The Anchorage

Personal website of Gregory K. Maxey, Commander USN (Retired)

• Quarterdeck
• What's New
• Microsoft Word Tips
• Consulting
• Chain Locker
• Lucky Bag
• Contact
• Search

Do you have ad-blocking software enabled? While I respect your right to do so, your donations and the minimal advertisements on this site help to defray internet and other costs of providing this content. Please consider excluding this website from blocking or turning off the blocker while browsing this site.

The purpose of this Microsoft Word Tips & Microsoft Word Help page is is to offer a basic demonstration of how you can validate mapped Content Control (CC) data entries with an attached XML Schema. For additional information on mapped Content Controls see my: Repeating Data (or populating fields).

The discussion offered is basic because the field of XML and its validation methods are fairly broad and complex and I only have a basic understanding of the subject myself. Hopefully you can build on what I have presented here to meet your specific needs.

The illustration below shows a document with two content controls. The second control has been mapped to a CustomXMLPart and validated with an attached XML schema. Note the red dashed outline around the placeholder text. This indicates that the content does not meet the validation requirements of the attached schema and the condition is flagged for the user.

The content control tagged "Sex?" is mapped and validated
attached schema

Content control showing schema validation flag

User selected content control showing valid schema conditions

Any entry that does not meet the validation
conditions of the attached schema is flagged

The schema invalid flag is removed, and in this case the answer is true,
only when one of the schema conditions is met.

Unfortunately the validation that you can perform using an attached XML schema is a lot like Caspar Milquetoast (i.e., very timid). It will flag invalid data for the user, but there doesn't seem to be any way to require validation before a user can save, print, or otherwise complete the document.

So how is it done ...

You can create a document with a mapped content control validated with an attached schema by performing the following steps:

1. Create and save a new Word 2007/2010/2013/2016/2019 macro enabled document (.docm extension).
2. Insert a plain text content and assign the title and tag properties "Sex?".
3. Create a basic XML script containing a data node that will serve as the CustomXMLPart and mapping path for the content control. You can use practically any XML text editor (e.g., Notepad) for this purpose.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<ccMap xmlns="http://ValidationDemo">
  <ccElement_SexualContact></ccElement_SexualContact>
</ccMap>

Note:  My XML script is saved as D:\CCValidationDemoXML.txt

4. Create and save the schema file (an .xsd file).

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace="http://ValidationDemo"
xmlns="http://ValidationDemo"
elementFormDefault="qualified">
  <xs:element name="ccMap">
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name="ccElement_SexualContact">
          <xs:simpleType>
            <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
              <xs:enumeration value="Yes"/>
              <xs:enumeration value="No"/>
              <xs:enumeration value="yes"/>
              <xs:enumeration value="no"/>
            </xs:restriction>
          </xs:simpleType>            
        </xs:element>
        <xs:any minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" processContents="lax"></xs:any>   
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

Notes:
    1. The XSD file I used is saved on my PC as D:\CC ValidationDemoSchema.xsd
    2. The following link will introduce you to a complete W3Schools tutorial on creating XSD files: XSD Tutorial

5. Create a CustomXMLPart in the document and load the XML script.
6. Map the content control to the CustomXMLPart data node.

Notes:

     1.  The following VBA procedures can be used to perform steps 5 and 6.
    2.  Users with Word 2013 or higher can load and map the content control using the Developer>XML Mapping Pane tools.

Sub MapCC()
Dim oCC As ContentControl
Dim XPath As String
  LoadCXP
  Set oCC = ActiveDocument.SelectContentControlsByTitle("Sex?").Item(1)
  XPath = "/ns0:ccMap/ns0:ccElement_SexualContact"
  oCC.XMLMapping.SetMapping XPath
lbl_Exit:
  Exit SUb
End Sub

Sub LoadCXP()
Dim oCustXMLPart As CustomXMLPart
  ClearXMLParts 'Optional
  Set oCustXMLPart = ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Add
  'Be sure to use your own file name.
  oCustXMLPart.Load "D:\CCValidationDemoXML.txt"
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

Sub ClearXMLParts()
Dim lngIndex As Long
  For lngIndex = ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Count To 4 Step -1
    ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(lngIndex).Delete
  Next lngIndex
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

See: Installing Macros for instructions on how to set up and use the macros provided in this Microsoft Word Help & Microsoft Word Tips page.

6. Attach the schema to the document:

- For Word 2007 and 2010 users, on the Developer tab, in the XML group, select "Schema."

-For Word 2013 and higher, on the Developer tab, in the Templates Group, Select "Document Template."

-In the "Templates and Add-Ins" dialog, XML Schema tag and select "Add Schema."

-In the Add Schema dialog, select your saved schema file and click "Open."

- In the Schema Setting dialog enter an alias (e.g., CC Validation Demo) and click "OK."

-Note that schema is attached and click "OK."

- Save, close and reopen the document.

Your content control is now mapped and validated to the attached schema.

I still have a lot to learn about working with XML and associated schema. I would appreciate any feedback on this Microsoft Word Help & Tips page. Feedback to make it better or to address areas I may have missed or just plain got wrong.

That finishes it! I hope you have found this Microsoft Word Help & Tips page useful and informative. You can download a demo package containing the files used to create this page here: CC Validate Schema Demo.

This page was last updated on March 09, 2021

Website Privacy Statement

Back to top     Back to Word Tips