FAQ

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docxi FAQ: Word documents in Ruby and Rails

Short answers to the questions people ask most. Longer explanations are linked from each answer.

Do I need Microsoft Word or LibreOffice installed? No. docxi writes the XML and the zip archive itself.

Does docxi require Rails? No. It works in any Ruby program. The tests also run with Rails 5.2 through 8.1 loaded. See Integrations.

How do I generate a Word document in Ruby on Rails? Build it in a controller or a background job and send word.render.string with send_data. See Integrations.

Which Ruby and Rails versions are supported? Ruby 2.5 and newer. Rails is optional, and CI tests Rails 5.2 through 8.1. See Installation.

Can docxi edit an existing .docx or fill in a Word template? No, it only creates new documents. For templates with merge fields, use a template-based gem such as sablon.

Is the table of contents generated from headings? No. You add each row and its page number. See Features.

Can I use numbered lists or heading styles? Not in 0.1.0. Paragraphs can be bullet items (ul: true), and you can format headings with text options such as size: and bold:.

Can I change the page size or orientation? Not yet. Pages are US Letter in portrait, and you can only change the margins. See Configuration.

Which image formats work? PNG. Every image is stored as a PNG part.

Can I add an image from a URL? Yes. add_media accepts http, https and ftp URLs, and downloads them when you call render. Don't pass URLs that come from users without checking them. See Security.

Can I write the document straight to a file? render returns a StringIO. Write its .string with File.binwrite("out.docx", word.render.string).

Can docxi stream very large documents? No. The whole document is built in memory when you call render. See Deployment.

Can I set right-to-left paragraphs? There are no right-to-left options in 0.1.0. Text is written as you pass it.

Where are the known issues listed? On the Roadmap and in the README's "Limitations and known issues" section.

Related pages

• Troubleshooting
• Features
• Getting Started

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