Create Word Form Controls in C# and VB.NET
GemBox.Document supports reading, writing and editing legacy form fields.
You can find these fields in Microsoft Word under the Developer tab -> Controls group -> Legacy Forms buttons, as shown below.
There are three types of form fields, each with an associated type of form data.
The Field.FieldType values: | The Field.FormData values: |
|---|---|
FormText | FormTextData |
FormCheckBox | FormCheckBoxData |
FormDropDown | FormDropDownData |
The following example shows how you can create legacy form with text, check-box and drop-down form fields.
using GemBox.Document;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");
var document = new DocumentModel();
// Create document with labels and form fields.
document.Sections.Add(
new Section(document,
new Paragraph(document,
new Run(document, "Full name: "),
new Field(document, FieldType.FormText, null, new string('\x2002', 5))
{ FormData = { Name = "FullName" } }),
new Paragraph(document,
new Run(document, "Birth date: "),
new Field(document, FieldType.FormText, null, "dd/mm/yyyy")
{ FormData = { Name = "BirthDate" } }),
new Paragraph(document,
new Run(document, "Married: "),
new Field(document, FieldType.FormCheckBox)
{ FormData = { Name = "Married" } }),
new Paragraph(document,
new Run(document, "Gender: "),
new Field(document, FieldType.FormDropDown)
{ FormData = { Name = "Gender" } })));
// Customize form fields.
var formFieldsData = document.Content.FormFieldsData;
var fullNameFieldData = (FormTextData)formFieldsData["FullName"];
fullNameFieldData.MaximumLength = 50;
fullNameFieldData.ValueFormat = "Title case";
var birthDateFieldData = (FormTextData)formFieldsData["BirthDate"];
birthDateFieldData.TextType = FormTextType.Date;
birthDateFieldData.ValueFormat = "dd/MM/yyyy";
var marriedFieldData = (FormCheckBoxData)formFieldsData["Married"];
// Status text is shown on status bar, a bottom-right corner of Microsoft Word.
marriedFieldData.StatusText = "Check if you're married.";
// Help text is shown on field when in focus and F1 is pressed.
marriedFieldData.HelpText = "Check if you're married.";
var genderFieldData = (FormDropDownData)formFieldsData["Gender"];
// First item as a default option for non-selected value.
genderFieldData.Items.Add("<Select Gender>");
genderFieldData.Items.Add("Male");
genderFieldData.Items.Add("Female");
// Make document a form by restricting editing to filling-in form fields.
document.Protection.StartEnforcingProtection(EditingRestrictionType.FillingForms, "pass");
document.Save("Create Form.%OutputFileType%");
}
}
Imports GemBox.Document
Module Program
Sub Main()
' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")
Dim document As New DocumentModel()
' Create document with labels and form fields.
Dim fullNameField As New Field(document, FieldType.FormText, Nothing, New String(ChrW(&H2002), 5))
fullNameField.FormData.Name = "FullName"
Dim birthDateField As New Field(document, FieldType.FormText, Nothing, "dd/mm/yyyy")
birthDateField.FormData.Name = "BirthDate"
Dim marriedField As New Field(document, FieldType.FormCheckBox)
marriedField.FormData.Name = "Married"
Dim genderField As New Field(document, FieldType.FormDropDown)
genderField.FormData.Name = "Gender"
document.Sections.Add(
New Section(document,
New Paragraph(document, New Run(document, "Full name: "), fullNameField),
New Paragraph(document, New Run(document, "Birth date: "), birthDateField),
New Paragraph(document, New Run(document, "Married: "), marriedField),
New Paragraph(document, New Run(document, "Gender: "), genderField)))
' Customize form fields.
Dim formFieldsData = document.Content.FormFieldsData
Dim fullNameFieldData = DirectCast(formFieldsData("FullName"), FormTextData)
fullNameFieldData.MaximumLength = 50
fullNameFieldData.ValueFormat = "Title case"
Dim birthdateFieldData = DirectCast(formFieldsData("BirthDate"), FormTextData)
birthdateFieldData.TextType = FormTextType.Date
birthdateFieldData.ValueFormat = "dd/MM/yyyy"
Dim marriedFieldData = DirectCast(formFieldsData("Married"), FormCheckBoxData)
' Status text is shown on status bar, a bottom-right corner of Microsoft Word.
marriedFieldData.StatusText = "Check if you're married."
' Help text is shown on field when in focus and F1 is pressed.
marriedFieldData.HelpText = "Check if you're married."
Dim genderFieldData = DirectCast(formFieldsData("Gender"), FormDropDownData)
' First item as a default option for non-selected value.
genderFieldData.Items.Add("<Select Gender>")
genderFieldData.Items.Add("Male")
genderFieldData.Items.Add("Female")
' Make document a form by restricting editing to filling-in form fields.
document.Protection.StartEnforcingProtection(EditingRestrictionType.FillingForms, "pass")
document.Save("Create Form.%OutputFileType%")
End Sub
End Module
Note, the example also shows how you can restrict document editing to filling-in form. With this you allow your document's users to fill in the form, but prevent them from changing the form's structure and layout.
To read more about Word document's protection and restriction, check out the Restrict Editing example.
