Adding image to text box using officer

Question

I am looking at adding an image to a word document using the officer package. The word document template looks like this:

These are all text boxes and I am able to replace all the text such as StudentName, Enrollment number etc. but don't know how to add an image to the text box called picture. This is what I have tried:

my_doc <- read_docx('templates/form_101.docx') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('Coursename', 'NTCC 01') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('XXX', 'III') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('FromDate', '26 Oct') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('ToDate', '02 Nov 20') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('StudentName', 'Dhiraj Khanna') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('12345', '51511-W') %>% 
  body_replace_all_text('ABC', 'A') %>% 
  cursor_reach('picture') %>% 
  # cursor_reach('picture') %>% 
  # body_remove()
  # body_bookmark('picture') %>%
  # body_replace_img_at_bkm('picture',
  #                         value = external_img(src = 'data/images/pic1.png', 
  #                                              width = .2, height = .2))
  body_add_img(src = 'data/images/pic1.png', width = .2, height = .2,
               pos = 'on')

print(my_doc, target = 'templates/output.docx')

None of these approaches (including the commented out ones) give me the desired result. So how do I go about inserting an image in the text box picture.

The template is available here

Answer 1

It works when you alter the template. You need to

1. create a new textfield where you want the image
2. Put the image within the textfield, using position "in line with text"
3. Place a bookmark on the image (in my example it is called "picture")

I have uploaded a correctly altered file here.

You can then use the function body_replace_img_at_bkm() as follows:

library(officer)
library(magrittr)

my_doc <- read_docx('form_101.docx')

my_doc %>%
  body_replace_img_at_bkm("picture",
                          external_img("im02.png", width = .9, height = .9)) %>%
  print("new_form.docx")

Answer 2

I gave it a try, but could't get it working (just sharing my findings here, because they would be too long for a comment and maybe they help you)

My actual conclusion was, that this probably won't work at all and is not supported by the officer package.

In the example you shared I added 'picture' manually, since it was in your screenshot (but missing in your word example). But even with this simplification (easier to set the cursor) it did not work.

I tried several combinations with body_add_img, slip_in_img, body_replace_img_at_bkm, body_add.external_img, body_replace_text_at_bkm in combination with cursor_reach('picture'), cursor_forward, cursor_backward calls. (and some other rather crude efforts)

Either it did nothing or mostly it just did not put the image in the textbox.

Setting the cursor seems to work. Also adding an image in general is not a problem. Replacing a text with another text in a textbox is no problem. But adding an image to this specific textbox on the right seemed somehow impossible.

When I had the cursor in the textbox and tried to add the image there no matter what I tried, it was always either added before or after the textbox.