Python: OpenXML docx files

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Python can be used to both create and read docx files in the OpenXML data format. The Python python-docx package will be used. One way to install the python-docx package is as follows.

D:\Python38\Scripts\pip3.exe install python-docx

Use the path to your installed version of Python.

Besides this page, more information on getting started is at the python-docx web site at https://python-docx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user/quickstart.html .

A simplified document (tree) structure is as follows.

A document contains sections (or headings) at various levels, from the main heading (0) to heading 9.
A section contains paragraphs.
A paragraph contains runs.

Each of a document, section (heading), paragraph, run, etc., has certain properties and methods.

It is often useful to create your own class for package usage and then abstract that class and other useful features of the package access to a module.

For now, explicit code is used as an example. Here is the Python code.

from rsLorem import loremDo1

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import rsPlot

from docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches, Pt
from docx.enum.table import WD_TABLE_ALIGNMENT

tableList1 = [
	["r0c1", "r0c2", "r0c3"],
	["r1c1", "r1c2", "r1c3"],
	["r2c1", "r2c2", "r2c3"],
	["r3c1", "r3c2", "r3c3"],
	]

plot1 = rsPlot.plot("docx21-1")
print("Desired image size: {0:d} x {1:d} at {2:d} DPI".format(plot1.width1,plot1.height1,plot1.dpi1))

plot1.save(tight1=None)

imageFs1 = plot1.saveFs1
print("{0:s} (image)".format(imageFs1))
docFs1 = "./doc1.docx"
doc1 = Document()
doc1.add_heading("Document title",0)
rlen1 = len(tableList1)
clen1 = len(tableList1[0])
slen1 = 4
para1 = doc1.add_paragraph("Here is some text before the first section")
for pos1 in range(1,slen1+1):
	heading1 = "Section {0:d}".format(pos1)
	doc1.add_heading(heading1,1)
	para1 = doc1.add_paragraph(loremDo1(40))
	if pos1 == 2:
		para1 = doc1.add_paragraph("Here is a table that shows something.")
		print("Insert table at section {0:d}.".format(pos1))
		table1 = doc1.add_table(rows=rlen1,cols=clen1,style="Table Grid")
		for rpos1 in range(0,rlen1):
			for cpos1 in range(0,clen1):
				cell1 = table1.cell(rpos1,cpos1)
				text1 = tableList1[rpos1][cpos1]
				cell1.text = str(text1)
				cell1.paragraphs[0].paragraph_format.alignment = WD_TABLE_ALIGNMENT.CENTER
				print("\t( {0:d} , {1:d} ) \"{2:s}\"".format(rpos1,cpos1,text1))
	elif pos1 == 3:
		para1 = doc1.add_paragraph("Here is a chart that shows something.")
		print("Insert image at section {0:d}.".format(pos1))
		doc1.add_picture(imageFs1,width=Inches(3.0))
doc1.save(docFs1)
print("{0:s} (saved)".format(docFs1))

Here is the output of the Python code.

(module rsLorem imported)
(module rsPlot imported)
Desired image size: 640 x 480 at 72 DPI
	./docx21-1-01.png : 640 x 480 , 10,510 bytes
./docx21-1-01.png (image)
Insert table at section 2.
	( 0 , 0 ) "r0c1"
	( 0 , 1 ) "r0c2"
	( 0 , 2 ) "r0c3"
	( 1 , 0 ) "r1c1"
	( 1 , 1 ) "r1c2"
	( 1 , 2 ) "r1c3"
	( 2 , 0 ) "r2c1"
	( 2 , 1 ) "r2c2"
	( 2 , 2 ) "r2c3"
	( 3 , 0 ) "r3c1"
	( 3 , 1 ) "r3c2"
	( 3 , 2 ) "r3c3"
Insert image at section 3.
./doc1.docx (saved)

To add bold, italic, etc., add runs to the paragraph and set those attributes for the run.

To change the styles for headers, etc., backup and then change the style file dotx file in the python-docx package installation. Open that style file and make the desired changes.

In my installation, that file is in the following location.

D:\Python38\Lib\site-packages\docx\templates\default.docx

Note that Word (and other programs) will lock the file currently loaded into the application.

If you try to generate a docx file while Word has it locked, a run-time error results.

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