Can I add content controls in Word without any add-inn ?

[sanjeevbbsr]

I am trying to add content controls which should be bound to a custom xml, so that I can generate word doc, by using docx4j. After looking at various posts, it seems, some add-inns are needed to be installed for that. I was wondering, if by any chance that could be possible without any of these add-inns ?

[jason]

Using an add-in is the easiest way to add a content control with a databinding.

You can add a content control via the Word UI, Developer menu (you have to enable that menu in Options). But the UI iirc doesn't provide a way to add the data binding property. You might be able to do that via VBA within Word 2010/2013, or the Office web app

Alternatively, you can certainly add either the databinding element, or it and the content control, using docx4j.

Are you just trying to avoid installing an AddIn on end user PCs?

[sanjeevbbsr]

My requirement is that the non technical people such as Business Analysts should be able to create the template by opening the Word in the UI. Today also I installed the authoring tool aimed at less technical users. Though it was successfully installed, I am not able to make out how to use that. So my goal is that the BA should be able to define the template in Word.

I certainly do not want to install the .NET 4 full framework, and thus the advanced authoring tool. So if you have any reference of how to use the authoring tool aimed at less technical users, that might help.

And as you said, we could add the data binding element, please provide some reference how we would do that. We may able to build an API, allowing the BAs to define the fields and then inject them to Word and confirm.