How to: Add Custom XML Parts to Documents by Using Application-Level Add-Ins

Applies to
The information in this topic applies only to the specified Visual Studio Tools for Office projects and versions of Microsoft Office. Project type Application-level projects Microsoft Office version Excel 2007 PowerPoint 2007 Word 2007 For more information, see Features Available by Application and Project Type.

You can store XML data in the following types of documents by creating a custom XML part in an application-level add-in:

• A Microsoft Office Excel workbook.

• A Microsoft Office Word document.

• A Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation.

For more information, see Custom XML Parts Overview.

To add a custom XML part to an Excel workbook

1. Add a new Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLPart object to the Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLParts collection in the workbook. The Microsoft.Office.Core.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 https://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=\"https://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 an application-level project for Excel 2007.

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 Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application.WorkbookOpen event.

To add a custom XML part to a Word document

1. Add a new Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLPart object to the Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLParts collection in the document. The Microsoft.Office.Core.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 https://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=\"https://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 an application-level project for Word 2007.

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 Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Application.DocumentOpen event.

To add a custom XML part to a PowerPoint presentation

1. Add a new Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLPart object to the Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLParts collection in the presentation. The Microsoft.Office.Core.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 Sub AddCustomXmlPartToPresentation(ByVal presentation As PowerPoint.Presentation)
       Dim xmlString As String = _
           "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>" & _
               "<employees https://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
   

   private void AddCustomXmlPartToPresentation(PowerPoint.Presentation presentation)
   {
       string xmlString =
           "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" ?>" +
           "<employees xmlns=\"https://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);
   }
   

2. Add the AddCustomXmlPartToPresentation method to the ThisAddIn class in an application-level project for PowerPoint 2007.

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.Application.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

Tasks

How to: Add Custom XML Parts to Document-Level Customizations

How to: Add Custom XML Parts to Documents Without Starting Microsoft Office

Concepts

Custom XML Parts Overview