Run3 Extract and Replace Text in Word Document Runs

Why This Matters

Word documents store text in "runs" — segments with the same formatting. A placeholder like {{CANDIDATE_FULL_NAME}} might be split as:

• Run 1: {{CAND
• Run 2: IDATE_FULL
• Run 3: _NAME}}

Direct .replace() on paragraph.text won't find it.

Algorithm

def replace_placeholders_in_text(paragraph, replacements_dict):
    # Reconstruct full text from all runs
    full_text = ''.join(run.text for run in paragraph.runs)
    
    # Apply all replacements to the full text
    for pattern, value in replacements_dict.items():
        full_text = re.sub(pattern, str(value), full_text)
    
    # Clear all runs
    for run in paragraph.runs:
        run.text = ""
    
    # If paragraph has no runs, create one
    if not paragraph.runs:
        paragraph.add_run(full_text)
    else:
        # Add full text to first run only
        paragraph.runs[0].text = full_text

Key Details

• Use regex patterns for placeholders: r'{{PLACEHOLDER_NAME}}'
• Always reconstruct from all runs first—never iterate and modify runs simultaneously
• Escape literal dots in regex (e.g., \. not .)
• Return True if any replacement was made (useful for tracking)