How to check if Run is a Field?

Aspose.Words Product Family
1

Hi,

I drafted the following method based on some C# form answer.
Please let me know if that’s correct or maybe there is a way to simplify it?

private static boolean isField(Document word, Run run) {
    try {
        for (Field field : word.getRange().getFields()) {
            Node currentNode = field.getStart();
            while (currentNode != null && !currentNode.equals(field.getEnd())) {
                if (currentNode.getNodeType() == NodeType.RUN)
                    if (currentNode.equals(run)) {
                        return true;
                    }
                currentNode = currentNode.getNextSibling();
            }

        }
    } catch (Exception ignore) {
    }
    return false;
}
2

@Mariusz_Pala

Your method for checking if a Run is part of a Field in a Word document can be improved for efficiency and clarity. The current approach involves manually traversing through each field’s nodes, which can be simplified by utilizing the properties of the Field class more effectively.

Cause

The existing method may lead to unnecessary iterations through unrelated nodes, which can impact performance, especially in documents with many fields.

Solution

Here’s a refined version of your method that optimizes the process:

private static boolean isField(Document word, Run run) {
    for (Field field : word.getRange().getFields()) {
        if (field.getStart().getParentNode().equals(run.getParentNode())) {
            Node currentNode = field.getStart();
            while (currentNode != null && !currentNode.equals(field.getEnd())) {
                if (currentNode.equals(run)) {
                    return true;
                }
                currentNode = currentNode.getNextSibling();
            }
        }
    }
    return false;
}

In this version, we first check if the Run’s parent node matches the start of the Field. This approach reduces unnecessary iterations and improves efficiency.

Next Steps

You can implement this refined method in your codebase and test it with various Word documents to ensure it behaves as expected. If you encounter any issues or have further questions, feel free to reach out for assistance.

Thank you for your attention, and I hope this helps streamline your implementation!

1 Like
3

@Mariusz_Pala Yes, the code can be used to determine whether the run is a field. Fields in MS Word documents is represented by FieldStart, FieldSeparator and FieldEnd and Run nodes between them. Content between FieldStart and FieldSeparator represents field code and content between FieldSeparator and FieldEnd represents field value. Please see our documentation for more infornation:
https://docs.aspose.com/words/java/introduction-to-fields/

4

That’s great, do I need word parameter or can I use run.getDocument() instead?

5

@Mariusz_Pala You can use run.getDocument(), it return the document object the run belongs to.