How to Convert DOCX to TXT Using Python?

Converting a .docx file to a plain text (.txt) format is a common task in document processing. Python makes this easy with the help of powerful libraries. In this guide, we'll use the python-docx module, one of the most popular tools for working with Word documents in Python.

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Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have Python installed on your system. You'll also need to install the python-docx library. Run the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

pip install python-docx

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Step-by-Step Conversion Process

Step 1: Import the Required Module

First, we need to import the Document class from the docx module to read the DOCX file.

from docx import Document

Step 2: Load the DOCX File

Use the Document class to load the Word file. Replace "input.docx" with your file path.

doc = Document("input.docx")

Step 3: Extract Text from the Document

Iterate through each paragraph in the document and collect the text.

text = []
for paragraph in doc.paragraphs:
    text.append(paragraph.text)
full_text = "\n".join(text)

Step 4: Save the Text to a TXT File

Finally, write the extracted text to a .txt file.

with open("output.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
    file.write(full_text)

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Complete Code Example

Here’s the full script to convert a DOCX file to TXT:

from docx import Document

def docx_to_txt(input_file, output_file):
    doc = Document(input_file)
    text = [paragraph.text for paragraph in doc.paragraphs]
    full_text = "\n".join(text)
    
    with open(output_file, "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
        file.write(full_text)
    print(f"Successfully converted {input_file} to {output_file}")

# Usage
docx_to_txt("input.docx", "output.txt")

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Handling Errors

To make the script more robust, add error handling for cases where the file doesn’t exist or isn’t a valid DOCX file.

from docx import Document
from docx.opc.exceptions import PackageNotFoundError

def docx_to_txt(input_file, output_file):
    try:
        doc = Document(input_file)
        text = [paragraph.text for paragraph in doc.paragraphs]
        full_text = "\n".join(text)
        
        with open(output_file, "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
            file.write(full_text)
        print(f"Successfully converted {input_file} to {output_file}")
    
    except PackageNotFoundError:
        print("Error: The file is not a valid DOCX document.")
    except FileNotFoundError:
        print("Error: The input file was not found.")

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Summary: This guide explains how to convert DOCX files to TXT using Python and the python-docx library. The process involves reading paragraphs from the Word document and saving them into a plain text file.

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