Word documents generation

Introduction

Use the function read_docx to create an r object representing a Word document. Initial Word file can be specified with argument path. If none is provided, this file will be an empty document located in the package directory. Formats and styles will be those available in the initial file.

my_doc <- read_docx() 

# display styles
styles_info(my_doc)

## # A tibble: 21 × 5
##    style_type       style_id             style_name is_custom is_default
##         <chr>          <chr>                  <chr>     <lgl>      <lgl>
## 1   paragraph         Normal                 Normal     FALSE       TRUE
## 2   paragraph         Titre1              heading 1     FALSE      FALSE
## 3   paragraph         Titre2              heading 2     FALSE      FALSE
## 4   paragraph         Titre3              heading 3     FALSE      FALSE
## 5   character Policepardfaut Default Paragraph Font     FALSE       TRUE
## 6       table  TableauNormal           Normal Table     FALSE       TRUE
## 7   numbering    Aucuneliste                No List     FALSE       TRUE
## 8   character         strong                 strong      TRUE      FALSE
## 9   paragraph       centered               centered      TRUE      FALSE
## 10      table  tabletemplate         table_template      TRUE      FALSE
## # ... with 11 more rows

Add elements to document

Let’s add an image in the document first.

src <- tempfile(fileext = ".png")
png(filename = src, width = 5, height = 6, units = 'in', res = 300)
barplot(1:10, col = 1:10)
dev.off()

## quartz_off_screen 
##                 2

my_doc <- my_doc %>% 
  body_add_img(src = src, width = 5, height = 6, style = "centered")

Then some paragraphs.

my_doc <- my_doc %>% 
  body_add_par("Hello world!", style = "Normal") %>% 
  body_add_par("", style = "Normal") # blank paragraph

And a table.

my_doc <- my_doc %>% 
  body_add_table(iris, style = "table_template")

Write the Word file

File can be generated using function print and argument target:

print(my_doc, target = "assets/docx/first_example.docx") %>% 
  invisible()

Download file first_example.docx - view with office web viewer

Add elements

To add paragraphs, tables, images or other elements into the document, you will have to use functions starting with body_add_:

body_add_par
body_add_img
body_add_table
body_add_break
body_add_toc

Cursor manipulation

A cursor is available and can be manipulated so that content can be added regarding to its position:

before will insert a new element before the selected element in the document.
after will insert a new element after the selected element in the document.
on will replace the selected element in the document by a new element.

Cursor functions are the following:

cursor_begin
cursor_end
cursor_reach
cursor_backward
cursor_forward

In order to illustrate cursor functions, a document made of several paragraphs will be used (let’s use officer for that).

read_docx() %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 1", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 2", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 3", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 4", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 5", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 6", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_add_par("paragraph 7", style = "Normal") %>%
  print(target = "assets/docx/init_doc.docx" ) %>% 
  invisible()

Download file init_doc.docx - view with office web viewer

Now, let’s use init_doc.docx with read_docx and manipulate its content with cursor functions.

doc <- read_docx(path = "assets/docx/init_doc.docx") %>%

  # default template contains only an empty paragraph
  # Using cursor_begin and body_remove, we can delete it
  cursor_begin() %>% body_remove() %>%

  # Let add text at the beginning of the
  # paragraph containing text "paragraph 4"
  cursor_reach(keyword = "paragraph 4") %>%
  slip_in_text("This is ", pos = "before", style = "Default Paragraph Font") %>%

  # move the cursor forward and end a section
  cursor_forward() %>%
  body_add_par("The section stop here", style = "Normal") %>%
  body_end_section(landscape = TRUE) %>%

  # move the cursor at the end of the document
  cursor_end() %>%
  body_add_par("The document ends now", style = "Normal")

print(doc, target = "assets/docx/cursor.docx") %>% 
  invisible()

Download file cursor.docx - view with office web viewer

Append text in existing paragraphs

Text and images can be inserted at the beginning or the end of the selected paragraph (selection made by the cursor). Available functions are the following:

slip_in_img
slip_in_seqfield
slip_in_text

library(magrittr)
img.file <- file.path( Sys.getenv("R_HOME"), "doc", "html", "logo.jpg" )

read_docx() %>%
  body_add_par("R logo: ", style = "Normal") %>%
  slip_in_img(src = img.file, style = "strong", width = .3, height = .3) %>%
  slip_in_text("This is official ", style = "strong", pos = "before") %>%
  slip_in_text(" that can be found here: ", style = "strong", pos = "after") %>%
  slip_in_text(img.file, style = "strong", pos = "after") %>%
  print(target = "assets/docx/slip_in_demo.docx") %>% 
  invisible()

Download file slip_in_demo.docx - view with office web viewer

Remove content

The function body_remove let remove content from a Word document. This function used with cursor_* functions is a convenient tool to update an existing document.

For illustration purpose, we will generate a document that will be used as initial document later when showing how to use body_remove.

library(officer)
library(magrittr)

str1 <- "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. " %>% 
  rep(20) %>% paste(collapse = "")
str2 <- "Drop that text" 
str3 <- "Aenean venenatis varius elit et fermentum vivamus vehicula. " %>% 
  rep(20) %>% paste(collapse = "")

my_doc <- read_docx()  %>% 
  body_add_par(value = str1, style = "Normal") %>% 
  body_add_par(value = str2, style = "centered") %>% 
  body_add_par(value = str3, style = "Normal") 

print(my_doc, target = "assets/docx/ipsum_doc.docx") %>% invisible()

File ipsum_doc.docx now exists and contains a paragraph containing text that text. In the following example, we will position the cursor on that paragraph and then delete it:

my_doc <- read_docx(path = "assets/docx/ipsum_doc.docx")  %>% 
  cursor_reach(keyword = "that text") %>% 
  body_remove()

print(my_doc, target = "assets/docx/ipsum_doc.docx") %>% invisible()

The text search is made via xpath 1.0 and regular expressions are not supported.

Download file ipsum_doc.docx - view with office web viewer

Sections

Sections can be added to a document. This is possible by using function body_end_section.

A section start at the end of the previous section (or the beginning of the document if no preceding section exists), it stops where the section is declared. The function is reflecting that (complicated) Word concept, by adding an ending section attached to the paragraph where cursor is.

str1 <- "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. " %>% 
  rep(30) %>% paste(collapse = "")
str2 <- "Aenean venenatis varius elit et fermentum vivamus vehicula. " %>% 
  rep(30) %>% paste(collapse = "")

my_doc <- read_docx()  %>% 
  slip_in_text(str = str1, style = "strong") %>% 
  body_add_par(value = str2, style = "centered") %>% 
  body_end_section(landscape = TRUE, colwidths = c(.6, .4), space = .05, sep = FALSE) %>%
  body_add_par(value = str3, style = "Normal") 
print(my_doc, target = "assets/docx/section.docx") %>% invisible()

Download file section.docx - view with office web viewer

In the previous example, first two paragraphs will be in a 2 columns section and the third will be in a default section.

Table and image captions

Man can combine slip_in_seqfield and slip_in_text to prefix a paragraph with references (i.e. chapter number and graphic index in the document). However, producing a plot or a table and its caption can be verbose.

Shortcuts functions are implemented in the object shortcuts (it will at least give you a template of code to modify if it does not fit exactly your need). slip_in_tableref, slip_in_plotref and body_add_gg can make life easier.

Below an illustration, the code is linear and easy to read:

library(magrittr)
library(officer)
library(ggplot2)

gg1 <- ggplot(data = iris, aes(Sepal.Length, Petal.Length)) + geom_point()
gg2 <- ggplot(data = iris, aes(Sepal.Length, Petal.Length, color = Species)) + geom_point()


doc <- read_docx() %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "Table of content", style = "heading 1") %>% 
  body_add_toc(level = 2) %>% 
  
  body_add_par(value = "Tables", style = "heading 1") %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "dataset mtcars", style = "heading 2") %>% 
  body_add_table(value = head(mtcars)[, 1:4], style = "table_template" ) %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "data mtcars", style = "table title") %>% 
  shortcuts$slip_in_tableref(depth = 2) %>%
  
  body_add_par(value = "dataset iris", style = "heading 2") %>% 
  body_add_table(value = head(iris), style = "table_template" ) %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "data iris", style = "table title") %>% 
  shortcuts$slip_in_tableref(depth = 2) %>%
  
  body_end_section(landscape = FALSE ) %>% 
  
  body_add_par(value = "plot examples", style = "heading 1") %>% 
  body_add_gg(value = gg1, style = "centered" ) %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "graph example 1", style = "graphic title") %>% 
  shortcuts$slip_in_plotref(depth = 1) %>%
  
  body_add_par(value = "plot 2", style = "heading 2") %>% 
  body_add_gg(value = gg2, style = "centered" ) %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "graph example 2", style = "graphic title") %>% 
  shortcuts$slip_in_plotref(depth = 2) %>%
  
  body_end_section(landscape = TRUE) %>% 
  
  body_add_par(value = "Table of tables", style = "heading 2") %>% 
  body_add_toc(style = "table title") %>% 
  body_add_par(value = "Table of graphics", style = "heading 2") %>% 
  body_add_toc(style = "graphic title")

print(doc, target = "assets/docx/toc_and_captions.docx") %>% invisible()

Download file toc_and_captions.docx - view with office web viewer