Microsoft Word Behaves Different when Open in App and in Browser

Question

We are using below code to get the document sections and inserting the content control tag. The First time when Get the Sections it returns both the count as same example (4) and after inserting the content control for each section then the sections from Word app returns same 4 sections but the word when we open it from browser returns only 1 Section. This is same behavior if we add new sections as well.

await Word.run(async (context) => {
        let secs = context.document.sections;
        secs.load("body");
        context.sync().then(async (resl)=>{
           console.log(secs.items.length);
           for (let i = 0; i < secs.items.length; i++) {
            const bodyObj = secs.items[i].body;
            let tag = bodyObj.contentControls.load("tag");
           await context.sync();

                      if(tag != null && tag.items.length > 0){
                         console.log(tag);
                       
                      }
                      else{

                          let getFirstSection = secs.items[i].body
                          let _insertContentControl = getFirstSection.insertContentControl();
                          _insertContentControl.tag = sectionsBackup[i].TagGUID;
                          secs.items[i].body.font.bold = true;
                          getFirstSection.load("text");
                          await  context.sync();
                      }
           }
        })
      });

    }catch(Ex){

    }

Answer 1

Hi, Harsha Vardhan Reddy
It seems like you're encountering a discrepancy between the number of sections returned by Word API and the actual number of sections visible in the document when opened in a browser. This issue might be due to how the sections are structured or rendered differently between Word application and the browser.

Here are some potential reasons and solutions to investigate: Formatting Differences:

• Check if there are any formatting differences or hidden sections in the document that might affect the count. Some formatting features might not be fully supported or rendered consistently in the browser version of Word.
  • Ensure that there are no hidden sections or collapsed headings that might be affecting the count. You can try expanding all headings and sections in the Word application to see if there are any hidden content.
  Section Content Control Tagging: - Verify that the content control tagging is applied correctly to each section. Ensure that the tag is properly assigned to each section, and there are no overlapping or conflicting tags.

     - Double-check the logic for inserting content controls and assigning tags to ensure that it's executed correctly for each section.
  
     **Synchronization Issues:**
        - Ensure that all context.sync() calls are executed properly and that the Word API operations are synchronized correctly. Any synchronization issues or delays might result in inconsistent behavior between Word application and browser rendering.
  
        **Browser Compatibility:**
           - Consider testing the document in different browsers to see if the issue persists across different browser platforms. Some browsers might have better compatibility with Word documents than others.
  
           **Document Structure:**
              - Review the document structure to ensure that it's organized properly with clear section breaks. Inconsistent section breaks or formatting might lead to unexpected behavior when rendering in different environments.
  
              **Debugging and Logging:**
                 - Add additional logging and debugging statements to track the execution flow and identify any potential issues or discrepancies during the process of inserting content controls and assigning tags.
  
                 By investigating these aspects and troubleshooting the discrepancies between Word application and browser rendering, you can hopefully resolve the issue and ensure consistent behavior across different environments. If the problem persists, consider reaching out to Microsoft support or community forums for further assistance.