# Route: Format / Layout
## Workflow
```
1. Read current document (pandoc for content, unpack for structure)
2. Identify format requirements from user
3. Use unit conversion table (see SKILL.md)
4. Apply formatting via OOXML manipulation or python-docx
5. Pack and verify
```
## Quick Formatting via python-docx
For simple formatting tasks, python-docx is often faster than raw XML:
```python
from docx import Document as PythonDocument
from docx.shared import Pt, Cm, Twips
from docx.enum.text import WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH
doc = PythonDocument("input.docx")
# Change all body paragraph formatting
for para in doc.paragraphs:
if para.style.name.startswith("Heading"):
continue
para.paragraph_format.first_line_indent = Twips(420)
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing = 1.5
para.paragraph_format.alignment = WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH.JUSTIFY
for run in para.runs:
run.font.name = "宋体"
run.font.size = Pt(12) # Xiao Si 小四
doc.save("output.docx")
```
## Common Format Request Patterns
### University Thesis Formatting
Typical Chinese university thesis requirements:
```python
from docx.shared import Cm, Pt, Twips
# Margins
for section in doc.sections:
section.top_margin = Cm(2.5)
section.bottom_margin = Cm(2.5)
section.left_margin = Cm(3.0)
section.right_margin = Cm(2.5)
# Fonts
# Body: SimSun 宋体 Xiao Si 小四 (12pt)
# H1: SimHei 黑体 San Hao 三号 (16pt) centered
# H2: SimHei 黑体 Si Hao 四号 (14pt)
# H3: SimHei 黑体 Xiao Si 小四 (12pt)
# English: Times New Roman, same sizes
```
### Page Numbers Starting from Specific Page
Use multi-section approach:
```python
# Section 1: Front matter (Roman numerals)
# Section 2: Main content (Arabic, starting from 1)
# This requires OOXML manipulation — see routes/edit.md for unpack/pack workflow
```
In raw XML (`word/document.xml`):
```xml
```
### Different Headers Per Section
Each section in a .docx can have its own header/footer. See `references/docx-js-advanced.md` for the multi-section approach.
For existing documents, modify `word/document.xml` to split `` and create separate `headerN.xml` files.
### Font Size Conversion
When user requests a Chinese font size name:
| Request | Action |
|---------|--------|
| "Change to Wu Hao (5th) size" | `font.size = Pt(10.5)` or `size: 21` in docx-js |
| "Title in San Hao SimHei" | `font.size = Pt(16)`, `font.name = "SimHei"` |
| "Body in Xiao Si SimSun" | `font.size = Pt(12)`, `font.name = "SimSun"` |
### Line Spacing Adjustment
```python
from docx.shared import Twips
# 1.0x spacing
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing_rule = WD_LINE_SPACING.MULTIPLE
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing = 1.0
# 1.3x spacing (our default)
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing = 1.5
# Fixed spacing (e.g., 28pt)
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing_rule = WD_LINE_SPACING.EXACTLY
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing = Pt(28)
```
## Verification
After formatting changes:
1. Open in LibreOffice or convert to PDF for visual check
2. Extract text with pandoc to ensure content unchanged
3. Compare file sizes (formatting-only changes shouldn't dramatically change size)