As can be seen in this post of the blog’s David Morton you can convert the Word document to HTML and display in an embembed Web Browser.
using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word;
using System.IO;
namespace WordControls
{
public partial class DocBrowser : UserControl
{
private System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser webBrowser1;
delegate void ConvertDocumentDelegate(string fileName);
public DocBrowser()
{
InitializeComponent();
// Create the webBrowser control on the UserControl.
// This code was moved from the designer for cut and paste
// ease.
webBrowser1 = new System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser();
webBrowser1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
webBrowser1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 0);
webBrowser1.MinimumSize = new System.Drawing.Size(20, 20);
webBrowser1.Name = "webBrowser1";
webBrowser1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(532, 514);
webBrowser1.TabIndex = 0;
Controls.Add(webBrowser1);
// set up an event handler to delete our temp file when we're done with it.
webBrowser1.DocumentCompleted += webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted;
}
string tempFileName = null;
public void LoadDocument(string fileName)
{
// Call ConvertDocument asynchronously.
ConvertDocumentDelegate del = new ConvertDocumentDelegate(ConvertDocument);
// Call DocumentConversionComplete when the method has completed.
del.BeginInvoke(fileName, DocumentConversionComplete, null);
}
void ConvertDocument(string fileName)
{
object m = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
object oldFileName = (object)fileName;
object readOnly = (object)false;
ApplicationClass ac = null;
try
{
// First, create a new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.ApplicationClass.
ac = new ApplicationClass();
// Now we open the document.
Document doc = ac.Documents.Open(ref oldFileName, ref m, ref readOnly,
ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m,
ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m);
// Create a temp file to save the HTML file to.
tempFileName = GetTempFile("html");
// Cast these items to object. The methods we're calling
// only take object types in their method parameters.
object newFileName = (object)tempFileName;
// We will be saving this file as HTML format.
object fileType = (object)WdSaveFormat.wdFormatHTML;
// Save the file.
doc.SaveAs(ref newFileName, ref fileType,
ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m,
ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m, ref m);
}
finally
{
// Make sure we close the application class.
if (ac != null)
ac.Quit(ref readOnly, ref m, ref m);
}
}
void DocumentConversionComplete(IAsyncResult result)
{
// navigate to our temp file.
webBrowser1.Navigate(tempFileName);
}
void webBrowser1_DocumentCompleted(object sender,
WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs e)
{
if (tempFileName != string.Empty)
{
// delete the temp file we created.
File.Delete(tempFileName);
// set the tempFileName to an empty string.
tempFileName = string.Empty;
}
}
string GetTempFile(string extension)
{
// Uses the Combine, GetTempPath, ChangeExtension,
// and GetRandomFile methods of Path to
// create a temp file of the extension we're looking for.
return Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(),
Path.ChangeExtension(Path.GetRandomFileName(), extension));
}
}
}
PS.: Another option would be to use Oleautomation from the world and open the application within your application. Examples of this type can be seen in this other post
Why not display the information in a form? is much easier and the user will not have the obligation to have Office installed on the computer, what do you think?
– PauloHDSousa
I agree with @Paulohdsdare not to use Word because it limits the help to those who have Office. Create the help system using files
*.chm
.– Omni
Maybe an HTML help?
– Caputo
I do not know what is ready for Windows Forms, but probably save as RTF is able to already use without converting.
– Bacco
how I would make help system using *.chm. files and what I would call inside my form ?
– Denilson Carlos