Docx To PDF

A TypeScript TUI for finding DOCX files and batch-converting them to PDF with Microsoft Word as the native export engine.

Showcase

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Docx Word PDF                                              │
│ System-wide DOCX search. Space to select. Export with Word.│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

  ◐ Searching the system for DOCX files…

  › [ ] resume.docx             /Users/you/Documents
    [x] invoice.docx            /Users/you/Downloads
    [ ] contract.docx           /Users/you/Desktop
    [ ] tiki.docx               /Users/you/Desktop

Contents

• Docx To PDF
  • Showcase
  • Contents
  • Highlights
  • Why This Exists
  • Current Workflow
  • Tech Stack
  • Requirements
  • Quick Start
  • Usage
  • Development
  • Roadmap
  • License

Highlights

Feature	Description
Native Word engine	Uses Microsoft Word via AppleScript, so PDFs match Word's own export output.
System-wide DOCX search	Uses macOS Spotlight first and falls back to filesystem search when needed.
Keyboard selection	Arrow keys, Space to toggle, type to filter, Ctrl+A (all visible), Ctrl+N (clear), Enter to continue.
Batch export	One Word session exports every selected file in order (faster than separate runs).
Optional OCR	Adds a searchable OCR layer through OCRmyPDF without replacing existing PDF text.

Why This Exists

LibreOffice and document parsing libraries can convert DOCX files, but complex Word layout often changes. This tool uses Word itself as the rendering engine, then optionally adds OCR as a separate post-processing step.

Current Workflow

1. Search the Mac for .docx files.
2. Show all results in a keyboard-driven TUI.
3. Select documents with Space.
4. Choose output folder, OCR, and overwrite behavior.
5. Export through Microsoft Word in one session (with AppleScript alerts suppressed where supported).

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Language	TypeScript
Runtime	Node.js
Search	mdfind / filesystem fallback
PDF engine	Microsoft Word via osascript
OCR	OCRmyPDF and Tesseract

Requirements

• macOS
• Microsoft Word installed at /Applications/Microsoft Word.app
• Node.js 22+
• Optional OCR tools:

brew install ocrmypdf tesseract tesseract-lang

Quick Start

npm install
npm run dev

Usage

Controls:

Key	Action
Arrow Up / Down	Move through results
Space	Select or unselect a document
Type letters	Filter the list (start typing; / opens filter without a leading slash)
Ctrl+A	Select all visible results
Ctrl+N	Clear selection among visible results
Enter	Continue
q	Quit

On first conversion, macOS may ask whether your terminal may control Microsoft Word. Allow it, otherwise Word cannot export PDFs.

Word modal prompts (for example linked fields) are suppressed during automation via display alerts; some macOS security prompts may still appear until paths are trusted once.

Development

npm install
npm run build
npm test

Roadmap

• Preserve source folder structure in the output directory.
• Add a small conversion log export.
• Add retry for failed files.
• Add signed release packaging.

License

MIT