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If I want to show more than one document in MS Word, I have multiple windows. Is it possible to use VSTO and create an add-in for this using .NET? I looked at the Namspace, Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word, but I could not see how to do this in .NET and C#. I am aware there are add-ins one can download or purchase. I would like to do it in VSTO.

johnny
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  • I am pretty sure that Interop and VSTO are two different things. VSTO is more aligned with making add-in's for the excel application, where interop is more of a way to directly access office documents. Depending on your ultimate goal should direct you to the right approach. Links: [Difference between Interop.Excel and Tools.Excel?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17025262/difference-between-interop-excel-and-tools-excel) and [VSTO vs. Primary Interop Assemblies, what's the difference?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10914615/vsto-vs-primary-interop-assemblies-whats-the-difference) – JohnG Jan 10 '17 at 00:20
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    @JohnG: Note that VSTO does not only apply to Excel. – Dirk Vollmar Jan 10 '17 at 08:29
  • It is unclear what you are trying to achieve. Just display multiple documents? Then where do those documents come from? It you want to display tabs like in browsers: this can't be achieved using Word. – Dirk Vollmar Jan 10 '17 at 08:30
  • @Dirk Vollmar, I realized that to late after I posted my comment. You are correct I should have said _more aligned with making add-ins for office applications_ Thank you for pointing this out. – JohnG Jan 10 '17 at 10:24

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The Word object model (nor VSTO) doesn't provide anything for displaying documents tabbed (like web browsers do).

Earlier Word versions allowed to keep documents in the single window (MDI). The Word 2013 Opening multiple documents in one window? forum states the following:

In Word XP, 2003, 2007, and 2010, when the option "Windows in Taskbar" or "Show all windows in taskbar" is checked and you open multiple documents, each document gets its own set of menus or ribbons and behaves as a completely separate window. (The technical term is Single Document Interface or SDI.)

In those versions, when that option is unchecked and you open multiple documents, there is only one set of menus or ribbons. You can tile or cascade the documents within the main Word window. (The term for this is Multiple Document Interface or MDI.) The fact that there's only one icon on the taskbar is really a side effect, but it was easier to dumb down the option name than to explain the difference between SDI and MDI.

In Word 2013, MDI no longer exists, and the option doesn't appear in the dialog.

Community
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Eugene Astafiev
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