using python to edit a word file?

[John Henry]

John Salerno wrote:
> I figured my first step is to install the win32 extension, which I did,
> but I can't seem to find any documentation for it. A couple of the links
> on Mark Hammond's site don't seem to work.
>
> Anyway, all I need to do is search in the Word document for certain
> strings and either delete them or replace them. Easy enough, if only I
> knew which function, etc. to use.
>
> Hope someone can push me in the right direction.
>
> Thanks.

The easiest way for me to do things like this is to do it in Word and
record a VB Macro.  For instance you will see something like this:

    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
    With Selection.Find
        .Text = "save it"
        .Replacement.Text = "dont save it"
        .Forward = True
        .Wrap = wdFindContinue
        .Format = False
        .MatchCase = False
        .MatchWholeWord = False
        .MatchByte = False
        .CorrectHangulEndings = False
        .MatchAllWordForms = False
        .MatchSoundsLike = False
        .MatchWildcards = False
        .MatchFuzzy = False
    End With
    Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll

and then hand translate it to Win32 Python, like:

   wordApp = Dispatch("Word.Application")
   wordDoc=wordApp.Documents.Add(...some word file name...)
   wordRange=wordDoc.Range(0,0).Select()
   sel=wordApp.Selection
   sel.Find.ClearFormatting()
   sel.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting()
   sel.Find.Text = "save it"
   sel.Find.Replacement.Text = "dont save it"
   sel.Find.Forward = True
   sel.Find.Wrap = constants.wdFindContinue
   sel.Find.Format = False
   sel.Find.MatchCase = False
   sel.Find.MatchWholeWord = False
   sel.Find.MatchByte = False
   sel.Find.CorrectHangulEndings = False
   sel.Find.MatchAllWordForms = False
   sel.Find.MatchSoundsLike = False
   sel.Find.MatchWildcards = False
   sel.Find.MatchFuzzy = False
   sel.Find.Find.Execute(Replace=constants.wdReplaceAll)
   wordDoc.SaveAs(...some word file name...)

Can't say that this works as I typed because I haven't try it myself
but should give you a good start.

Make sure you run the makepy.py program in the
\python23\lib\site-packages\win32com\client directory and install the
"MS Word 11.0 Object Library (8.3)" (or something equivalent).   On my
computers, this is not installed automatically and I have to remember
to do it myself or else things won't work.

Good Luck.