Extracting field values from a Word Document using openxml SDK

Question

I am trying to extract form fields from a word document. The word document uses some textboxes and checkboxes to create a type of form. I want to programmatically be able to extract the values in the controls using C#. I thought that OpenXML may be able to allow that, but I haven't been able to figure it out.

Here is a screenshot of a sample form in a MS Word document:

Answer 1

Use the DocumentFormat.OpenXml Nuget package;

Sample Code:

using (var doc = WordprocessingDocument.Open("OpenXMLTest.docx", false))
{
    Console.WriteLine("Title = " + doc.ExtendedFilePropertiesPart.Properties.TitlesOfParts.InnerText);
    Console.WriteLine("Subject = " + doc.PackageProperties.Subject);
    {
        foreach (var control in doc.ContentControls())
        {
            Console.WriteLine( control.Title + "==>" + control.Value);
        }
    }
}

and included extension:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using DocumentFormat.OpenXml;
using DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Packaging;
using DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Wordprocessing;

public static class ContentControlExtensions
{

    public static IEnumerable<ContentControl> ContentControls(this OpenXmlPart part)
    {
        var results = new List<ContentControl>();

        IEnumerable<OpenXmlElement> parents = part.RootElement
            .Descendants()
             .Where(e => e is SdtProperties)
             .Select(p => p.Parent);

        foreach(var parent in parents)
        {
            ParseContentControl(results, parent);

        }

        return results;
    }

    private static void ParseContentControl(List<ContentControl> results, OpenXmlElement parent)
    {
        var sdtAlias = parent.ChildElements.Where(p => p is SdtProperties).FirstOrDefault()
                .ChildElements.Where(c => c is SdtAlias).FirstOrDefault();

        if (sdtAlias != null)
        {
            string value = string.Empty;
            var name = ((SdtAlias)sdtAlias).Val;

            var sdtContentCell = parent.ChildElements.Where(p => p is SdtContentCell).FirstOrDefault();

            if (sdtContentCell != null)
            {
                value = sdtContentCell.InnerText;
                if (value == "Click or tap here to enter text.")
                {
                    value = null;
                }
            }

            var sdtid = parent.ChildElements.Where(p => p is SdtProperties).FirstOrDefault()
                .ChildElements.Where(c => c is SdtId).FirstOrDefault();
            var id = ((SdtId)sdtid).Val;


            var sdtTag = parent.ChildElements.Where(p => p is SdtProperties).FirstOrDefault()
                    .ChildElements.Where(c => c is Tag).FirstOrDefault();
            var tag = ((Tag)sdtTag).Val;

            results.Add(new ContentControl() { Title = name, Value = value, id = id, Tag = tag });
        }
    }

    public static IEnumerable<ContentControl> ContentControls(
    this WordprocessingDocument doc)
    {
        foreach (var cc in doc.MainDocumentPart.ContentControls())
            yield return cc;
        foreach (var header in doc.MainDocumentPart.HeaderParts)
            foreach (var cc in header.ContentControls())
                yield return cc;
        foreach (var footer in doc.MainDocumentPart.FooterParts)
            foreach (var cc in footer.ContentControls())
                yield return cc;
        if (doc.MainDocumentPart.FootnotesPart != null)
            foreach (var cc in doc.MainDocumentPart.FootnotesPart.ContentControls())
                yield return cc;
        if (doc.MainDocumentPart.EndnotesPart != null)
            foreach (var cc in doc.MainDocumentPart.EndnotesPart.ContentControls())
                yield return cc;
    }

    public class ContentControl
    {
        public string Title {get; set; }
        public string Value { get; set; }
        public string Tag { get; set; }
        public string id { get; set; }

    }
}