Remove Fields

Sometimes it is necessary to remove a field from the document. This may occur when it is to be replaced with a different field type or when the field is no longer needed in the document. For example a TOC field when saving to HTML.

To remove a field inserted into a document using DocumentBuilder.insertField, use the returned Field object, which provides the convenient remove method to easily remove the field from the document.

The following code example shows how to remove a field from the document:

You can download the sample file of this example from Aspose.Words GitHub.

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FAQ

1. Q: How can I remove a specific field type (e.g., a TOC) from a document?
   A: Locate the field by iterating through document.getRange().getFields() and checking field.getType(). When the desired type is found, call field.remove(). This removes the field node while preserving the surrounding document structure.

2. Q: Is there a way to remove all fields from a document in one step?
   A: Yes. Retrieve the collection of fields with let fields = document.getRange().getFields(); and loop backwards (from fields.getCount() - 1 to 0) calling fields.get(i).remove();. Looping backwards prevents index shifting as fields are deleted.

3. Q: Does calling Field.remove() also delete the field result text that is displayed in the document?
   A: Field.remove() deletes the entire field node, including its result text. If you need to keep the result text, read field.getResult() before removal and insert it back as a plain run.

4. Q: Can I remove a field that was inserted with DocumentBuilder.insertField without using the returned Field object?
   A: Yes. After insertion, you can retrieve the field via document.getRange().getFields().get(document.getRange().getFields().getCount() - 1) (the last field) and then call remove(). However, keeping the reference returned by insertField is more efficient.

5. Q: What happens to bookmarks or hyperlinks that reference a field I have removed?
   A: Removing a field does not automatically update bookmarks or hyperlinks that point to the field’s start or end positions. After removal, you may need to adjust those references manually or recreate them if required.