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How do I use a template saved as a resource in Visual Studio 2013?

Windows Forms Application - Visual Studio 2013 Using vb.net.

I have a template that I use to produce a form. I generate it by using this code:

Dim oWord As Word.Application
Dim oDoc As Word.Document
Dim oTable As Word.Table
oWord = New Word.Application
oWord.Visible = True
oDoc = oWord.Documents.Add("C:\Users\kawilso1\Documents\WSTF489.dotx")

Everything works fine. I now find myself having to deal with our IT department moving my file locations on a more frequent basis. I have decided to add my templates as a resource within my application in hope to resolve this situation.

I add my Word template to Resources as an existing file. Now I want to use it. I use this code:
Dim oWord As Word.Application
Dim oDoc As Word.Document
Dim oTable As Word.Table
oWord = New Word.Application
oWord.Visible = True
oDoc = oWord.Documents.Add(My.Resources.WSTF489)

I get an error: Type mismatch. (Exception from HRESULT: 0X8002005 (DISP_E_TYPEMISMATCH))

I would appreciate any direction or instruction on how to solve this.
Thanks.

Rgonzo1971

HI,

I think you have to extract it on disk to open it subsequently

or maybe by referencing it

Dim oDot As Word.Document
oDot = My.Resources.WSTF489

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Regards

Karen Wilson

ASKER

That does not work.

Rgonzo1971

Sorry cannot help further

Gautham Janardhan

This will work

Dim oWord As Word.Application
        Dim oDoc As Word.Document
        Dim oTable As Word.Table
        oWord = New Word.Application
        oWord.Visible = True
        Dim bytes = My.Resources.Resource1.WSTF489
        Dim path As String

        path = "some path you have access to.dotx"

        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes(path, bytes)

        oDoc = oWord.Documents.Add(path)

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ste5an

Everything works fine. I now find myself having to deal with our IT department moving my file locations on a more frequent basis.

Why does this matter? Just use relative paths and a proper folder structure in your deployed project.

Using the resource path has a code smell: You need to deploy a new version for ever template change..

Karen Wilson

ASKER

ste5an - I'd like to package this up and send it off to other groups within the agency that don't necessarily have access to the file location due to security reasons. I feel that if I could include the template in the resources, I could eliminate this problem. Does that make sense? And I guess I don't understand "proper folder structure in your deployed project." Can you expand on that as well? I think I'm doing that, but maybe I'm not.

ste5an

First of all: "Security reasons" I know IT departments which will actively block such an approach of yours, cause it may be an attack vector.

[..]access to the file location due to security reasons[..]

How do they run your application?

Do you use any kind of installer? Or other: How do you deploy your application?

Karen Wilson

ASKER

I deploy it on our network. If I were to package it and send it on, they would use their network. But then I'd have to send all the templates and they would have to create like folders etc. on their network.

I'm also curious as to how this works in general. If I have a word template in resources, how does one access it to work?

ste5an

Normally you use an installer to pack all dependencies into one setup.msi.

Depending on the installer tool, you have different options. The main two:

- a normal user based installation. Then on each users machine this must be run. Any data files are copied by the installer to %ProgramData%. This is a known location for invariant application data. E.g. your template. The user has no write access to this location.

- a network based installation. This is a two step operation. First the network files are copied to the network location. Then on each machine the installer is run to install necessary .Net or other code dependencies. During this run, the installer writes the share name, where the network files are located to the registry. Then you program uses this entry to locate its data files.

Karen Wilson

ASKER

- a normal user based installation - I would code, "Upon installation, create a read only directory (C:\MyAppTemps) and then copy my templates that are in resources, to that folder." All my code inside the application would then be pointed to the C:\MyAppTemps folder? Then if I made a change to the template, I'd do a remove and replace in that directory.

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ste5an

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Karen Wilson

ASKER

Thanks. I will try it out and see what happens. Have a good evening!