Exporting DataGrid to Word

Question

I am wanting to export a datagridview to word.  I am using Visual Studio 2010 Visual Basic.  I am just wondering if there is some basic code to reference Word and start using it to create a table and input the data.

Answer 1

you want to input a Table or just the information to a word document? What i've posted before mentioned in regards to creating word files was the fact that they are actually archived using the DEFLATE method; a series of mostly XML files packed into an archive using the common .zip compression method. Only with a file extension of perhaps .docx (for latest versions of word).

So if you wanted i'm sure it's possible to use an XML Writer and write out the format of what it looks like to have a Table layout in word, and try to recreate that by packing the data into an XML file before archiving it using the .zip (Base64) DEFLATE compression method.

Edit: The actual document is placed in the word directory of the archive inside the document.xml file. However from the looks of it (keep in mind I haven't strictly analyzed everything to do with word documents I just have the basic idea on how they are integrated with MS word) It looks like there's config xml's on the side that define the particular styling as well for the table. From some time spent as an investigator though i'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to figure out however.

I've taken a screenshot to show you the contents of a .docx (Testing.docx) MS Office Word 2010 file.

Cheers

~Ace

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Answer 2

Hello,

There is a good example of creating and populating a MS-Word table using Open XML as follows (shows how to do tables but is not a drop in section of code to simply use). Before running the project note the path and file name it uses i.e.

Const fileName As String = "C:\temp\AddTable.docx"

If the folder does not exists then either create it or redirect to another folder. If you run the project and get an error (which it will) that does not exactly describe the problem on the following line

Using document = WordprocessingDocument.Open(fileName, True)

It is because the file does not exists. Create a blank MS-Word document and save it according the the const above. Running the project now will create a small table.

In regards to having to create a blank word document, you can use Open XML library to create a new document as needed.

Adding Tables to Word 2010 Documents by Using the Open XML SDK 2.0

If you have not used Open XML before you will need to download it from here. In short for writing code and deploying you need the second download which will install what you need. The first (larger download) download has a tool which will greatly assist with understanding Open XML.

If you decide to go in this direction that in your project add the Open XML library (a single DLL) to your project, select it under project references and select the property window, find the property Copy Local and set this to True. If you do not then the DLL will not be available when distruibuting your project to your customer.

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KSG

Answer 3

So I need to use XML to write the code to it so it then can be used to make a Word document?  What I am wanting to do is basically, when I click "Export to Word" it pulls the information from whatever query is slated to run from a drop down box, opens up Word and throws the table into Word.  However, all of my research is showing to use code that is like Dim objApp as Word.Application or something similar.

Answer 4

So I need to use XML to write the code to it so it then can be used to make a Word document?  What I am wanting to do is basically, when I click "Export to Word" it pulls the information from whatever query is slated to run from a drop down box, opens up Word and throws the table into Word.  However, all of my research is showing to use code that is like Dim objApp as Word.Application or something similar.

You can use Office automation or Open XML (my choice especially since this method is safer than using Office automation i.e. if you crash while working with Open XML nothing is left in memory where the same is the opposite with Office automation), the choice is yours but no matter which one is your choice there is no simple code to do this. The following example use Office automation, note the import statements, you need to add as a reference Microsoft.Office.Interop Word.

Create a document with text, ordered list and table w/o borders.

Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.IO
Imports Word = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word
Class Demo1
    Public Shared Sub AutomateWord()
        Dim WordApp As Word.Application = Nothing
        Dim Docs As Word.Documents = Nothing
        Dim Doc As Word.Document = Nothing
        Dim Paras As Word.Paragraphs = Nothing
        Dim Para As Word.Paragraph = Nothing
        Dim ParaRange As Word.Range = Nothing
        Dim TheFont As Word.Font = Nothing
        Dim oTable As Word.Table = Nothing
        Try
            WordApp = New Word.Application()
            WordApp.Visible = False
            Console.WriteLine("Word.Application is started")
            Docs = WordApp.Documents
            Doc = Docs.Add()
            Console.WriteLine("A new document is created")
            Console.WriteLine("Insert a paragraph")
            With WordApp.Selection
                .TypeText("Holding a suspect a gunpoint partial things to do.")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .Range.ListFormat.ApplyBulletDefault(WdDefaultListBehavior.wdWord10ListBehavior)
                .Range.ListFormat.ListOutdent()
                .TypeText("Do not Move! (Command Voice) ")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Do not touch that weapon!")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Slowly, raise your hands! (all the way up)")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Spread your fingers")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Using one hand raise their shirt")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Slowly, step away from me!")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Slowly, kneel on both knees!")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Slowly, cross your ankles!")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("Slowly, with your hands in front of you where I can see them, lower yourself to the ground…face down, arms out to your sides with the palms up, thumbs to feet…turn your face away from me!")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .TypeText("I believe you are armed, Don't Move. If you move you give me reason to shoot you")
                .TypeParagraph()
                .Range.ListFormat.ApplyBulletDefault(WdDefaultListBehavior.wdWord10ListBehavior)
                .TypeText("Demo table below.")
                .TypeParagraph()
            End With
            Console.WriteLine("Creating table")
            Dim Row As Integer, Column As Integer
            oTable = Doc.Tables.Add(Doc.Bookmarks.Item("\endofdoc").Range, 3, 5)
            oTable.Range.ParagraphFormat.SpaceAfter = 6
            For Row = 1 To 3
                For Column = 1 To 5
                    oTable.Cell(Row, Column).Range.Text = "r" & Row & "c" & Column
                Next
            Next
            oTable.Rows.Item(1).Range.Font.Bold = True
            oTable.Rows.Item(1).Range.Font.Italic = True
            Console.WriteLine("Save and close the document")
            Dim fileName As String = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) & "\Sample1.docx"
            Doc.SaveAs(fileName, Word.WdSaveFormat.wdFormatXMLDocument)
            Doc.Close()
            Console.WriteLine("Quit the Word application")
            Console.WriteLine("File: [{0}]", fileName)
            WordApp.Quit(False)
        Finally
            If Not oTable Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(oTable)
                oTable = Nothing
            End If
            If Not TheFont Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(TheFont)
                TheFont = Nothing
            End If
            If Not ParaRange Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(ParaRange)
                ParaRange = Nothing
            End If
            If Not Para Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(Para)
                Para = Nothing
            End If
            If Not Paras Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(Paras)
                Paras = Nothing
            End If
            If Not Doc Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(Doc)
                Doc = Nothing
            End If
            If Not Docs Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(Docs)
                Docs = Nothing
            End If
            If Not WordApp Is Nothing Then
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(WordApp)
                WordApp = Nothing
            End If
        End Try
        Console.WriteLine("press a key to terminate...")
    End Sub
End Class

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KSG

Answer 5

Hi Shadow,
Welcome to the MSDN forum.
If you want to use code to reach your goals, my solution is saving all data in DataGridView to a DataTable, open an existence Word document and save it as a new Table. Here is a sample code, Please make sure add the Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word reference at first.

Imports System.Data.OleDb
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word

Public Class Form1
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
     'add your data into datagridview       
 Dim datatabl As New System.Data.DataTable
        datatabl = DataGridView1.DataSource

        Dim oWord = New Word.Application With {.Visible = True}
        Dim oDocs As Word.Document = oWord.Documents.Open("D:\sample.docx")
        Dim otable As Word.Table
        otable = oDocs.Tables.Add(oDocs.Bookmarks.Item("\endofdoc").Range, datatabl.Rows.Count + 1, datatabl.Columns.Count)
        For c = 0 To datatabl.Columns.Count - 1
            otable.Cell(1, c + 1).Range.Text = datatabl.Columns(c).ToString
        Next

        For r = 0 To datatabl.Rows.Count - 1
            For c = 0 To datatabl.Columns.Count - 1
                otable.Cell(r + 2, c + 1).Range.Text = datatabl.Rows(r).Item(c).ToString
            Next
        Next
        otable.Borders.InsideLineStyle = Word.WdLineStyle.wdLineStyleSingle
        otable.Borders.OutsideLineStyle = Word.WdLineStyle.wdLineStyleSingle
        oDocs.Close(SaveChanges:=True)
        oDocs = Nothing
        oWord.Quit()
        oWord = Nothing
        GC.Collect()
        GC.WaitForFullGCComplete()
    End Sub
End Class

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to let me know.

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Mark Liu-lxf [MSFT]
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