Word Office.js: issues with updating tables in ContentControls using getOoxml() and insertOoxml()

Question

I am trying to update the text in Word table cells (that are within Content Controls [CCs]). I have been doing this successfully using the Table Objects; however it is too slow for customers with large documents with many tables. So, I want to be able to use getOoxml and insertOoxml to update the table cell values (hopefully much more quickly, although I see it may be very slow in Word Online). So I would use getOoxml to get the table Ooxml within the CCs, then modify the xml programmatically, then insertOoxml back into the CCs.

I am able to get the Ooxml successfully, and programmatically modify the table Ooxml successfully using C# OpenXMLPowerTools. However, I have not been able to insertOoxml back into the CCs successfully.

If the CC was added around a selected table, then when the code runs, it always fails with "InvalidArgument". Note that when it is done this way, there is no line break above or below the table in the CC (the CC fits the table). This is how most of my customer's tables are.

If the table was added inside a CC (results in unwanted line breaks above/below the table), then the code runs, but results in adding an extra CC and a line break. So, every time the code runs the CC count increases by 1. The CCs appear to be nested inside each other. The extra CCs are not acceptable because they mess up subsequent code. It also adds an additional line break each time the code is run.

I've tried contentControls.items[0].clear(). - this removes text, but not tables or CCs, so it does not help.

Here is simplified code in Script Lab:

$("#getooxml").click(getooxml);
function getooxml() {
Word.run(function (context) {
    var contentControls = context.document.contentControls;
    context.load(contentControls);
    return context.sync().then(function () {
        var ooxml = contentControls.items[0].getOoxml(); //contains a table
        return context.sync().then(function () {
            contentControls.items[0].insertOoxml(ooxml.value, Word.InsertLocation.replace);
            return context.sync().then(function () {
                console.log('inserted OOXM.  CC count:' + contentControls.items.length);
            });
        });
    });
})
    .catch(function (error) {
        console.log('Error: ' + JSON.stringify(error));
        if (error instanceof OfficeExtension.Error) {
            console.log('Debug info: ' + JSON.stringify(error.debugInfo));
        }
    });
}

Are there any potential ways to make it work? For example, Is there a way I can modify the Ooxml to make it work? I suspect the reason it adds CCs is because the getOoxml() includes the parent CC itself and when inserted inside the parent CC, it adds the CC (and any nested CCs). If so, how can I remove the parent CC from the Ooxml?

I have Version 1704 (Build 8067.2115)

There is a post here indicating the added paragraph issue will be fixed next month: `context.document.body.insertOoxml` breaks documents, crashes word It also indicates there's an error where the "replace" option doesn't actually replace (but I don't think that's the case)

Answer 1

The replace option with table content controls (cc wrapping only the table) might have a bug here, thanks for reporting this. will investigate and report back.

That said, I strongly recommend you to use the Table OM for this, OOXML should really be used to interact with objects who are not yet exposed in the API. The issue with OOXML while powerful is really slow, as you mentioned, in Word Online. I really doubt you will get better performance than if you use the Table OM.

It would be awesome to see the document where you see a perf degradation as well as the code you are using to change the table cells, this should be quite fast. thanks!

Answer 2

This is by design, because for the content control on a table, the content control's start tag is INSIDE the first cell and the end tag is INSIDE the last cell. Therefore, the range from the start tag to the end tag is not the whole table.

Ooxml's getting and setting functions are also slower when you compare them with text getting/setting functions. Therefore, I suggest you do this way:

Since you may have many tables, you can add a content control on the table you are working on, and give a tag to this content control. This content control can be on the whole table or simply just in a cell.

Then you can use the content control to grab the table directly. After that, you can manipulate the table's text.

The code could be something like this:

Word.run(function (context) {
    var contentControl = context.document.contentControls.getByTag("forMyTable").getFirst();
    var table = contentControl.tables.getFirst();
    context.load(table);
    return context.sync().then(function () {
        var values = table.values;
        // add some text to the second cell in the second row.
        table.getCell(1, 1).value = values[1][1] + " extra";
        return context.sync().then(function () {
            console.log("inserted values.");
        });
    });
}).catch(function (error) {
    console.log('Error: ' + JSON.stringify(error));
    if (error instanceof OfficeExtension.Error) {
        console.log('Debug info: ' + JSON.stringify(error.debugInfo));
    }
});

Answer 3

InsertOoxml is probably quicker, but it is slower in Word Online.

Since you already have a table, and your scenario is to add value to every cell, I suggest you to use table.addRows method. That is:

1. Delete all rows except the first row using table.deleteRows(1, rowCount).
2. Add back these rows using table.addRows("end", rowCount, values), where values is a 2-D string array.

Try it and see whether it is faster than manipulating cell by cell. Thanks!