README_DOCX_FILE_STRUCTURE.md

typical docx file format

To assist with reading the project documentation or extending docx2python.

There are four basic types of files:

1. _rels/.rels - A list of docx content files (e.g., ``document.xml``)

2. content files - files that contain the text displayed in the docx. (e.g., ``document.xml``, ``header1.xml``).
   These files reference non-content files (images and formatting specifications) through relId numbers, which are
   defined in content-file rels.

3. content-file rels - (e.g., ``document.xml.rels``) this is where relId numbers are defined. The relId numbers
   used in ``document.xml`` will be defined in ``document.xml.rels``.

4. display files - (e.g., ``numbering.xml``) that tell the content files how to display text. These are linked from
   the content files through content-file rels.

Docx file structure

+ _rels  # named references to data (links, values, etc. for entire document)
    - .rels  # map to locations of major files (e.g., document.xml)

+ customXml  # all ignored by docx2python
    - item1.xml
    - item2.xml
    - item3.xml
    - itemProps1.xml
    - itemProps2.xml
    - itemProps2.xml
    _ _rels
        - item1.xml.rels
        - item2.xml.rels
        - item3.xml.rels

+ docProps
    - app.xml  # ignored by docx2python
    - core.xml  # author, modification date, etc.
    - custom.xml  # ignored by docx2python

+ word  # content of docx
    + _rels  # images, numbering formats, etc. for content xml files
        - document.xml.rels
        - header1.xml.rels
        - header2.xml.rels
        - header3.xml.rels
    + media  # folder holding all pictures attached in the docx file
        - image1.jpg
        - image2.jpg
    + theme  # ignored by docx2python
        - theme1.xml
    - document.xml  # main body text
    - header1.xml  # header 1 content
    - footer1.xml
    - footnotes.xml
    - fontTable.xml  # "long-hand" font descriptions. Ignored by docx2python
    - numbering.xml  # required data to auto number paragraphs. doxc2python reads this
    - settings.xml  # global file specifications. Ignored by docx2python
    - styles.xml # table styles, etc. Ignored by docx2python
    - webSettings.xml  # ignored by docx2python

A *.docx file is just a zipped up file structure (the structure defined above). You can unzip a docx file, make changes, then zip it back up and everything will work (provided your changes are valid xml).