DOCX Form Filler

docx-form-filler

When this skill is the right tool

User has:

• A .docx template with blank fields (underscores, empty table rows, placeholder examples like "例1")
• A data source (PDF / another doc / chat content) containing the real values
• Wants the template filled while keeping its fonts, table borders, layout intact

For old .doc (binary), tell the user to convert to .docx first (Word → Save As).

Core workflow

1. Inspect the template structure FIRST

python3 scripts/inspect_docx.py /path/to/template.docx

This prints every non-empty paragraph (with index P<n>) and every table (with R<row> cells). Note:

• Which paragraph indices hold the blanks (look for underscores ____, 〔中文〕/〔English〕 markers)
• Each table's column layout — column index of Year / Items / Award / Position / etc.
• Header rows to skip (usually rows 0–1)
• "Example" placeholder columns to clear (e.g. "例1".."例5" in the rightmost column)

2. Extract source data

For PDF sources:

pip install pymupdf   # if missing
python3 scripts/extract_pdf.py /path/to/source.pdf

Read it carefully. Map each piece of data to the template field it belongs in.

3. Plan before writing — confirm with user

Before running the fill script, tell the user:

• What you'll put in each non-trivial field
• Any missing data (parent names, addresses, etc.) — ask, don't invent
• Any ambiguous mapping (e.g. "Primary Level: 5 or 6?" when student is P.5 applying to P.6)
• Your picks when the source has more achievements than table slots (curate the strongest 5)

This step matters — wrong filling is worse than asking one extra question.

4. Write the fill script

Copy scripts/fill_template_example.py, edit SRC / DST and the data sections. Always write to a new path — never overwrite the original template.

Key APIs (from scripts/fill_helpers.py):

from fill_helpers import set_para_text, set_cell_text, xml_replace

# Paragraph: replaces text but keeps first run's font/size/color
set_para_text(doc.paragraphs[59], "Name：張三〔中文〕")

# Table cell: supports multi-line via \n, removes extra paragraphs
set_cell_text(row.cells[2], "P.5 First Term\nTop 3 of form")

# Textbox / cover / SDT content (python-docx CANNOT reach these)
xml_replace(output_path, {"OLD PLACEHOLDER": "New Name"})

5. Verify

Run inspect_docx.py on the output file and visually scan every filled row. Then open it in Word and eyeball the layout.

Critical gotchas

Textbox / cover-page content needs xml_replace

If the template has a cover page like "Portfolio of " and python-docx's doc.paragraphs iteration doesn't find the placeholder text, it's inside a <w:txbxContent> (textbox / DrawingML shape). python-docx ignores these.

Workflow:

1. grep -rl "PlaceholderName" /tmp/unzipped_docx/ to confirm it's in word/document.xml but not reachable via paragraphs
2. Use xml_replace(path, {"PlaceholderName": "RealName"}) after doc.save()

Preserve formatting — never use cell.text = "x" or p.text = "x"

The python-docx setter p.text = "..." nukes all runs and creates a new one with default formatting — losing the template's careful font/color. Always use the set_para_text / set_cell_text helpers which keep the first run's formatting.

Empty rows: leave them empty, don't delete

Templates often have extra blank rows (e.g. rows numbered 6/7/8/9 after 5 example rows). Leave them as-is — don't delete or fill with garbage. They're intentional spare slots.

Clear placeholder example columns

If a column contains "例1"、"例2"、"Sample 1" etc., explicitly clear it:

set_cell_text(row.cells[5], "")

Year/date cells may be split run-by-run

Inspecting may show a cell's text as "2018- | 2017" (where | is paragraph break) or year split into separate runs "20" "1" "8". set_cell_text collapses all of this into a single clean cell — that's the desired behavior.

Don't invent missing data

If the source PDF has no parent names, no address Chinese translation, etc. — ask the user rather than guessing. Filling a school application form with wrong info is high-stakes.

Typical session shape

1. inspect_docx.py template.docx                  → understand layout
2. extract_pdf.py source.pdf                      → gather data
3. (tell user plan, ask about missing/ambiguous)  → confirm
4. write fill script using fill_helpers           → execute
5. inspect_docx.py output.docx                    → verify text
6. xml_replace for any textbox content            → fix cover
7. open output.docx in Word                       → visual check