Python: Add, Read, and Remove Built-in Document Properties in Word Documents

Word documents often contain metadata known as document properties, which include information like title, author, subject, and keywords. Manipulating these properties is invaluable for maintaining organized documentation, enhancing searchability, and ensuring proper attribution in collaborative environments. With Spire.Doc for Python, developers can automate the tasks of adding, reading, and removing document properties in Word documents to streamline document management workflows and enable the integration of these processes into larger automated systems. This article provides detailed steps and code examples that demonstrate how to utilize Spire.Doc for Python to effectively manage document properties within Word files.

• Add Built-in Document Properties to Word Documents with Python
• Read Built-in Document Properties from Word Documents with Python
• Remove Built-in Document Properties from Word Documents with Python

Install Spire.Doc for Python

This scenario requires Spire.Doc for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip commands.

pip install Spire.Doc

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to: How to Install Spire.Doc for Python on Windows

Add Built-in Document Properties to Word Documents with Python

Spire.Doc for Python provides developers with the Document.BuiltinDocumentProperties property to access the built-in properties of Word documents. The value of these properties can be set using the corresponding properties under the BuiltinDocumentProperties class.

The following steps show how to add the main built-in properties in Word documents:

• Create an object of Document class.
• Load a Word document using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get the built-in properties through Document.BuiltinDocumentProperties property.
• Add values to the properties with properties under BuiltinDocumentProperties property.
• Save the document using Document.SaveToFile() method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

# Create an object of Document
doc = Document()

# Load a Word document
doc.LoadFromFile("Sample.docx")

# Set the built-in property
builtinProperty = doc.BuiltinDocumentProperties
builtinProperty.Title = "Revolutionizing Artificial Intelligence"
builtinProperty.Subject = "Advanced Applications and Future Directions of Neural Networks in Artificial Intelligence"
builtinProperty.Author = "Simon"
builtinProperty.Manager = "Arie"
builtinProperty.Company = "AI Research Lab"
builtinProperty.Category = "Research"
builtinProperty.Keywords = "Machine Learning, Neural Network, Artificial Intelligence"
builtinProperty.Comments = "This paper is about the state of the art of artificial intelligence."
builtinProperty.HyperLinkBase = "www.e-iceblue.com"

# Save the document
doc.SaveToFile("output/AddPropertyWord.docx", FileFormat.Docx2019)
doc.Close()

Read Built-in Document Properties from Word Documents with Python

Besides adding values, the properties under the BuiltinDocumentProperties class also empower developers to read existing built-in properties of Word documents. This enables various functionalities like document search, information extraction, and document analysis.

The detailed steps for reading document built-in properties using Spire.Doc for Python are as follows:

• Create an object of Document class.
• Load a Word document using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get the built-in properties of Document using Document.BuiltinDocumentProperties property.
• Get the value of the properties using properties under BuiltinDocumentProperties class.
• Output the built-in properties of the document.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

# Create an object of Document
doc = Document()

# Load a Word document
doc.LoadFromFile("output/AddPropertyWord.docx")

# Get the built-in properties of the document
builtinProperties = doc.BuiltinDocumentProperties

# Get the value of the built-in properties
properties = [
    "Author: " + builtinProperties.Author,
    "Company: " + builtinProperties.Company,
    "Title: " + builtinProperties.Title,
    "Subject: " + builtinProperties.Subject,
    "Keywords: " + builtinProperties.Keywords,
    "Category: " + builtinProperties.Category,
    "Manager: " + builtinProperties.Manager,
    "Comments: " + builtinProperties.Comments,
    "Hyperlink Base: " + builtinProperties.HyperLinkBase,
    "Word Count: " + str(builtinProperties.WordCount),
    "Page Count: " + str(builtinProperties.PageCount),
]

# Output the built-in properties
for i in range(0, len(properties)):
    print(properties[i])

doc.Close()

Remove Built-in Document Properties from Word Documents with Python

The built-in document properties of a Word document that contain specific content can be removed by setting them to null values. This protects private information while retaining necessary details.

The detailed steps for removing specific built-in document properties from Word documents are as follows:

• Create an object of Document class.
• Load a Word document using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get the built-in properties of the document through Document.BuiltinDocumentProperties property.
• Set the value of some properties to none to remove the properties with properties under BuiltinDocumentProperties class.
• Save the document using Document.SaveToFile() method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

# Create an instance of the Document class
doc = Document()

# Load the Word document
doc.LoadFromFile("output/AddPropertyWord.docx")

# Get the document's built-in properties
builtinProperties = doc.BuiltinDocumentProperties

# Remove the built-in properties by setting them to None
builtinProperties.Author = None
builtinProperties.Company = None
builtinProperties.Title = None
builtinProperties.Subject = None
builtinProperties.Keywords = None
builtinProperties.Comments = None
builtinProperties.Category = None
builtinProperties.Manager = None

# Save the document
doc.SaveToFile("output/RemovePropertyWord.docx", FileFormat.Docx)
doc.Close()

Apply for a Temporary License

If you'd like to remove the evaluation message from the generated documents, or to get rid of the function limitations, please request a 30-day trial license for yourself.