Aspose.Words Word Processor for .NET

Aspose.Words Word Processor for .NET empowers developers to create, load, modify, and save Microsoft Word documents in all major formats, including DOC, DOCX, RTF, DOT, DOTX, DOTM, DOCM, FlatOPC, and WordML. Built on the powerful Aspose.Words engine, this plugin delivers comprehensive document-processing capabilities—covering editing, formatting, mail merge, reporting, and conversion—without requiring Microsoft Word or COM automation.

Installation and Setup

  1. Install the Aspose.Words for .NET NuGet package.
  2. Configure Metered Licensing at application startup.
  3. Reference Aspose.Words.dll in your project.

For detailed environment compatibility and setup instructions, see the Installation Guide .

Key Features

Document Creation & Loading

  • Create blank Word documents or load existing files across all supported formats.
  • Automatically detect file format on load.
  • Open legacy documents, password-protected files, and apply load settings for compatibility.

Rich DOM-Based Editing

  • Access the full document object model (DOM): Sections, Paragraphs, Runs, Tables, Bookmarks, Comments, Fields, and Custom XML.
  • Insert, update, or delete nodes programmatically with schema compliance ensured.

Styles, Formatting & Themes

  • Apply or define paragraph, character, and table styles.
  • Manage themes and lists for consistent branding.
  • Control inline formatting: fonts, colors, spacing, and indents.

Headers, Footers & Page Setup

  • Insert headers/footers, watermarks, and page numbering.
  • Adjust page orientation, margins, and section-specific settings.

Tables, Lists & Objects

  • Create complex tables with auto-fit/fixed layouts, borders, and shading.
  • Insert lists (bulleted, numbered, multilevel).
  • Work with floating shapes, text boxes, and images with flexible positioning.

Mail Merge & Reporting

  • Execute Mail Merge with ADO.NET-compatible sources (DataTables, DataSets, custom objects).
  • Support for merge regions, nested regions, and conditional logic.
  • LINQ-style filters for dynamic report generation.

Document Protection & Metadata

  • Apply protection modes (read-only, form filling, comments-only).
  • Manage built-in and custom document properties (author, title, keywords, tags).

Conversion & Export

  • Save documents to DOCX, DOC, RTF, HTML, PDF, FlatOPC, and more.
  • Control output options such as compression, encryption, and compatibility modes.
  • Batch conversion support for high-volume scenarios.

Example: Edit a Word Document in C# 

using Aspose.Words;

// Load an existing DOCX
var doc = new Document("input.docx");
var builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);

// Add new content
builder.MoveToDocumentEnd();
builder.Writeln("Produced by Aspose.Words Word Processor plugin.");

// Save as DOCX
doc.Save("output.docx");

Example: Insert a Chart 

var doc = new Document();
var builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);

// Insert chart
var shape = builder.InsertChart(ChartType.Pie, 432, 252);
var chart = shape.Chart;
chart.Title.Text = "Quarterly Sales";

// Customize chart series
chart.Series.Clear();
chart.Series.Add("Series 1",
    new[] { "Category 1", "Category 2", "Category 3" },
    new[] { 2.7, 3.2, 0.8 });

// Save
doc.Save("ChartDemo.docx");

Example: Create a Bookmark 

var doc = new Document();
var builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);

builder.StartBookmark("Bookmark");
builder.Write("Produced by Aspose.Words Processor plugin.");
builder.EndBookmark("Bookmark");

doc.Save("Bookmarked.docx");

Tips and Best Practices

  • Use stream-based loading and saving for large documents.
  • Reuse styles and themes to maintain consistent branding.
  • Dispose of Document objects promptly (wrap in using) for memory efficiency.
  • Catch UnsupportedFileFormatException for invalid input handling.
  • Pre-format templates to minimize post-processing when using Mail Merge.
  • Profile document operations for performance in batch workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What formats can I process? A: DOC, DOCX, RTF, DOT, DOTX, DOTM, DOCM, FlatOPC, FlatOpcMacroEnabled, FlatOpcTemplate, FlatOpcTemplateMacroEnabled, and WordML.

Q: Does this require Microsoft Word? A: No, Aspose.Words runs independently of Microsoft Word or Office interop.

Q: Can I automate Mail Merge in bulk? A: Yes, you can merge thousands of records against templates with minimal memory footprint.

Q: Is formatting preserved when saving across formats? A: Yes, Aspose.Words maintains high fidelity when converting between Word, PDF, HTML, and other supported formats.