docx

Use the docx npm library (docx-js) to build a Document object with paragraphs, tables, and styles, then write it with Packer.toBuffer. Always set the page size explicitly since docx-js defaults to A4 rather than US Letter.

Unpack the .docx into its XML parts with the unpack script, edit the XML in the word/ directory directly, then repack with validation. This approach supports tracked changes, comments, and image insertion that high-level libraries cannot handle.

Insert w:ins and w:del elements around the affected runs in document.xml, using w:delText instead of w:t inside deletions. Replace entire w:r elements rather than injecting tags inside runs, and preserve the original run's formatting properties.

Tables need dual widths: set columnWidths on the table and a matching width on each cell, both in DXA units that sum to the table width. Never use WidthType.PERCENTAGE, which breaks in Google Docs, and use ShadingType.CLEAR instead of SOLID for cell shading.

Yes, legacy .doc files are converted to .docx using LibreOffice in headless mode via the soffice script before editing. LibreOffice also handles PDF conversion and accepting all tracked changes in a document.

Do not use it for PDFs, spreadsheets, Google Docs, or general coding tasks unrelated to document generation. It is scoped specifically to creating, reading, and editing .docx Word documents.