R - ReporteRs package - word template with dynamic values

Question

good day people,

I'm working on a word based reports automation task. These reports are basically some standard text, a dozen or so charts, some numeric/trend text values that I need to populated based on logic. The trend text, numeric values or charts are to be generated from backend database.

I'm able to produce a blank document with charts using database, the R packages I used are ReporteRs, RODBC, officer and corresponding dependency packages, ggplot2 for charts. However what I would like to achieve is, have a word document template with some sort of placeholders where I can put the charts and these numeric values.

I've basic code as following

    doc <- docx(title="my doc")
    mychart <- ggplot(.....)
    doc <- addPlot(doc, fun=print, x = mychart)
    writeDoc(doc, filename)

Can anyone advise how to approach this task. I saw usage of template parameter in docx but I couldn't find suitable examples of putting values in placeholders or putting charts at particular placeholders inside Word document.

Hope I've explained it clearly, if not please let me know.

Answer 1

Ok I've figured out how to achieve it finally.

MS-Word allows putting placeholders in document and bookmark them so that values/data/images can be put in their place.

You can create a normal word document(not as word template) and add your static content in it along with bookmarked placeholders as per your requirements. Please refer here to know how to add bookmarks , Word doesn't show existing bookmarks by default, to enable that go to File -> Options -> Advanced check Show bookmarks, you'll see [your_bookmark] thing in square brackets.

Next in R, try following code

doc <- docx(title="title", template="c://above_template.docx")
doc = addPlot(doc, x=myChartVariable, bookmark="your_chart_bookmark)
writeDoc(doc, "c://new_doc_file_path.docx:)

you should see new file with a chart substituted where you put its placeholder.

Answer 2

I would recommend using VBA for this, not R. Do some google-research on DocVariables in Word. Add some DocVariables to your Word template, keep your analytics in Excel, and then push what you have in Excel into the Word DocVariables. Use the script below, which runs in Excel, to make everything work.

Sub PushToWord()

Dim objWord As New Word.Application
Dim doc As Word.Document
Dim bkmk As Word.Bookmark
sWdFileName = Application.GetOpenFilename(, , , , False)
Set doc = objWord.Documents.Open(sWdFileName)
'On Error Resume Next

objWord.ActiveDocument.variables("BrokerFirstName").Value = Range("BrokerFirstName").Value
objWord.ActiveDocument.variables("BrokerLastName").Value = Range("BrokerLastName").Value
objWord.ActiveDocument.variables("Ryan").Value = Range("Ryan").Value


objWord.ActiveDocument.Fields.Update

'On Error Resume Next
objWord.Visible = True

End Sub

Finally, add a reference to Word, from Excel. Tools > References > Microsoft Word xxx Object Library.