In this lesson we want to learn how to Merge Microsoft Word Documents with Python Docxcompose: A Comprehensive Guide.
What is Python Docxcompose ?
Python Docxcompose is Python package that allows users to combine multiple Microsoft Word (.docx) documents into a single document. It is powerful tool that can be used to streamline document creation process, especially for documents that requires input from multiple sources.
In this article we are goint to explore the capabilities of Python Docxcompose and demonstrate how it can be used to merge documents.
Getting Started with Python Docxcompose
Before we start using Python Docxcompose, we need to install the package. you can use pip Python package manager, by running the following command in a terminal:
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pip install docxcompose |
With the package installed, we can now start merging documents.
Merging Documents
For merging documents using Python Docxcompose, we need to first create new DocxComposer object. This object will serve as the container for our merged document. We can create this object using the following code:
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from docxcompose.composer import Composer from docx import Document # create a new empt document doc = Document() # create new composer object with the empty document composer = Composer(doc) |
With composer object created, we can now add our documents to the merged document. We do this by calling the append() method on the composer object and passing that in the path of the document we want to add. We can add multiple documents by calling the append() method multiple times.
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# add the fir document composer.append(Document('file.docx')) # add the second document composer.append(Document('file2.docx')) |
Once we have added all the documents we want to merge, we can save the merged document to a new file by calling the save() method on the composer object and passing in the path to the new file.
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# save the merged document to a new file composer.save('merged_document.docx') |
And that’s it! Our documents have now been merged into a single document.
This is the complete code
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from docxcompose.composer import Composer from docx import Document # create a new empty document doc = Document() # create a new composer object with the empty document composer = Composer(doc) # add the first document composer.append(Document('file.docx')) # add the second document composer.append(Document('file2.docx')) # save the merged document to a new file composer.save('merged_document.docx') |
What are Other Libraries Instead if Docxcompose
While Docxcompose is a great library for merging Microsoft Word documents, there are other Python libraries that can also be used for this purpose. Some of the popular alternatives include:
- PyDOCX – a library for generating Microsoft Word (.docx) files from Python.
- Python-Docx – a library for creating and updating Microsoft Word (.docx) files.
- DocxMerge – a library for merging Microsoft Word (.docx) files and templates.
Each of these libraries has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice will depend on the specific needs of your project. For example, PyDOCX is great for generating Word documents from scratch, while Python-Docx is better for modifying existing documents. DocxMerge, on the other hand, is designed specifically for merging multiple Word documents.
It’s worth noting that these libraries are not mutually exclusive – you can use them in combination to achieve your desired result. Ultimately, the choice of library will depend on the specific requirements of your project and your personal preferences as a developer.
Learn More on Python
- Python Requests Library: A Guide to Simplifying HTTP Requests
- Python and Microsoft Word: A Beginner’s Guide to Automating Documents
- How to Install docx2python: Python Library for Word Documents
- Asynchronous Web Development with Python and aiohttp
- Python Treq: An Introduction to a Powerful HTTP Client Library
- Introduction to Python httplib2 Library
- An Introduction to Python’s urllib Library
- Python httpx: A High-Performance HTTP Client for Python 3
Final Thoughts on Merge Microsoft Word Documents with Python Docxcompose
Python Docxcompose is powerful tool that can be use to combine multiple Microsoft Word documents into a single document. it can be used to streamline document creation process, especially for documents that require input from multiple sources. by using DocxComposer object and the append() method, we can easily merge documents and save them to new file. With its easy of use and flexibility, python Docxcompose is an essential tool for anyone working with Microsoft Word documents in Python.
