Word Document Splitter & Merger

Split large .docx files into smaller documents by article/section, then reassemble after editing.

Dependencies

pip install python-docx lxml --break-system-packages

Quick Reference

| Task | Command | |------|---------| | List styles | python scripts/docx_splitter.py doc.docx --list-styles | | Split by style | python scripts/docx_splitter.py doc.docx --split-on "Heading 1" | | Split by pattern | python scripts/docx_splitter.py doc.docx --pattern "ARTICLE" | | Merge chunks | python scripts/docx_merger.py ./chunks/ -o merged.docx |

Splitting Documents

Step 1: Identify Split Points

Always check available styles first:

python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --list-styles

Step 2: Split

By heading style (preferred for well-formatted documents):

python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --split-on "Heading 1" --output-dir ./chunks

By text pattern (for inconsistent styling):

python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --pattern "ARTICLE" --output-dir ./chunks
python scripts/docx_splitter.py document.docx --pattern "^SECTION \d+" --output-dir ./chunks

Split Options

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | --split-on, -s | Style name (e.g., "Heading 1", "Heading 2") | | --pattern, -p | Regex pattern (e.g., "ARTICLE", "^SECTION \d+") | | --output-dir, -o | Output directory (default: <input>_split/) | | --no-header | Exclude preamble content from each chunk |

Output Structure

Files are numbered for proper ordering:

document_split/
├── 00_Preamble.docx          # Content before first split point
├── 01_ARTICLE_I.docx
├── 02_ARTICLE_II.docx
└── ...

Merging Documents

Reassemble edited chunks:

python scripts/docx_merger.py ./chunks/ -o final_document.docx

Merge specific files in order:

python scripts/docx_merger.py file1.docx file2.docx file3.docx -o merged.docx

Merge Options

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | -o, --output | Output path (required) | | --page-breaks | Add page breaks between sections | | --include-duplicates | Keep duplicate preamble content |

Typical Workflow

# 1. Check document structure
python scripts/docx_splitter.py BigContract.docx --list-styles

# 2. Split by articles
python scripts/docx_splitter.py BigContract.docx --split-on "Heading 1" -o ./chunks

# 3. Edit individual chunks (with Harvey, Claude, or manually)

# 4. Reassemble
python scripts/docx_merger.py ./chunks/ -o BigContract_Final.docx

Limitations

• Cross-references: Internal references preserved but not auto-updated if sections renumber
• Tables: Tables spanning split boundaries may break
• Numbering: Automatic numbering restarts per chunk
• Track changes: Preserved but may need reconciliation after merge

Tips for Legal Documents

• Split at ARTICLE level for credit agreements and loan documents
• Use --pattern when heading styles are inconsistent (common in opposing counsel docs)
• For very large definition sections, re-split that chunk by "Heading 2"
• Review merged document at section boundaries for formatting issues