BuildingBlock

BuildingBlock constructor

Initializes a new instance of this class.

public BuildingBlock(GlossaryDocument glossaryDoc)
ParameterTypeDescription
glossaryDocGlossaryDocumentThe owner document.

Remarks

When BuildingBlock is created, it belongs to the specified glossary document, but is not yet part of the glossary document and ParentNode is null.

To append BuildingBlock to a GlossaryDocument use AppendChild.

Examples

Shows how to add a custom building block to a document.

public void CreateAndInsert()
{
    // A document's glossary document stores building blocks.
    Document doc = new Document();
    GlossaryDocument glossaryDoc = new GlossaryDocument();
    doc.GlossaryDocument = glossaryDoc;

    // Create a building block, name it, and then add it to the glossary document.
    BuildingBlock block = new BuildingBlock(glossaryDoc)
    {
        Name = "Custom Block"
    };

    glossaryDoc.AppendChild(block);

    // All new building block GUIDs have the same zero value by default, and we can give them a new unique value.
    Assert.AreEqual("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", block.Guid.ToString());

    block.Guid = Guid.NewGuid();

    // The following properties categorize building blocks
    // in the menu we can access in Microsoft Word via "Insert" -> "Quick Parts" -> "Building Blocks Organizer".
    Assert.AreEqual("(Empty Category)", block.Category);
    Assert.AreEqual(BuildingBlockType.None, block.Type);
    Assert.AreEqual(BuildingBlockGallery.All, block.Gallery);
    Assert.AreEqual(BuildingBlockBehavior.Content, block.Behavior);

    // Before we can add this building block to our document, we will need to give it some contents,
    // which we will do using a document visitor. This visitor will also set a category, gallery, and behavior.
    BuildingBlockVisitor visitor = new BuildingBlockVisitor(glossaryDoc);
    // Visit start/end of the BuildingBlock.
    block.Accept(visitor);

    // We can access the block that we just made from the glossary document.
    BuildingBlock customBlock = glossaryDoc.GetBuildingBlock(BuildingBlockGallery.QuickParts,
        "My custom building blocks", "Custom Block");

    // The block itself is a section that contains the text.
    Assert.AreEqual($"Text inside {customBlock.Name}\f", customBlock.FirstSection.Body.FirstParagraph.GetText());
    Assert.AreEqual(customBlock.FirstSection, customBlock.LastSection);
    // Now, we can insert it into the document as a new section.
    doc.AppendChild(doc.ImportNode(customBlock.FirstSection, true));

    // We can also find it in Microsoft Word's Building Blocks Organizer and place it manually.
    doc.Save(ArtifactsDir + "BuildingBlocks.CreateAndInsert.dotx");
}

/// <summary>
/// Sets up a visited building block to be inserted into the document as a quick part and adds text to its contents.
/// </summary>
public class BuildingBlockVisitor : DocumentVisitor
{
    public BuildingBlockVisitor(GlossaryDocument ownerGlossaryDoc)
    {
        mBuilder = new StringBuilder();
        mGlossaryDoc = ownerGlossaryDoc;
    }

    public override VisitorAction VisitBuildingBlockStart(BuildingBlock block)
    {
        // Configure the building block as a quick part, and add properties used by Building Blocks Organizer.
        block.Behavior = BuildingBlockBehavior.Paragraph;
        block.Category = "My custom building blocks";
        block.Description =
            "Using this block in the Quick Parts section of word will place its contents at the cursor.";
        block.Gallery = BuildingBlockGallery.QuickParts;

        // Add a section with text.
        // Inserting the block into the document will append this section with its child nodes at the location.
        Section section = new Section(mGlossaryDoc);
        block.AppendChild(section);
        block.FirstSection.EnsureMinimum();

        Run run = new Run(mGlossaryDoc, "Text inside " + block.Name);
        block.FirstSection.Body.FirstParagraph.AppendChild(run);

        return VisitorAction.Continue;
    }

    public override VisitorAction VisitBuildingBlockEnd(BuildingBlock block)
    {
        mBuilder.Append("Visited " + block.Name + "\r\n");
        return VisitorAction.Continue;
    }

    private readonly StringBuilder mBuilder;
    private readonly GlossaryDocument mGlossaryDoc;
}

See Also

BuildingBlock.Behavior