How to use R and Python to Parse Word Documents

[ShaanM]

A lot of people I have been speaking to recently have asked this and seems to crop up more and more.

i thought it would be useful to build two macros to help solve this challenge.

Using either R or Python the two macros take a feed of files and process them.

If using R, the package used is called 'Officer' which you will need to install separately 

For Python, the package used is called 'Docx2txt' , also to be installed seperately

It is a very basic example and there are a whole host of other packages that do something similar.

Here is the R code used:

library(officer)

doc <- read_docx("XXXX")

content <- docx_summary(doc)
head(content)

write.Alteryx(content, 3)

Here is the Python code used:

from ayx import Alteryx
Alteryx.installPackages("docx2txt")

from ayx import Alteryx
import pandas

import docx2txt

text = docx2txt.process('XXXX')

print(text)

#Turn the variabe with html page into Pandas' DF
df = pandas.DataFrame({"text":[text]})

#Write the data frame to Alteryx workflow for downstream processing
Alteryx.write(df,1)

For each method I packaged as a macro, in the code using 'xxxx' as a placeholder for the file name.

Attached is the Workflow+Macros and test file

Enjoy!!

Shaan Mistry

[JTCairns]

Hi Shaan,

When i try to run docx2txt i get this:

Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement docx2txt (from versions: )
No matching distribution found for docx2txt

can you give any guidance?

[ShaanM]

hi @JTCairns 

what if you try run just this in python:

from ayx import Alteryx
Alteryx.installPackages("docx2txt")

does it attempt to install?

[JTCairns]

Hi Shaan,

I get the below, i think it may be a net securty issue but i have no way of changing that, if it is that can a package be installed from a local file? Or is it something else?

[ShaanM]

hi @JTCairns 

The packages can be downloaded out of Alteryx and placed into this folder (default location):C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\Miniconda3\PythonTool_venv\Lib\site-packages

I will attempt to attach the file here. It needs unzipping then place the 2 folders into the folder above and it should then work.

hope this helps

[JTCairns]

Thanks fo rthis Shann, i hope this works but i dont have admin permision so i will have to wait and see.

[gururajb]

Hi I am getting this error while I am trying to parse it using R based macro.

Has anyone come across this issue?

Please help.

[ShaanM]

@gururajb 

what does the data look like going into the macro? 

Check it is represented as a full path e.g. c:\datafolder\worddoc.docx

[gururajb]

Hi Shaan I realized that the file extension is .doc which is not supported by officer library.
I guess we will have to use different package.

[ShaanM]

hi @gururajb 

i tested on my end with a .doc and the R macro still pulls the data in ok.

could you maybe send me a direct message with the file or upload here?