Word Document Splitter & Merger

Split large .docx files into smaller documents by article/section, then reassemble after editing.

Dependencies

bash

pip install python-docx lxml --break-system-packages

Quick Reference

Task	Command
List styles	`python scripts/docx_splitter.py doc.docx --list-styles`
Split by style	`python scripts/docx_splitter.py doc.docx --split-on "Heading 1"`
Split by pattern	`python scripts/docx_splitter.py doc.docx --pattern "ARTICLE"`
Merge chunks	`python scripts/docx_merger.py ./chunks/ -o merged.docx`

Splitting Documents

Step 1: Identify Split Points

Always check available styles first:

bash

python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --list-styles

Step 2: Split

By heading style (preferred for well-formatted documents):

bash

python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --split-on "Heading 1" --output-dir ./chunks

By text pattern (for inconsistent styling):

bash

python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --pattern "ARTICLE" --output-dir ./chunks
python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --pattern "^SECTION \d+" --output-dir ./chunks

Split Options

Option	Description
`--split-on`, `-s`	Style name (e.g., "Heading 1", "Heading 2")
`--pattern`, `-p`	Regex pattern (e.g., "ARTICLE", "^SECTION \d+")
`--output-dir`, `-o`	Output directory (default: `<input>_split/`)
`--no-header`	Exclude preamble content from each chunk

Output Structure

Files are numbered for proper ordering:

code

document_split/
├── 00_Preamble.docx          # Content before first split point
├── 01_ARTICLE_I.docx
├── 02_ARTICLE_II.docx
└── ...

Merging Documents

Reassemble edited chunks:

bash

python scripts/docx_merger.py ./chunks/ -o final_document.docx

Merge specific files in order:

bash

python scripts/docx_merger.py file1.docx file2.docx file3.docx -o merged.docx

Merge Options

Option	Description
`-o`, `--output`	Output path (required)
`--page-breaks`	Add page breaks between sections
`--include-duplicates`	Keep duplicate preamble content

Typical Workflow

bash

# 1. Check document structure
python scripts/docx_splitter.py BigContract.docx --list-styles

# 2. Split by articles
python scripts/docx_splitter.py BigContract.docx --split-on "Heading 1" -o ./chunks

# 3. Edit individual chunks (with Harvey, Claude, or manually)

# 4. Reassemble
python scripts/docx_merger.py ./chunks/ -o BigContract_Final.docx

Limitations

•Cross-references: Internal references preserved but not auto-updated if sections renumber
•Tables: Tables spanning split boundaries may break
•Numbering: Automatic numbering restarts per chunk
•Track changes: Preserved but may need reconciliation after merge

Tips for Legal Documents

•Split at ARTICLE level for credit agreements and loan documents
•Use --pattern when heading styles are inconsistent (common in opposing counsel docs)
•For very large definition sections, re-split that chunk by "Heading 2"
•Review merged document at section boundaries for formatting issues