Case 04586

Office Document Handling

Use this skill for .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files. Identify the file type first, check the required dependencies next, and then decide whether to create a new file or modify an existing one.

Follow These Rules First

1. Confirm the target format first: Word uses python-docx, Excel uses openpyxl, and PowerPoint uses python-pptx.
2. Check whether the required dependency can be imported. If something is missing, tell the user exactly which package is required. Do not run pip, pip3, python -m pip, sudo, or similar install commands automatically.
3. When editing an existing file, preserve the original by default and save the result as a new file. Only overwrite the original if the user explicitly asks for that.
4. Do structural edits before visual fine-tuning. Avoid writing a large amount of low-value formatting code upfront.
5. Only open the matching document in references/ when an advanced API is needed. Do not load every reference file into context at once.

Dependency Tiers

Core Dependencies

• python-docx: for Word documents.
• openpyxl: for Excel workbooks.
• python-pptx: for PowerPoint presentations.

Optional Dependencies

• pandas: only needed when converting between DataFrames and Excel.
• pillow: only needed when inserting images into Excel.

Check Dependencies

Use a read-only import check like this. If the check fails, stop implementation and report the missing package(s) directly.

import importlib

PACKAGE_MAP = {
    "docx": "python-docx",
    "openpyxl": "openpyxl",
    "pptx": "python-pptx",
    "pandas": "pandas",
    "PIL": "pillow",
}

missing = []
for module_name, package_name in PACKAGE_MAP.items():
    try:
        importlib.import_module(module_name)
    except ModuleNotFoundError:
        missing.append(package_name)

print(missing)

Choose what to check based on the task:

• .docx tasks: check docx
• .xlsx tasks: check openpyxl
• .pptx tasks: check pptx
• DataFrame-related Excel tasks: also check pandas
• Excel image tasks: also check PIL

Handle Word Documents

Use python-docx for .docx files.

Create a New File

from docx import Document

document = Document()
document.add_heading("Document Title", level=1)
document.add_paragraph("This is a paragraph.")
document.save("new_doc.docx")

Modify an Existing File

from docx import Document

document = Document("existing_doc.docx")
document.add_paragraph("Appended content")
document.save("updated_doc.docx")

Read These Resources First

• Core API summary: {baseDir}/references/docx_api_summary.md
• Create example: {baseDir}/scripts/create_basic_doc.py
• Edit example: {baseDir}/scripts/edit_existing_doc.py

Handle Excel Workbooks

Use openpyxl for .xlsx files.

Create a New File

from openpyxl import Workbook

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.active
ws.title = "Data"
ws["A1"] = "Hello"
ws.append(["Data 1", "Data 2", "Data 3"])
wb.save("new_workbook.xlsx")

Modify an Existing File

from openpyxl import load_workbook

wb = load_workbook("existing_workbook.xlsx")
ws = wb["Sheet1"]
ws["A1"] = "Updated value"
wb.save("updated_workbook.xlsx")

Read These Resources First

• Create example: {baseDir}/scripts/create_basic_workbook.py
• Charts: {baseDir}/references/xlsx_charts.md
• Advanced features: {baseDir}/references/xlsx_features.md
• DataFrame integration: {baseDir}/references/xlsx_pandas.md

Handle PowerPoint Presentations

Use python-pptx for .pptx files.

Create a New File

from pptx import Presentation

prs = Presentation()
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1])
slide.shapes.title.text = "Slide Title"
slide.placeholders[1].text = "This is the content placeholder."
prs.save("new_presentation.pptx")

Modify an Existing File

from pptx import Presentation

prs = Presentation("existing_presentation.pptx")
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1])
slide.shapes.title.text = "New Slide"
slide.placeholders[1].text = "Additional content"
prs.save("updated_presentation.pptx")

Read These Resources First

• API quick reference: {baseDir}/references/pptx_api_reference.md
• Chart guide: {baseDir}/references/pptx_chart_guide.md
• Full example: {baseDir}/scripts/create_presentation.py

Resource Selection Rules

• Basic Word file creation only: start with {baseDir}/scripts/create_basic_doc.py
• Modify an existing Word file: start with {baseDir}/scripts/edit_existing_doc.py
• Basic Excel creation only: start with {baseDir}/scripts/create_basic_workbook.py
• Excel charts or conditional formatting: read {baseDir}/references/xlsx_charts.md or {baseDir}/references/xlsx_features.md first
• DataFrame, CSV to Excel, or worksheet analysis: confirm pandas is available, then read {baseDir}/references/xlsx_pandas.md
• Basic PowerPoint generation only: start with {baseDir}/scripts/create_presentation.py
• PowerPoint charts: read {baseDir}/references/pptx_chart_guide.md first

Output Rules

• Always save to a concrete target filename. Do not leave changes only in memory.
• If the user does not provide a filename, use a clear default such as report.docx, budget.xlsx, or deck.pptx.
• For edits to existing files, default to updated_*.ext to avoid accidental overwrites.