OOXML Editing Reference — Document Library API

Important: Read this entire document before editing. This is the primary reference for modifying existing .docx files.

Document Library (Python) — Primary API

Use the Document class from "$DOCX_SCRIPTS/document.py" for all edits, tracked changes, and comments. It handles infrastructure automatically (people.xml, RSIDs, settings.xml, comments, relationships, content types).

Working with Unicode and Entities:

Both entity notation and Unicode work for search: contains="“Company" ≡ contains="\u201cCompany"
Both work for replacement too

Setup

# Find the docx skill root
find /mnt/skills -name "document.py" -path "*/docx/scripts/*" 2>/dev/null | head -1
# Skill root = parent of scripts/

# Run with PYTHONPATH
PYTHONPATH=/mnt/skills/docx python your_script.py

from scripts.document import Document, DocxXMLEditor

# Basic init (auto-creates temp copy, sets up infrastructure)
doc = Document('unpacked')

# Custom author/initials
doc = Document('unpacked', author="John Doe", initials="JD")

# Enable tracked changes
doc = Document('unpacked', track_revisions=True)

# Custom RSID (auto-generated if omitted)
doc = Document('unpacked', rsid="07DC5ECB")

Finding Nodes

# By text
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", contains="specific text")

# By line range
para = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", line_number=range(100, 150))

# By attributes
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:del", attrs={"w:id": "1"})

# By exact line number
para = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", line_number=42)

# Combined filters (disambiguation)
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:r", contains="Section", line_number=range(2400, 2500))

Tracked Changes

CRITICAL: Only mark text that actually changes. Keep unchanged text outside <w:del>/<w:ins> tags.

Method Selection:

Regular text → replace_node() with <w:del>/<w:ins>, or suggest_deletion() for whole elements
Partially modify another's tracked change → replace_node() to nest changes
Reject another's insertion → revert_insertion() (NOT suggest_deletion())
Reject another's deletion → revert_deletion()

# Change one word: "monthly" → "quarterly"
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:r", contains="The report is monthly")
rpr = tags[0].toxml() if (tags := node.getElementsByTagName("w:rPr")) else ""
replacement = f'<w:r w:rsidR="00AB12CD">{rpr}<w:t>The report is </w:t></w:r><w:del><w:r>{rpr}<w:delText>monthly</w:delText></w:r></w:del><w:ins><w:r>{rpr}<w:t>quarterly</w:t></w:r></w:ins>'
doc["word/document.xml"].replace_node(node, replacement)

# Delete entire run
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:r", contains="text to delete")
doc["word/document.xml"].suggest_deletion(node)

# Delete entire paragraph
para = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", contains="paragraph to delete")
doc["word/document.xml"].suggest_deletion(para)

# Insert new content after a node
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:r", contains="existing text")
doc["word/document.xml"].insert_after(node, '<w:ins><w:r><w:t>new text</w:t></w:r></w:ins>')

# Add new numbered list item
target_para = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", contains="existing list item")
pPr = tags[0].toxml() if (tags := target_para.getElementsByTagName("w:pPr")) else ""
new_item = f'<w:p>{pPr}<w:r><w:t>New item</w:t></w:r></w:p>'
tracked_para = DocxXMLEditor.suggest_paragraph(new_item)
doc["word/document.xml"].insert_after(target_para, tracked_para)

Handling Other Authors' Changes

# Partially delete another author's insertion
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:ins", attrs={"w:id": "5"})
replacement = '''<w:ins w:author="Jane Smith" w:date="2025-01-15T10:00:00Z">
  <w:r><w:t>quarterly </w:t></w:r>
  <w:del><w:r><w:delText>financial </w:delText></w:r></w:del>
  <w:r><w:t>report</w:t></w:r>
</w:ins>'''
doc["word/document.xml"].replace_node(node, replacement)

# Reject insertion (wraps in deletion)
ins = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:ins", attrs={"w:id": "5"})
doc["word/document.xml"].revert_insertion(ins)

# Reject deletion (restores deleted content)
del_elem = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:del", attrs={"w:id": "3"})
doc["word/document.xml"].revert_deletion(del_elem)

Comments

doc = Document('unpacked', author="Z.ai", initials="Z")

# Comment on a range
start = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:del", attrs={"w:id": "1"})
end = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:ins", attrs={"w:id": "2"})
doc.add_comment(start=start, end=end, text="Explanation of this change")

# Comment on paragraph
para = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", contains="text")
doc.add_comment(start=para, end=para, text="Comment here")

# Comment on newly created tracked change
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:r", contains="old")
new_nodes = doc["word/document.xml"].replace_node(
    node, '<w:del><w:r><w:delText>old</w:delText></w:r></w:del><w:ins><w:r><w:t>new</w:t></w:r></w:ins>')
doc.add_comment(start=new_nodes[0], end=new_nodes[1], text="Changed per requirements")

# Reply to comment
doc.reply_to_comment(parent_comment_id=0, text="I agree")

Images

from PIL import Image
import shutil, os

doc = Document('unpacked')
media_dir = os.path.join(doc.unpacked_path, 'word/media')
os.makedirs(media_dir, exist_ok=True)
shutil.copy('image.png', os.path.join(media_dir, 'image1.png'))

img = Image.open(os.path.join(media_dir, 'image1.png'))
width_emus = int(6.5 * 914400)  # 6.5" usable width
height_emus = int(width_emus * img.size[1] / img.size[0])

# Add relationship
rels_editor = doc['word/_rels/document.xml.rels']
next_rid = rels_editor.get_next_rid()
rels_editor.append_to(rels_editor.dom.documentElement,
    f'<Relationship Id="{next_rid}" Type="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/image" Target="media/image1.png"/>')
doc['[Content_Types].xml'].append_to(doc['[Content_Types].xml'].dom.documentElement,
    '<Default Extension="png" ContentType="image/png"/>')

# Insert
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", line_number=100)
doc["word/document.xml"].insert_after(node, f'''<w:p><w:r><w:drawing>
  <wp:inline distT="0" distB="0" distL="0" distR="0">
    <wp:extent cx="{width_emus}" cy="{height_emus}"/>
    <wp:docPr id="1" name="Picture 1"/>
    <a:graphic xmlns:a="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main">
      <a:graphicData uri="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/picture">
        <pic:pic xmlns:pic="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/picture">
          <pic:nvPicPr><pic:cNvPr id="1" name="image1.png"/><pic:cNvPicPr/></pic:nvPicPr>
          <pic:blipFill><a:blip r:embed="{next_rid}"/><a:stretch><a:fillRect/></a:stretch></pic:blipFill>
          <pic:spPr><a:xfrm><a:ext cx="{width_emus}" cy="{height_emus}"/></a:xfrm><a:prstGeom prst="rect"><a:avLst/></a:prstGeom></pic:spPr>
        </pic:pic>
      </a:graphicData>
    </a:graphic>
  </wp:inline>
</w:drawing></w:r></w:p>''')

Saving

doc.save()                    # Validates + copies back to original dir
doc.save('modified-unpacked') # Save to different location
doc.save(validate=False)      # Skip validation (debug only)

Direct DOM Manipulation

editor = doc["word/document.xml"]
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", line_number=5)
parent = node.parentNode
parent.removeChild(node)

# General replacement (without tracked changes)
old = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:p", contains="original")
doc["word/document.xml"].replace_node(old, "<w:p><w:r><w:t>replacement</w:t></w:r></w:p>")

# Chained insertions
node = doc["word/document.xml"].get_node(tag="w:r", line_number=100)
nodes = doc["word/document.xml"].insert_after(node, "<w:r><w:t>A</w:t></w:r>")
nodes = doc["word/document.xml"].insert_after(nodes[-1], "<w:r><w:t>B</w:t></w:r>")

Schema Compliance Quick Reference

Element ordering in <w:pPr>: <w:pStyle> → <w:numPr> → <w:spacing> → <w:ind> → <w:jc>
Whitespace: xml:space='preserve' on <w:t> with leading/trailing spaces
RSIDs: 8-digit hex only (0-9, A-F)
trackRevisions: Add <w:trackRevisions/> after <w:proofState> in settings.xml
<w:del>/<w:ins> placement: At paragraph level, containing complete <w:r> elements. Never nest inside <w:r>.

Validation Rules

The validator ensures document text matches the original after reverting GLM's changes:

Never modify text inside another author's <w:ins> or <w:del> tags
Use nested deletions to remove another author's insertions
Every edit must be tracked with <w:ins> or <w:del> tags

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