CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#ms-wordstylesinterop
user2735420
user2735420

Reputation: 106

Cannot set Word Style's Base Style From C#

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word version 14.0.0.0. .NET 4.0 VS 2010.

The MS Word API's Style class has a BaseStyle property that can be used to set the style's base (based on) style. That property works fine for me in VBA.

However from C# using Word interopt there is no BaseStyle property. However, there are two (undocumented as far as I can tell) functions set_BaseStyle() and get_BaseStyle().

When I call set_BaseStyle() I get a COMException with the message:

"This command is not available."

I think this means that the COM interface does not support the procedure (command). But why? Why does it appear in intellisense and compile? Is there a workaround?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1982

Answers (2)

Vadim
Vadim

Reputation: 2865

This simple example works on my machine (VS 2012, Office 2007)

        Application application = new Application {Visible = true};

        string styleName1 = "Heading 1";
        object styleNameObject1 = styleName1;

        string styleName2 = "Heading 2";
        object styleNameObject2 = styleName2;

        var document = application.Documents.Add();
        document.Select();

        application.Selection.set_Style(ref styleNameObject2);
        Style style = (Style)application.Selection.get_Style();
        Style baseStyle = style.get_BaseStyle();
        style.set_BaseStyle(ref styleNameObject1);

        application.Selection.Range.Text = "This is the title";
        application.Quit(false);

So the problem probably lies in your setup. The message is rather vague and it says word cannot do stuff, for other examples look at C# and Word2010 : DeleteAllComments throws "This command is not available." or search and replace in Word documents via .NET automation.

Is the file readonly? Does it happen with other styles or simpler files (such as my example)? Are Macros allowed in Word?

Upvotes: 3

user2735420
user2735420

Reputation: 106

I found the problem.

The sample code posted by Vadim was a big help, as it did work, and I slowly slowly converted in to my code and eventually broke it, them moved back and forth until I homed in on the problem.

However, I can't explain what I found!

I was specifying all parameters when I opened the (existing) document with Application.Documents.Open(). It turns out that if I specify false (0) for the isvisible parameter, the code fails. If I secify true (-1) it works.

Note that in either case I can make 100s of other changes to the document. For some reason I cannot change the base style if it is invisible.

strange.

Thanks for your help.

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions