml);
}
Access a Custom XML Part
The collection’s Item property uses a custom XML part’s index to obtain the corresponding item (ICustomXmlPart object) from the collection. Use the CustomXmlPartDocument property to access an XML document associated with the custom XML part obtained from the collection.
The example below shows how to retrieve employee names from a custom XML part and display them in the main document.
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;
using System.Xml;
// ...
using (RichEditDocumentServer wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer())
{
Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
// Load a document.
document.LoadDocument("Documents\\CustomXmlParts.docx");
// Access a custom XML file stored in the document.
XmlDocument xmlDoc = document.CustomXmlParts[0].CustomXmlPartDocument;
// Retrieve employee names from the XML file and display them in the document.
XmlNodeList nameList = xmlDoc.GetElementsByTagName("Name");
document.AppendText("Employee list:");
foreach (XmlNode name in nameList)
{
document.AppendText("\r\n \u00B7 " + name.InnerText);
}
}
Remove a Custom XML Part
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| CustomXmlPartCollection.Remove | Removes a specific custom XML part from the collection. |
| CustomXmlPartCollection.RemoveAt | Removes a custom XML part at the specified index from the collection. |
| CustomXmlPartCollection.Clear | Clears the entire collection. |
using (RichEditDocumentServer wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer())
{
Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
document.AppendText("This document contains custom XML parts.");
// Add the first custom XML part.
string xmlString1 = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
<Employees>
<FirstName>Stephen</FirstName>
<LastName>Edwards</LastName>
</Employees>";
var xmlItem1 = document.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlString1);
// Add the second custom XML part.
string xmlString2 = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
<Employees>
<FirstName>Andrew</FirstName>
<LastName>Fuller</LastName>
</Employees>";
var xmlItem2 = document.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlString2);
// Remove the first item from the collection.
document.CustomXmlParts.Remove(xmlItem1);
// Use the RemoveAt method to remove an item at the specified position from the collection.
// document.CustomXmlParts.RemoveAt(0);
// Use the Clear method to remove all items from the collection.
// document.CustomXmlParts.Clear();
}