Word / DOCX

When to Use

Use when the main artifact is a Microsoft Word document or .docx file, especially when tracked changes, comments, headers, numbering, fields, tables, templates, or compatibility matter.

Core Rules

1. Treat DOCX as OOXML, not plain text

• A .docx file is a ZIP of XML parts, so structure matters as much as visible text.
• The critical parts are usually word/document.xml, styles.xml, numbering.xml, headers, footers, and relationship files.
• Text may be split across multiple runs; never assume one word or sentence lives in one XML node.
• Use different workflows on purpose: structured extraction for quick reading, style-driven generation for new files, and OOXML-aware editing for fragile existing documents.
• If the job is mainly reading, extracting, or reviewing, prefer a structure-preserving read path before touching OOXML.
• For deep edits, inspect the package layout instead of relying only on rendered output.
• Reading, generating, and preserving an existing reviewed document are different jobs even when the format is the same.
• Legacy .doc inputs usually need conversion before you can trust modern .docx assumptions.

2. Preserve styles and direct formatting deliberately