Creating mail merge templates including a preview functionality
Because of the
new FieldAdapter class, MS Word compatible merge fields can be inserted
easily into a document. Using the Windows Forms version of
TX Text Control, a template designer can be easily built and deployed royalty-free.
In the shipped samples,
TX Text Control
demonstrates how to create templates by inserting the fields directly
using the ApplicationField collection. This article describes how to
create templates using the adapter fields. Additionally, it shows how
to preview the template with the real data coming from a database.
This approach follows the same logic of creating a template like the shipped 'closed source' TX Template Designer:
- Open a database
- Select a table
- Insert fields
Details:
1. First, click on Open Database... and browse for an XML database
file. A sample file comes with this project. If the XML database could
be loaded properly, the contained tables are listed in the first
combobox.
2. Select one of the listed tables. All column names will be added to the items of the second combobox.
3. The column names are used as field names of the inserted merge
fields. If an item is selected, click Add field to insert the merge
field into the document.
4. The loaded database is used to get the possible fields that can be
used in the template. Additionally, the contained data rows can be used
to preview the merged document. Click on Preview to enable the preview
functionality.
Using the arrow buttons, it is possible to navigate through the data
rows of the current table to preview all rows. You are able to use this
nice approach as your basis for your own template designer.
Download the project and sample database file here (Visual Studio 2008
and at least a TX Text Control .NET 15.0 trial version is required):
Download Sample
About
TX Text Control
TX Text Control was originally released in 1991, since then more than 40,000 copies have been sold. Starting off as a single, small DLL,
TX Text Control
has made its way through 16-bit DLL and VBX versions to today‘s
Enterprise edition with its .NET and ActiveX components. The recent
addition to the family, offers all of
TX Text Control
advanced word processing functionality in an easy-to-use server-side
.NET component. Customers benefit from these years of experience, large
user base, and at the same time, appreciate developing with a mature,
reliable product.
Contact Informations:
support@textcontrol.com
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Phone: +1 704-370-0110
Phone: +1 877-462-4772 (toll free)
Europe:
Phone: +49 421 335 910
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Phone: +886 2-2797-8508