Word Document Manipulation

What This Does

This workflow enables programmatic creation, editing, and manipulation of Microsoft Word (.docx) documents using the python-docx library. Create professional documents with proper formatting, styles, tables, and images without manual editing.

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Quick Start

Step 1: Create a Project Folder

mkdir -p ~/Documents/DocxManipulation

Step 2: Download the Template

Click Download above, then:

mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/Documents/DocxManipulation/

Step 3: Start Working

cd ~/Documents/DocxManipulation
claude

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How to Use

1. Describe what you want to create or modify in a Word document
2. Provide any source content (text, data, images)
3. I'll generate python-docx code and execute it

Example prompts:

• "Create a professional report with title, headings, and a table"
• "Add a header and footer to this document"
• "Generate a contract document with placeholders"
• "Convert this markdown content to a styled Word document"

Best Practices

1. Structure First: Plan document hierarchy before coding
2. Use Styles: Consistent formatting via styles, not manual formatting
3. Save Often: Call doc.save() periodically for large documents
4. Handle Errors: Check file existence before opening
5. Clean Up: Remove template placeholders after filling

Examples

Example 1: Create a Business Letter

from docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches, Pt
from docx.enum.text import WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH
from datetime import datetime

doc = Document()

# Letterhead
doc.add_paragraph('ACME Corporation')
doc.add_paragraph('123 Business Ave, Suite 100')
doc.add_paragraph('New York, NY 10001')
doc.add_paragraph()

# Date
doc.add_paragraph(datetime.now().strftime('%B %d, %Y'))
doc.add_paragraph()

# Recipient
doc.add_paragraph('Mr. John Smith')
doc.add_paragraph('XYZ Company')
doc.add_paragraph('456 Industry Blvd')
doc.add_paragraph('Chicago, IL 60601')
doc.add_paragraph()

# Salutation
doc.add_paragraph('Dear Mr. Smith,')
doc.add_paragraph()

# Body
body = """We are pleased to inform you that your proposal has been accepted...

[Letter body continues...]

Thank you for your continued partnership."""

for para_text in body.split('\n\n'):
    doc.add_paragraph(para_text)

doc.add_paragraph()
doc.add_paragraph('Sincerely,')
doc.add_paragraph()
doc.add_paragraph()
doc.add_paragraph('Jane Doe')
doc.add_paragraph('CEO, ACME Corporation')

doc.save('business_letter.docx')

Example 2: Create a Report with Table

from docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches

doc = Document()
doc.add_heading('Q4 Sales Report', 0)

# Executive Summary
doc.add_heading('Executive Summary', 1)
doc.add_paragraph('Q4 2024 showed strong growth across all regions...')

# Sales Table
doc.add_heading('Regional Performance', 1)

table = doc.add_table(rows=1, cols=4)
table.style = 'Medium Grid 1 Accent 1'

headers = ['Region', 'Q3 Sales', 'Q4 Sales', 'Growth']
for i, header in enumerate(headers):
    table.rows[0].cells[i].text = header

data = [
    ['North America', '$1.2M', '$1.5M', '+25%'],
    ['Europe', '$800K', '$950K', '+18%'],
    ['Asia Pacific', '$600K', '$750K', '+25%'],
]

for row_data in data:
    row = table.add_row()
    for i, value in enumerate(row_data):
        row.cells[i].text = value

doc.save('sales_report.docx')

Limitations

• Cannot execute macros or VBA code
• Complex templates may lose some formatting
• Limited support for advanced features (SmartArt, Charts)
• No direct PDF conversion (use separate tool)
• Track changes reading is limited

Installation

pip install python-docx