How to: Add custom XML parts to documents by using VSTO Add-ins

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Applies to: yesVisual Studio noVisual Studio for Mac

Note

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You can store XML data in the following types of documents by creating a custom XML part in a VSTO Add-in:

To add a custom XML part to an Excel workbook

  1. Add a new CustomXMLPart object to the CustomXMLParts collection in the workbook. The CustomXMLPart contains the XML string that you want to store in the workbook.

    The following code example adds a custom XML part to a specified workbook.

    Private Sub AddCustomXmlPartToWorkbook(ByVal workbook As Excel.Workbook)
    Dim xmlString As String = _
        "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>" & _
            "<employees xmlns=""http://schemas.microsoft.com/vsto/samples"">" & _
                "<employee>" & _
                    "<name>Karina Leal</name>" & _
                    "<hireDate>1999-04-01</hireDate>" & _
                    "<title>Manager</title>" & _
                "</employee>" & _
            "</employees>"

    Dim employeeXMLPart As Office.CustomXMLPart = _
        workbook.CustomXMLParts.Add(xmlString)
End Sub

    private void AddCustomXmlPartToWorkbook(Excel.Workbook workbook)
{
    string xmlString =
        "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" ?>" +
        "<employees xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/vsto/samples\">" +
            "<employee>" +
                "<name>Karina Leal</name>" +
                "<hireDate>1999-04-01</hireDate>" +
                "<title>Manager</title>" +
            "</employee>" +
        "</employees>";

    Office.CustomXMLPart employeeXMLPart = workbook.CustomXMLParts.Add(xmlString, missing);
}

  2. Add the AddCustomXmlPartToWorkbook method to the ThisAddIn class in a VSTO Add-in project for Excel.

  3. Call the method from other code in your project. For example, to create the custom XML part when the user opens a workbook, call the method from an event handler for the WorkbookOpen event.

To add a custom XML part to a Word document

  1. Add a new CustomXMLPart object to the CustomXMLParts collection in the document. The CustomXMLPart contains the XML string that you want to store in the document.

    The following code example adds a custom XML part to a specified document.

    Private Sub AddCustomXmlPartToActiveDocument(ByVal document As Word.Document)
    Dim xmlString As String = _
        "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>" & _
            "<employees xmlns=""http://schemas.microsoft.com/vsto/samples"">" & _
                "<employee>" & _
                    "<name>Karina Leal</name>" & _
                    "<hireDate>1999-04-01</hireDate>" & _
                    "<title>Manager</title>" & _
                "</employee>" & _
            "</employees>"

    Dim employeeXMLPart As Office.CustomXMLPart = _
        document.CustomXMLParts.Add(xmlString)
End Sub

    private void AddCustomXmlPartToActiveDocument(Word.Document document)
{
    string xmlString =
        "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" ?>" +
        "<employees xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/vsto/samples\">" +
            "<employee>" +
                "<name>Karina Leal</name>" +
                "<hireDate>1999-04-01</hireDate>" +
                "<title>Manager</title>" +
            "</employee>" +
        "</employees>";

    Office.CustomXMLPart employeeXMLPart = document.CustomXMLParts.Add(xmlString, missing);
}

  2. Add the AddCustomXmlPartToDocument method to the ThisAddIn class in a VSTO Add-in project for Word.

  3. Call the method from other code in your project. For example, to create the custom XML part when the user opens a document, call the method from an event handler for the DocumentOpen event.

To add a custom XML part to a PowerPoint presentation

  1. Add a new CustomXMLPart object to the Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint._Presentation.CustomXMLParts collection in the presentation. The CustomXMLPart contains the XML string that you want to store in the presentation.

    The following code example adds a custom XML part to a specified presentation.

    private void AddCustomXmlPartToPresentation(PowerPoint.Presentation presentation)
{
    string xmlString =
        "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" ?>" +
        "<employees xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/vsto/samples\">" +
            "<employee>" +
                "<name>Karina Leal</name>" +
                "<hireDate>1999-04-01</hireDate>" +
                "<title>Manager</title>" +
            "</employee>" +
        "</employees>";

    Office.CustomXMLPart employeeXMLPart = 
        presentation.CustomXMLParts.Add(xmlString, missing);
}

    Private Sub AddCustomXmlPartToPresentation(ByVal presentation As PowerPoint.Presentation)
    Dim xmlString As String = _
        "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>" & _
            "<employees xmlns=""http://schemas.microsoft.com/vsto/samples"">" & _
                "<employee>" & _
                    "<name>Karina Leal</name>" & _
                    "<hireDate>1999-04-01</hireDate>" & _
                    "<title>Manager</title>" & _
                "</employee>" & _
            "</employees>"
    Dim employeeXMLPart As Office.CustomXMLPart = _
        presentation.CustomXMLParts.Add(xmlString)
End Sub

  2. Add the AddCustomXmlPartToPresentation method to the ThisAddIn class in a VSTO Add-in project for PowerPoint.

  3. Call the method from other code in your project. For example, to create the custom XML part when the user opens a presentation, call the method from an event handler for the Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.EApplication_Event.AfterPresentationOpen event.

Robust programming

For simplicity, this example uses an XML string that is defined as a local variable in the method. Typically, you should obtain the XML from an external source, such as a file or a database.

See also