Dear Support,
I am using the aspose word merge from ASPOSE.total control set and users have asked for a simpler way of specifying the merge fields while editing the word document templates. They would like to have a way to select the fields from a list of fields that are available instead of referencing the name.
Is this something I can do with any of the aspose control or can you suggest 3rd party or sample code I can reference?
Unfortunately, your question is not clear enough therefore we request you to please elaborate your inquiry further by providing complete details of your usecase. Do you want a pre-defined drop down list containing the names of all merge fields available for a particular template that you open in MS Word? Will you store the list of available fields for each template in an external Database etc? This will help us to understand your scenario, and we will be in a better position to address your concerns accordingly. Thanks.
Hi,
The requirement is for users to be able to open a template in word and instead of selecting to insert a generic merge field and type in the field name, to have a drop down with all available fields for the loaded template.
This drop down should be made available in word and the source would preferably be a dynamically loaded list (structure) rather than a fixed database. The reason for this is because the fields are different per template and the data is dynamically loaded via code into the merge fields using the ASPOSE classes (Aspose.Words.MailMerging - IMailMergeDataSource).
We have logged your requirement in our issue tracking system. Your ticket number is WORDSNET-17934. We will further look into the details of this requirement and will keep you updated on the status of the linked issue.
Regarding WORDSNET-17934, we have completed the work on your issue and come to a conclusion that we would not be able to implement the fix to your issue. Your issue (WORDSNET-17934) is now closed with ‘Won’t Fix’ resolution. The reasons we have to reject your request are as follows:
1 - Aspose.Words is a UI-less API basically replacing (and extending) MS Word Automation. Any MS Word GUI related features are out of its domain and we do not develop them.
2 - MS Word does provide a similar feature already
You emphasize that the source is preferably dynamic, but IMailMergeDataSource does not provide a way to retrieve a full list of fields and it is impossible to implement a drop down as mentioned. So, using the feature of MS Word is currently the only way to go.