DOCX

Word document creation and editing with tracked changes, comments, and formatting.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• •Creating or editing Word (.docx) documents
• •Working with tracked changes and redlining
• •Adding comments and annotations
• •Generating legal or professional documents
• •Creating reports, proposals, contracts
• •Mail merge and document automation
• •Converting between document formats

Key Concepts

Document Structure

• •Paragraphs, runs, and text formatting
• •Tables with headers, rows, and cells
• •Headers, footers, and page numbers
• •Sections and page breaks
• •Styles (paragraph, character, list)
• •Images, shapes, and smart art

Collaboration Features

• •Tracked Changes: Track insertions, deletions, formatting
• •Comments: Add inline comments and replies
• •Review Mode: Accept/reject changes
• •Compare Documents: Show differences between versions

Advanced Features

• •Tables of contents and indexes
• •Cross-references and bookmarks
• •Fields and dynamic content
• •Mail merge templates
• •Document protection and permissions
• •Digital signatures

Common Tools

Python

• •python-docx: Create and modify .docx files
• •docxcompose: Merge multiple documents
• •docx2txt: Extract text from documents

Node.js

• •docx: Create .docx documents
• •docxtemplater: Template-based generation

CLI Tools

• •pandoc: Universal document converter
• •unoconv: LibreOffice-based conversion
• •LibreOffice Headless: Full document processing

Patterns and Practices

Document Creation Workflow

1. •Define document structure (headers, sections)
2. •Create or load template
3. •Add content with proper formatting
4. •Insert tables and visual elements
5. •Add cross-references and TOC
6. •Enable tracking if collaborative
7. •Review and validate
8. •Export final version

Legal/Professional Documents

• •Use consistent styling
• •Enable track changes from start
• •Add clear comments for reviewers
• •Number pages and sections
• •Include revision history
• •Protect formatting with styles
• •Convert to PDF for final delivery

Best Practices

• •Use styles for consistent formatting
• •Avoid direct formatting when possible
• •Define templates for recurring documents
• •Test mail merge fields
• •Validate images and embedded objects
• •Check accessibility (alt text, fonts)
• •Version control source documents

Document Operations

Python Example

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

# Create document
doc = Document()

# Add heading
doc.add_heading('Project Report', level=1)

# Add paragraph with formatting
p = doc.add_paragraph()
p.add_run('Bold text').bold = True
p.add_run(' and regular text.')

# Add table
table = doc.add_table(rows=3, cols=3)
table.style = 'Table Grid'

# Add image
doc.add_picture('chart.png', width=Inches(4.0))

# Save
doc.save('report.docx')

# Load existing
doc = Document('existing.docx')

Node.js Example

const { Document, Packer, Paragraph, TextRun } = require('docx');

const doc = new Document({
  sections: [{
    properties: {},
    children: [
      new Paragraph({
        children: [
          new TextRun({
            text: "Hello World",
            bold: true
          })
        ]
      })
    ]
  }]
});

Packer.toBuffer(doc).then(buffer => {
  fs.writeFileSync("hello.docx", buffer);
});

File Patterns

• •**/*.docx
• •**/*.doc
• •**/*.dotx (templates)
• •**/templates/**/*.{docx,dotx}

Keywords

Word, DOCX, document, tracked changes, comments, redlining, report, contract, proposal, legal document, mail merge, document automation, formatting, styles, table of contents