How to create a document and fill it with textboxes based on x and y coords or pixels? - ms-word

Question

Im trying to create a template to print some information on a blank document based in coordinates or pixels or cm, wtv is possible.
why? I have some accounting forms which is to bad fill it manual. Im wondering if it is possible to create a function with some parameters related to the text box positions in document.
eg. txtName goes to (3,15) position in a document. It may be necessary define the size of document
If it is possible, what language you recommend?

Answer 1

Yes, it is possible.
If you use Microsoft Word to insert a text box into a blank document, then save it, and inspect the resulting docx, you'll see Word inserts the text box in 2 formats:
<mc:AlternateContent>
<mc:Choice Requires="wps">
<w:drawing>
<wp:anchor distT="0" distB="0" distL="114300" distR="114300" simplePos="0" relativeHeight="251659264" behindDoc="0" locked="0" layoutInCell="1" allowOverlap="1" wp14:anchorId="44014479" wp14:editId="7FACADD8">
<wp:simplePos x="0" y="0"/>
<wp:positionH relativeFrom="column">
<wp:align>center</wp:align>
</wp:positionH>
<wp:positionV relativeFrom="paragraph">
<wp:posOffset>0</wp:posOffset>
</wp:positionV>
<wp:extent cx="2374265" cy="1403985"/>
<wp:effectExtent l="0" t="0" r="22860" b="23495"/>
<wp:wrapTopAndBottom/>
<wp:docPr id="307" name="Text Box 2"/>
<wp:cNvGraphicFramePr>
<a:graphicFrameLocks xmlns:a="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main"/>
</wp:cNvGraphicFramePr>
<a:graphic xmlns:a="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main">
<a:graphicData uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingShape">
<wps:wsp>
<wps:cNvSpPr txBox="1">
<a:spLocks noChangeArrowheads="1"/>
</wps:cNvSpPr>
<wps:spPr bwMode="auto">
<a:xfrm>
<a:off x="0" y="0"/>
<a:ext cx="2374265" cy="1403985"/>
</a:xfrm>
<a:prstGeom prst="rect">
<a:avLst/>
</a:prstGeom>
<a:solidFill>
<a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF"/>
</a:solidFill>
<a:ln w="9525">
<a:solidFill>
<a:srgbClr val="000000"/>
</a:solidFill>
<a:miter lim="800000"/>
<a:headEnd/>
<a:tailEnd/>
</a:ln>
</wps:spPr>
<wps:txbx>
<w:txbxContent>
<w:p w:rsidR="006C2E97" w:rsidRDefault="006C2E97">
<w:proofErr w:type="gramStart"/>
<w:r>
<w:t>YOUR CONTENT GOES HERE</w:t>
</w:r>
</w:p>
</w:txbxContent>
</wps:txbx>
<wps:bodyPr rot="0" vert="horz" wrap="square" lIns="91440" tIns="45720" rIns="91440" bIns="45720" anchor="t" anchorCtr="0">
<a:spAutoFit/>
</wps:bodyPr>
</wps:wsp>
</a:graphicData>
</a:graphic>
<wp14:sizeRelH relativeFrom="margin">
<wp14:pctWidth>40000</wp14:pctWidth>
</wp14:sizeRelH>
<wp14:sizeRelV relativeFrom="margin">
<wp14:pctHeight>20000</wp14:pctHeight>
</wp14:sizeRelV>
</wp:anchor>
</w:drawing>
</mc:Choice>
<mc:Fallback>
<w:pict>
<v:shapetype id="_x0000_t202" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="202" path="m,l,21600r21600,l21600,xe">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
</v:shapetype>
<v:shape id="Text Box 2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t202" style="position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:186.95pt;height:110.55pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:400;mso-height-percent:200;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:center;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:400;mso-height-percent:200;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin;v-text-anchor:top" >
<v:textbox style="mso-fit-shape-to-text:t">
<w:txbxContent>
<w:p w:rsidR="006C2E97" w:rsidRDefault="006C2E97">
<w:r>
<w:t>YOUR CONTENT GOES HERE</w:t>
</w:r>
</w:p>
</w:txbxContent>
</v:textbox>
<w10:wrap type="topAndBottom"/>
</v:shape>
</w:pict>
</mc:Fallback>
</mc:AlternateContent>
</w:r>
You can use either the w:drawing or the w:pict syntax. I quite like w:pict with its #style
As a first step you'll want to play in Word with how the boxes are positioned - I guess you want them positioned against the page, not a paragraph.
Then its just a matter of replicating the XML in your choice of language.
You could:
unzip, manipulate, then rezip
doing the manipulation with XML aware tool
or doing the manipulation without that
or use a lib, such as:
for .NET, Microsoft's Open XML SDK
for Java, POI, docx4j
for C, libopc
etc...