Create Word Form Controls

The following example shows how you can create a legacy form with text, check-box, and drop-down form fields, using the GemBox.Document component.

C#
VB.NET

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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

Creating Word document with text, check-box and drop-down form fields in C# and VB.NET — Screenshot of created Word file with form fields

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`

To read more about Word document's protection and restriction, check out the Restrict Editing example.

Next steps

GemBox.Document is a .NET component that enables you to read, write, edit, convert, and print document files from your .NET applications using one simple API. How about testing it today?

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Create Word Form Controls

See also

Next steps