Content Controls in Word Processing Documents

Dec 04, 2023
5 minutes to read

Content controls are interactive elements (text fields, drop-down lists, date pickers) that allow users to input and manage information. Content controls are often used in templates or forms to standardize document formatting and streamline data entry.

Word Processing Document API allows you to manage content controls in code. If a document contains such controls, you can print it and export to PDF. Content controls are available in the following formats:

DOCX
DOTX
DOTM
DOCM

Note

Content controls are not converted to form fields when you export a document to the PDF format.

Create Content Controls

The table below lists supported content control types and API used to create each type (if available).

Content Control	Interface	Method
Building Block Gallery	ContentControlBuildingBlockGallery	Not available
Check Box	ContentControlCheckbox	InsertCheckboxControl
Combo Box	ContentControlComboBox	InsertComboBoxControl
Date Picker	ContentControlDate	InsertDatePickerControl
Drop-Down List	ContentControlDropDownList	InsertDropDownListControl
Plain Text	ContentControlPlainText	InsertPlainTextControl
Picture	ContentControlPicture	Not available
Repeating Section	ContentControlRepeatingSection	Not available
Rich Text	ContentControlRichText	InsertRichTextControl

The code sample below generates a simple appointment form:

C#
VB.NET

csharp

using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;

using (var wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer()) {
    Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
    var contentControls = document.ContentControls;

    // Insert a form to enter a name:
    var namePosition = document.CreatePosition(document.Paragraphs[0].Range.End.ToInt() - 1);    
    var nameControl = contentControls.InsertPlainTextControl(namePosition);

    // Insert text in a content control:
    var nameTextPosition = document.CreatePosition(nameControl.Range.Start.ToInt() + 1);
    document.InsertText(nameTextPosition, "Click to enter a name");

    // Insert a drop-down list to select the appointment type:
    var listPosition = document.CreatePosition(document.Paragraphs[1].Range.End.ToInt() - 1);
    var listControl = contentControls.InsertDropDownListControl(listPosition);

    // Add items to the drop-down list:
    listControl.AddItem("First Appointment", "First Appointment");
    listControl.AddItem("Follow-Up Appointment", "Follow-Up Appointment");
    listControl.AddItem("Laboratory Results Check", "Laboratory Results Check");

    listControl.SelectedItemIndex = 1;

    // Insert a date picker to select the appointment date:
    var datePosition = document.CreatePosition(document.Paragraphs[2].Range.End.ToInt() - 1);
    var datePicker = contentControls.InsertDatePickerControl(datePosition);
    datePicker.DateFormat = "dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy";

    // Insert a checkbox:
    var checkboxControl = contentControls.InsertCheckboxControl(document.Paragraphs[3].Range.Start);
    checkboxControl.Checked = false;
}

Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit
Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native

Using wordProcessor = New RichEditDocumentServer()
    Dim document As Document = wordProcessor.Document
    Dim contentControls = document.ContentControls

    ' Insert a form to enter a name:
    Dim namePosition = document.CreatePosition(document.Paragraphs(0).Range.End.ToInt() - 1)
    Dim nameControl = contentControls.InsertPlainTextControl(namePosition)

    ' Insert text in a content control:
    Dim nameTextPosition = document.CreatePosition(nameControl.Range.Start.ToInt() + 1)
    document.InsertText(nameTextPosition, "Click to enter a name")

    ' Insert a drop-down list to select the appointment type:
    Dim listPosition = document.CreatePosition(document.Paragraphs(1).Range.End.ToInt() - 1)
    Dim listControl = contentControls.InsertDropDownListControl(listPosition)

    ' Add items to the drop-down list:
    listControl.AddItem("First Appointment", "First Appointment")
    listControl.AddItem("Follow-Up Appointment", "Follow-Up Appointment")
    listControl.AddItem("Laboratory Results Check", "Laboratory Results Check")

    listControl.SelectedItemIndex = 1

    ' Insert a date picker to select the appointment date:
    Dim datePosition = document.CreatePosition(document.Paragraphs(2).Range.End.ToInt() - 1)
    Dim datePicker = contentControls.InsertDatePickerControl(datePosition)
    datePicker.DateFormat = "dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy"

    ' Insert a checkbox:
    Dim checkboxControl = contentControls.InsertCheckboxControl(document.Paragraphs(3).Range.Start)
    checkboxControl.Checked = False
End Using

Access Content Controls

The SubDocument.ContentControls property obtains all content controls in a document. Use the ContentControlBase.ControlType property to determine the content control type.

The code sample below shows how to obtain all date pickers in a document:

C#
VB.NET

csharp

using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;

using (var wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer()) {

    Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
    var contentControls = document.ContentControls;

    var datePickers = document.ContentControls.Where(contentControl => contentControl.ControlType == ContentControlType.Date).Cast<ContentControlDate>();

    foreach (ContentControlDate datePicker in datePickers)
    {
        // your code here
    }

Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit
Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native

Using wordProcessor = New RichEditDocumentServer()

  Dim document As Document = wordProcessor.Document
  Dim contentControls = document.ContentControls

  Dim datePickers = document.ContentControls.Where(Function(contentControl) contentControl.ControlType = ContentControlType.Date).Cast(Of ContentControlDate)()

  For Each datePicker In datePickers
    ' your code here
  Next datePicker

Modify Content Controls

You can use the content control’s class members to change its parameters.

The code sample below retrieves the combo box from the first paragraph and changes its border color:

C#
VB.NET

csharp

using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;

using (var wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer()) {

    wordProcessor.LoadDocument("Content Controls.docx");
    Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
    var contentControls = document.ContentControls;
    var firstParagraph = document.Paragraphs[0];
    for (var i = 0; i < contentControls.Count; i++)
    {
        if (firstParagraph.Range.Contains(contentControls[i].Range.Start) && contentControls[i].ControlType == ContentControlType.ComboBox)
        {
            ContentControlComboBox comboBox = (ContentControlComboBox)contentControls[i];

            comboBox.Color = Color.Crimson;
            break;
        }
    }
}

Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit
Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native

Using wordProcessor = New RichEditDocumentServer()

  wordProcessor.LoadDocument("Content Controls.docx")
  Dim document As Document = wordProcessor.Document
  Dim contentControls = document.ContentControls
  Dim firstParagraph = document.Paragraphs(0)
  For i = 0 To contentControls.Count - 1
    If firstParagraph.Range.Contains(contentControls(i).Range.Start) AndAlso contentControls(i).ControlType = ContentControlType.ComboBox Then
      Dim comboBox As ContentControlComboBox = CType(contentControls(i), ContentControlComboBox)

      comboBox.Color = Color.Crimson
      Exit For
    End If
  Next i
End Using

Remove Content Controls

The ContentControlCollection.Remove method allows you to remove a specific content control. You can also specify whether to keep control’s contents when the control is removed.

The code sample below removes all plain text content controls from a document:

C#
VB.NET

csharp

using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit;
using DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native;

using (var wordProcessor = new RichEditDocumentServer()) {
    Document document = wordProcessor.Document;
    var contentControls = document.ContentControls;

    for (var i = 0; i < contentControls.Count; i++)
    {
        if (contentControls[i].ControlType == ContentControlType.PlainText)
        {
            contentControls.Remove(contentControls[i], true);
        }
    }
}

Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit
Imports DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.API.Native

Using wordProcessor = New RichEditDocumentServer()
  Dim document As Document = wordProcessor.Document
  Dim contentControls = document.ContentControls

  Dim i = 0
  Do While i < contentControls.Count
    If contentControls(i).ControlType = ContentControlType.PlainText Then
      contentControls.Remove(contentControls(i), True)
    End If
    i += 1
  Loop
End Using