Working with paragraphs

Article
11/15/2023

This topic discusses the Open XML SDK Paragraph class and how it relates to the Open XML File Format WordprocessingML schema.

Paragraphs in WordprocessingML

The following text from the ISO/IEC 29500 specification introduces the Open XML WordprocessingML element used to represent a paragraph in a WordprocessingML document.

The most basic unit of block-level content within a WordprocessingML document, paragraphs are stored using the <p> element. A paragraph defines a distinct division of content that begins on a new line. A paragraph can contain three pieces of information: optional paragraph properties, inline content (typically runs), and a set of optional revision IDs used to compare the content of two documents.

A paragraph's properties are specified via the <pPr>element. Some examples of paragraph properties are alignment, border, hyphenation override, indentation, line spacing, shading, text direction, and widow/orphan control.

The following table lists the most common Open XML SDK classes used when working with paragraphs.

WordprocessingML element	Open XML SDK Class
p	Paragraph
pPr	ParagraphProperties
r	Run
t	Text

Paragraph Class

The Open XML SDK Paragraph class represents the paragraph (<p>) element defined in the Open XML File Format schema for WordprocessingML documents as discussed above. Use the Paragraph object to manipulate individual <p> elements in a WordprocessingML document.

ParagraphProperties Class

In WordprocessingML, a paragraph's properties are specified via the paragraph properties (<pPr>) element. Some examples of paragraph properties are alignment, border, hyphenation override, indentation, line spacing, shading, text direction, and widow/orphan control. The OXML SDK ParagraphProperties class represents the <pPr> element.

Run Class

Paragraphs in a word-processing document most often contain text. In the OXML File Format schema for WordprocessingML documents, the run (<r>) element is provided to demarcate a region of text. The OXML SDK Run class represents the <r> element.

Text Object

With the <r> element, the text (<t>) element is the container for the text that makes up the document content. The OXML SDK Text class represents the <t> element.

Open XML SDK Code Example

The following code instantiates an Open XML SDKParagraph object and then uses it to add text to a WordprocessingML document.

C#
Visual Basic

using DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Packaging;
using DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Wordprocessing;
using System;

WriteToWordDoc(args[0], args[1]);

static void WriteToWordDoc(string filepath, string txt)
{
    // Open a WordprocessingDocument for editing using the filepath.
    using (WordprocessingDocument wordprocessingDocument = WordprocessingDocument.Open(filepath, true))
    {
        if (wordprocessingDocument is null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(wordprocessingDocument));
        }
        // Assign a reference to the existing document body.
        MainDocumentPart mainDocumentPart = wordprocessingDocument.MainDocumentPart ?? wordprocessingDocument.AddMainDocumentPart();
        mainDocumentPart.Document ??= new Document();
        Body body = mainDocumentPart.Document.Body ?? mainDocumentPart.Document.AppendChild(new Body());

        // Add a paragraph with some text.
        Paragraph para = body.AppendChild(new Paragraph());
        Run run = para.AppendChild(new Run());
        run.AppendChild(new Text(txt));
    }
}

Imports DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Packaging
Imports DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Wordprocessing

Module MyModule

    Sub Main(args As String())
    End Sub

    Public Sub WriteToWordDoc(ByVal filepath As String, ByVal txt As String)
        ' Open a WordprocessingDocument for editing using the filepath.
        Using wordprocessingDocument As WordprocessingDocument =
            WordprocessingDocument.Open(filepath, True)
            ' Assign a reference to the existing document body.
            Dim body As Body = wordprocessingDocument.MainDocumentPart.Document.Body

            ' Add a paragraph with some text.            
            Dim para As Paragraph = body.AppendChild(New Paragraph())
            Dim run As Run = para.AppendChild(New Run())
            run.AppendChild(New Text(txt))
        End Using

    End Sub
End Module

When this code is run, the following XML is written to the WordprocessingML document referenced in the code.

    <w:p>
      <w:r>
        <w:t>String from WriteToWordDoc method.</w:t>
      </w:r>
    </w:p>