Display a Word document in a WPF application

The following example shows how to use the GemBox.Document library to display a Word file in a WPF application by converting it to an XpsDocument and attaching to WPF's DocumentViewer control.

<Window x:Class="ExportToXpsDocument.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="Export to XpsDocument / DocumentViewer Control"
        SizeToContent="WidthAndHeight">

    <DocumentViewer x:Name="DocumentViewer"/>

</Window>

using GemBox.Document;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Xps.Packaging; // Add reference for 'ReachFramework'.

namespace ExportToXpsDocument
{
    public partial class MainWindow : Window
    {
        private XpsDocument xpsDocument;

        public MainWindow()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();

            // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
            ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

            this.SetDocumentViewer("Reading.docx");
        }

        private void SetDocumentViewer(string path)
        {
            var document = DocumentModel.Load(path);

            // XpsDocument object must stay referenced so that DocumentViewer can access its resources.
            // Otherwise, GC will collect/dispose XpsDocument and DocumentViewer will no longer work.
            this.xpsDocument = document.ConvertToXpsDocument(SaveOptions.XpsDefault);

            this.DocumentViewer.Document = this.xpsDocument.GetFixedDocumentSequence();
        }
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Document
Imports System.Windows
Imports System.Windows.Xps.Packaging ' Add reference for 'ReachFramework'.

Namespace ExportToXpsDocument
    Partial Public Class MainWindow
        Inherits Window

        Private xpsDocument As XpsDocument

        Public Sub New()

            Me.InitializeComponent()

            ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
            ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

            Me.SetDocumentViewer("Reading.docx")

        End Sub

        Private Sub SetDocumentViewer(path As String)

            Dim document = DocumentModel.Load(path)

            ' XpsDocument object must stay referenced so that DocumentViewer can access its resources.
            ' Otherwise, GC will collect/dispose XpsDocument and DocumentViewer will no longer work.
            Me.xpsDocument = document.ConvertToXpsDocument(SaveOptions.XpsDefault)

            Me.DocumentViewer.Document = Me.xpsDocument.GetFixedDocumentSequence()

        End Sub

    End Class
End Namespace

Converted Word file shown in WPF's DocumentViewer control — Screenshot of a converted Word file shown in WPF's DocumentViewer control

As an alternative, you can display a Word document in WPF by converting its pages to ImageSource objects and attaching them to WPF's Image control.

<Window x:Class="ExportToImageSource.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="Export to ImageSource / Image Control"
        SizeToContent="WidthAndHeight">

    <Border Margin="10" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1">
        <Image x:Name="ImageControl"/>
    </Border>

</Window>

using GemBox.Document;
using System.Windows;

namespace ExportToImageSource
{
    public partial class MainWindow : Window
    {
        public MainWindow()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();

            // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
            ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");
            
            this.SetImageControl("Reading.docx", 0);
        }

        private void SetImageControl(string path, int pageIndex)
        {
            var document = DocumentModel.Load(path);

            var imageOptions = new ImageSaveOptions();
            imageOptions.PageNumber = pageIndex;

            var imageSource = document.ConvertToImageSource(imageOptions);
            this.ImageControl.Source = imageSource;
        }
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Document
Imports System.Windows

Namespace ExportToImageSource
    Partial Public Class MainWindow
        Inherits Window

        Public Sub New()

            Me.InitializeComponent()

            ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
            ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

            Me.SetImageControl("Reading.docx", 0)

        End Sub

        Private Sub SetImageControl(path As String, pageIndex As Integer)

            Dim document = DocumentModel.Load(path)

            Dim imageOptions As New ImageSaveOptions()
            imageOptions.PageNumber = pageIndex

            Dim imageSource = document.ConvertToImageSource(imageOptions)
            Me.ImageControl.Source = imageSource

        End Sub

    End Class
End Namespace

Screenshot of a Word document's page shown in WPF's Image control

If you require more than displaying a file's content, for instance if you want to be able to modify it with some Graphical User Interface (GUI) control, take a look at this Word Editor in WPF example.

Display a Word document in a WPF application

See also

Next steps