How to create a HTML document in C# and VB.Net

Let's create a simple HTML document with two paragraphs and some formatted text, like a shown on picture:

Main steps

1. Notice you are importing the SautinSoft.Document namespace.

   using SautinSoft.Document;

2. Let's create an instance of DocumentCore with the name dc.

   
   DocumentCore dc = new DocumentCore();
   

   DocumentCore is root class, it represents a document itself.

3. Add a new Section into our document.

   
       Section section = new Section(dc);
       dc.Sections.Add(section);
   

   Section is a collection of Block elements that are grouped by a unify page properties concept and having specific headers and footers.

4. Create a new Paragraph with two Run elements (which represent our text), next add it into the section.

   
       // Way 1: Add 1st paragraph.
       Paragraph par1 = new Paragraph(dc);
       par1.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
       section.Blocks.Add(par1);
   
       // Let's create a characterformat for text in the 1st paragraph.
       CharacterFormat cf = new CharacterFormat() { FontName = "Verdana", Size = 16, FontColor = Color.Orange };
   
       Run text1 = new Run(dc, "This is a first line in 1st paragraph!");
       text1.CharacterFormat = cf;
       par1.Inlines.Add(text1);
   
       // Let's add a line break into our paragraph.
       par1.Inlines.Add(new SpecialCharacter(dc, SpecialCharacterType.LineBreak));
   
       Run text2 = text1.Clone();
       text2.Text = "Let's type a second line.";
       par1.Inlines.Add(text2);
   

   Paragraph is a Block derived element used to group Inline elements like a Run, Shape, Picture, Field etc.

   Run (Inline derived) is a container for one or more text characters having the same character formatting.

5. Add a second Paragraph with text using ContentRange class.
   The ContentRange recognizes the line feed «\n» character as a signal to create a new Paragraph.

   
       // Way 2 (easy): Add 2nd paragraph using ContentRange.
       dc.Content.End.Insert("\nThis is a first line in 2nd paragraph.", new CharacterFormat() { Size = 25, FontColor = Color.Blue, Bold = true });
       SpecialCharacter lBr = new SpecialCharacter(dc, SpecialCharacterType.LineBreak);
       dc.Content.End.Insert(lBr.Content);
       dc.Content.End.Insert("This is a second line.", new CharacterFormat() { Size = 20, FontColor = Color.DarkGreen, UnderlineStyle = UnderlineType.Single });
   

   ContentRange represents an area in document as a contiguous sequence of characters boundend by start and end positions. It allows to insert and extract data in a streaming manner in(from) desired positions.

6. We can save our document to HTML format using two options: HtmlFixedSaveOptions or HtmlFlowingSaveOptions.

   
       // Save the dc as HtmlFixed document.
       dc.Save(@"d:\Result-fixed.html", new HtmlFixedSaveOptions());
   

   or

   
               // Save the dc as HtmlFlowing document.
       dc.Save(@"d:\Result-flowing.html", new HtmlFlowingSaveOptions());
   

   Here you may find an extra info How to save a document to HTML format with options.

Complete code

• C#
• VB.Net

using SautinSoft.Document;

namespace Example
{
    class Program
    {       
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            CreateHtml();
        }
		
        /// <summary>
        /// Creates a new document and saves it into HTML format.
        /// </summary>
        /// <remarks>
        /// Details: https://www.sautinsoft.com/products/document/examples/create-html-document-net-csharp-vb.php
        /// </remarks>
        public static void CreateHtml()
        {          
            // Set a path to our HTML document.
            string htmlFixedPath = @"Result-Fixed.html";
            string htmlFlowingPath = @"Result-Flowing.html";

            // Let's create a simple HTML document.
            DocumentCore dc = new DocumentCore();

            // Add new section.
            Section section = new Section(dc);
            dc.Sections.Add(section);

            // Add two paragraphs using different ways:
            // Way 1: Add 1st paragraph.
            Paragraph par1 = new Paragraph(dc);
            par1.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
            section.Blocks.Add(par1);

            // Let's create a characterformat for text in the 1st paragraph.
            CharacterFormat cf = new CharacterFormat() { FontName = "Verdana", Size = 16, FontColor = Color.Orange };

            Run text1 = new Run(dc, "This is a first line in 1st paragraph!");
            text1.CharacterFormat = cf;
            par1.Inlines.Add(text1);

            // Let's add a line break into our paragraph.
            par1.Inlines.Add(new SpecialCharacter(dc, SpecialCharacterType.LineBreak));

            Run text2 = text1.Clone();
            text2.Text = "Let's type a second line.";
            par1.Inlines.Add(text2);

            // Way 2 (easy): Add 2nd paragraph using ContentRange.
            dc.Content.End.Insert("\nThis is a first line in 2nd paragraph.", new CharacterFormat() { Size = 25, FontColor = Color.Blue, Bold = true });
            SpecialCharacter lBr = new SpecialCharacter(dc, SpecialCharacterType.LineBreak);
            dc.Content.End.Insert(lBr.Content);
            dc.Content.End.Insert("This is a second line.", new CharacterFormat() { Size = 20, FontColor = Color.DarkGreen, UnderlineStyle = UnderlineType.Single });

            // Save HTML document as HTML-fixed format.
            dc.Save(htmlFixedPath, new HtmlFixedSaveOptions());
            // Save HTML document as HTML-flowing format.
            dc.Save(htmlFlowingPath, new HtmlFlowingSaveOptions());

            // Open the results for demonstration purposes.
            System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(htmlFixedPath) { UseShellExecute = true });
            System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(htmlFlowingPath) { UseShellExecute = true });
        }
    }
}

        
            Imports SautinSoft.Document

Module Sample
    Sub Main()
        CreateHtml()
    End Sub

    ''' <summary>
    ''' Creates a new document and saves it into HTML format.
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <remarks>
    ''' Details: https://www.sautinsoft.com/products/document/examples/create-html-document-net-csharp-vb.php
    ''' </remarks>
    Sub CreateHtml()
        ' Set a path to our HTML document.
        Dim htmlFixedPath As String = "Result-Fixed.html"
        Dim htmlFlowingPath As String = "Result-Flowing.html"

        ' Let's create a simple HTML document.
        Dim dc As New DocumentCore()

        ' Add new section.
        Dim section As New Section(dc)
        dc.Sections.Add(section)

        ' Add two paragraphs using different ways:
        ' Way 1: Add 1st paragraph.
        Dim par1 As New Paragraph(dc)
        par1.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center
        section.Blocks.Add(par1)

        ' Let's create a characterformat for text in the 1st paragraph.
        Dim cf As New CharacterFormat() With {
            .FontName = "Verdana",
            .Size = 16,
            .FontColor = Color.Orange
        }

        Dim text1 As New Run(dc, "This is a first line in 1st paragraph!")
        text1.CharacterFormat = cf
        par1.Inlines.Add(text1)

        ' Let's add a line break into our paragraph.
        par1.Inlines.Add(New SpecialCharacter(dc, SpecialCharacterType.LineBreak))

        Dim text2 As Run = text1.Clone()
        text2.Text = "Let's type a second line."
        par1.Inlines.Add(text2)

        ' Way 2 (easy): Add 2nd paragraph using ContentRange.
        dc.Content.End.Insert(vbLf & "This is a first line in 2nd paragraph.", New CharacterFormat() With {
            .Size = 25,
            .FontColor = Color.Blue,
            .Bold = True
        })
        Dim lBr As New SpecialCharacter(dc, SpecialCharacterType.LineBreak)
        dc.Content.End.Insert(lBr.Content)
        dc.Content.End.Insert("This is a second line.", New CharacterFormat() With {
            .Size = 20,
            .FontColor = Color.DarkGreen,
            .UnderlineStyle = UnderlineType.Single
        })

        ' Save HTML document as HTML-fixed format.
        dc.Save(htmlFixedPath, New HtmlFixedSaveOptions())
        ' Save HTML document as HTML-flowing format.
        dc.Save(htmlFlowingPath, New HtmlFlowingSaveOptions())


        ' Open the results for demonstration purposes.
        System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(htmlFixedPath) With {.UseShellExecute = True})
        System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(htmlFlowingPath) With {.UseShellExecute = True})
    End Sub
End Module

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