Merging multiple docx files to one

Question

I am developing a desktop application in C#. I have coded a function to merge multiple docx files but it does not work as expected. I don't get the content exactly as how it was in the source files.

A few blank lines are added in between. The content extends to the next pages, header and footer information is lost, page margins gets changed, etc.. How can I concatenate docs as it is without and change in it.Any suggestions will be helpful.

This is my code.

    public bool CombineDocx(string[] filesToMerge, string destFilepath)
    {
        Application wordApp = null;
        Document wordDoc = null;
        object outputFile = destFilepath;
        object missing = Type.Missing;
        object pageBreak = WdBreakType.wdPageBreak;

        try
        {
            wordApp = new Application { DisplayAlerts = WdAlertLevel.wdAlertsNone, Visible = false };
            wordDoc = wordApp.Documents.Add(ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing);

            Selection selection = wordApp.Selection;

            foreach (string file in filesToMerge)
            {
                selection.InsertFile(file, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing);

                selection.InsertBreak(ref pageBreak);
            }

            wordDoc.SaveAs( ref outputFile, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, 
                ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, 
                ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, 
                ref missing, ref missing, ref missing, ref missing);

            return true;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Msg.Log(ex);
            return false;
        }
        finally
        {
            if (wordDoc != null)
            {
                wordDoc.Close();
            }

            if (wordApp != null)
            {
                wordApp.DisplayAlerts = WdAlertLevel.wdAlertsAll;
                wordApp.Quit();
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(wordApp);
            }
        }
    }

Answer 1

In my opinion it's not so easy. Therefore I'll give you some tips here. I think you need to implement the following changes to your code.

1.instead of pageBreak you need to add any of section breaks which could be the most appropriate:

object sectionBrak = WdBreakType.wdSectionBreakNextPage;
'other section break types also available

and use this new variable within your loop. As a result you get all- text, footers and headers of the source document to new one.

2.However, you will still need to read margin parameters and apply them to your new document 'manually' using additional code. Therefore you will need to open source document and check it's margins in this way:

intLM = SourceDocument.Sections(1).PageSetup.LeftMargin;
'...and similar for other margins

and next you need to apply it to new document, to appropriate section:

selection.Sections(1).PageSetup.LeftMargin = intLM;

3.Some other document section could require some other techniques.

Answer 2

You could use the Open XML SDK and the DocumentBuilder tool.

See Merge multiple word documents into one Open Xml