[RESOLVED] Preview a Word Document...

[tim8w]

I am trying to Preview Word Documents in a RichTextBox. The code works fine, with the following two exceptions.

(1) When I open the file, I get the following Error Message Dialog:

File in Use

ABCFile.doc is locked for editing

by 'Username'

Click 'Notify to open a read-only copy of the document and
receive notification when the document is no longer in use.

The only one using this document is my program!

(2) Even though I have set appWord.Visible = false, Word still shows up.

C# Code:
Word.ApplicationClass appWord;
Word.Document docWord;
Object filename = path;

Object ConfirmConversions = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object ReadOnly = true;
Object AddToRecentFiles = false;
Object PasswordDocument = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object PasswordTemplate = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Revert = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object WritePasswordDocument = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object WritePasswordTemplate = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Format = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Encoding = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Visible = false;

Object saveChanges = false;
Object originalFormat = null;
Object routeDoc = null;

appWord = new Word.ApplicationClass();
appWord.Visible = false;
docWord = appWord.Documents.Open(ref filename, ref ConfirmConversions, ref ReadOnly,
ref AddToRecentFiles, ref PasswordDocument, ref PasswordTemplate,
ref Revert, ref WritePasswordDocument, ref WritePasswordTemplate,
ref Format, ref Encoding, ref Visible);
docWord.ActiveWindow.Selection.WholeStory();
docWord.ActiveWindow.Selection.Copy();
IDataObject data = Clipboard.GetDataObject();
_RichTextBox.Rtf = data.GetData(DataFormats.Rtf).ToString();
docWord.ActiveWindow.Close(ref saveChanges, ref routeDoc);
appWord.Quit(ref saveChanges, ref originalFormat, ref routeDoc);

[poochi]

You are not releasing the COM components properly. So, the word application won't quit when you say so (appWord.Quit() won't work).

Follow these rules

1. Declare a variable exclusively when you try to use a COM object in your code.

Ex:

docWord = appWord.Documents.Open(...) // Wrong


// Right
WordDocuments(?) docs = appWord.Documents;
docWord = docs.Open(...);

2. Release the child object first before releasing the parent. If you don't release the child, the parent will survive for atleast 2 GC cycle (It will wait for the child to be released by GC). Ex: Release the "docWord" first before releasing the "docs".

3. Use Marshal.ReleaseComObject() method to release the COM references.

If you do it correctly, you won't see Word instance running in your task manager (process tab).

[davidc2p]

1) if your automation cancels or if you don't close the word document (it seems you close it before quiting wordapp) after running your application then the word file stays locked. You should check and clean your processes from WINDOWS.EXE when your application fails to complete.

[tim8w]

Got it to work doing the following:

Word._Application appWord = null;
Word._Document docWord = null;

Object filename = path;
Object ConfirmConversions = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object ReadOnly = true;
Object AddToRecentFiles = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object PasswordDocument = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object PasswordTemplate = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Revert = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object WritePasswordDocument = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object WritePasswordTemplate = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Format = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Encoding = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Visible = false;

Object saveChanges = false;
Object originalFormat = null;
Object routeDoc = null;

appWord = new Word.Application();
appWord.Visible = false;
docWord = appWord.Documents.Open(ref filename, ref ConfirmConversions, ref ReadOnly,
ref AddToRecentFiles, ref PasswordDocument, ref PasswordTemplate,
ref Revert, ref WritePasswordDocument, ref WritePasswordTemplate,
ref Format, ref Encoding, ref Visible);
docWord.ActiveWindow.Selection.WholeStory();
docWord.ActiveWindow.Selection.Copy();
IDataObject data = Clipboard.GetDataObject();
_RichTextBox.Rtf = data.GetData(DataFormats.Rtf).ToString();
appWord.Documents.Close(ref saveChanges, ref originalFormat, ref routeDoc);
appWord.Quit(ref saveChanges, ref originalFormat, ref routeDoc);


Even though I have appWord.Visible set to 'false' it pops up when I Close docWord. Any ideas?

[tim8w]

Here's the final code...

Word._Application appWord = null;
Word._Document docWord = null;

Object filename = path;
Object ConfirmConversions = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object ReadOnly = true;
Object AddToRecentFiles = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object PasswordDocument = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object PasswordTemplate = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Revert = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object WritePasswordDocument = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object WritePasswordTemplate = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Format = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Encoding = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
Object Visible = false;

Object saveChanges = false;
Object originalFormat = null;
Object routeDoc = null;

appWord = new Word.Application();
appWord.Visible = false;
docWord = appWord.Documents.Open(ref filename, ref ConfirmConversions, ref ReadOnly,
ref AddToRecentFiles, ref PasswordDocument, ref PasswordTemplate,
ref Revert, ref WritePasswordDocument, ref WritePasswordTemplate,
ref Format, ref Encoding, ref Visible);
if (docWord.ProtectionType == Word.WdProtectionType.wdNoProtection)
{
docWord.ActiveWindow.Selection.WholeStory();
docWord.ActiveWindow.Selection.Copy();
IDataObject data = Clipboard.GetDataObject();
_RichTextBox.Rtf = data.GetData(DataFormats.Rtf).ToString();
}
else
{
_RichTextBox.Rtf = "";
}
docWord.ActiveWindow.Close(ref saveChanges, ref routeDoc);
appWord.Quit(ref saveChanges, ref originalFormat, ref routeDoc);