---
title: "Read Microsoft Word Document File by using C#"
description: "Read Microsoft Word Document File by using C#This is an efficient way through which we can read Microsoft Word Document file (or .docx extension fil"
author: "Anonymous User"
published: 2011-08-29
updated: 2020-07-19
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/629/read-microsoft-word-document-file-by-using-c-sharp
category: "c#"
tags: ["c#"]
reading_time: 3 minutes
---
# Read Microsoft Word Document File by using C#
## Read Microsoft Word Document File by using C#
This is an efficient way through which we can read Microsoft Word Document file (or .docx extension file) by using C#.Net code.
Here I am making a window form application to read the text of MS-Word file (Not image) and showing the ms-word text into windows form richtextbox control.
Let’s see the brief [demonstration of reading](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/996/select-all-checkbox-from-header-checkbox) text from an ms-word file in c#.
**Step 1:** To read MS-Word file write the following code on reading Button click event.
```
/// ///This method read the document and writes into richtextbox control /// private voidbtn_Read_Click(objectsender, EventArgse) { // call the method to read ms-word document ReadMsWord(); }/// /// Read ms-word file /// public voidReadMsWord() { // variable to store file path string filePath=null; // open dialog box to select file OpenFileDialog file= new OpenFileDialog(); // dilog box title name file.Title="Word File"; // set initial directory of computer system file.InitialDirectory= "c:\\"; // set restore directory file.RestoreDirectory= true; // execute if block when dialog result box click ok button if (file.ShowDialog() ==DialogResult.OK) { // store selected file path filePath=file.FileName.ToString(); } try { // create word application Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Applicationword=new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.ApplicationClass(); // create object of missing value object miss= System.Reflection.Missing.Value; // create object of selected file path object path=filePath; // set file path mode object readOnly= false; // open document Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Document docs=word.Documents.Open(refpath, refmiss, refreadOnly, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss,refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss, refmiss); // select whole data from active window document docs.ActiveWindow.Selection.WholeStory(); // handover the data to cllipboard docs.ActiveWindow.Selection.Copy(); // clipboard create reference of idataobject interface which transfer the data IDataObject data= Clipboard.GetDataObject(); //set data into richtextbox control in text format richTextBox2.Text=data.GetData(DataFormats.Text).ToString(); // read bitmap image from clipboard with help of iddataobject interface Image img= (Image)data.GetData(DataFormats.Bitmap); // close the document docs.Close(refmiss, refmiss, refmiss); } catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString()); } }
```
**Step 2:** After writing the above code debug the program and click on the Read button
When you click on the Read button then a file dialog box will appear to select an ms-word file, after select a file then press the Open button.
After clicked the open button the following output will appear as follows.
\
---
Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/629/read-microsoft-word-document-file-by-using-c-sharp
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