Python - Working with .docx module

Word documents contain formatted text wrapped within three object levels. Lowest level − Run objects, Middle level − Paragraph objects and Highest level − Document object.

So, we cannot work with these documents using normal text editors. But we can manipulate these word documents in Python using the python-docx module.

Installation

The first step is to install this third-party module python-docx. You can use pip ?

pip install python-docx

Important: After installation, import docx NOT python-docx. Use docx.Document class to start working with the word document.

Creating a Basic Word Document

Let's create a simple Word document with headings, paragraphs, and formatted text ?

# import docx NOT python-docx
import docx

# create an instance of a word document
doc = docx.Document()

# add a heading of level 0 (largest heading)
doc.add_heading('Heading for the document', 0)

# add a paragraph and store the object in a variable
doc_para = doc.add_paragraph('Your paragraph goes here, ')

# add a run i.e, style like bold, italic, underline, etc.
doc_para.add_run('hey there, bold here').bold = True
doc_para.add_run(', and ')
doc_para.add_run('these words are italic').italic = True

# add a page break to start a new page
doc.add_page_break()

# add a heading of level 2
doc.add_heading('Heading level 2', 2)

# pictures can also be added to our word document
# width is optional
doc.add_picture('path_to_picture')

# now save the document to a location
doc.save('path_to_document')

Working with Existing Documents

You can also open and modify existing Word documents ?

import docx

# open an existing document
doc = docx.Document('existing_document.docx')

# add new content to the existing document
doc.add_paragraph('This is a new paragraph added to existing document.')

# save the modified document
doc.save('modified_document.docx')

Key Components

• Document: The top-level container for all document content
• Paragraph: A block-level element that can contain one or more runs
• Run: A contiguous sequence of characters with the same formatting

Common Methods

• add_heading(text, level) − Add headings (levels 0-9)
• add_paragraph(text) − Add paragraphs
• add_run(text) − Add formatted text runs
• add_page_break() − Insert page breaks
• add_picture(path) − Insert images

Conclusion

The python-docx module provides a powerful way to create and manipulate Word documents programmatically. Remember to import docx after installing python-docx, and use the Document class as your starting point for all operations.