How to search and replace a word/text in word document using python-docx

Question

For example: Please find below paragraphs in a word document. The paragraphs are inside a table.

1. Ok Guys Please get up
2. Ok Guys Please getting up.

I'm trying to replace "get" with "wake". I am looking for "get" to replace with "wake" only in the case of paragraph 1. But in the below-given code, its getting replaced in both paragraph as shown in below result. This behavior is same for all paragraphs in a word document. Please suggest working as per the above requirement.

Actual Result: 1. Ok Guys Please wake up. 2. Ok Guys Please waketing up.

doc = docx.Document("path/docss.docx")
def Search_replace_text():
 for table in doc.tables:
  for row in table.rows:
   for cell in row.cells:
    for paragraph in cell.paragraphs:
     for run in paragraph.runs:
       if str(word.get()) in run.text:
         text = run.text.split(str(word.get())) # Gets input from GUI
         if text[1] == " ":
            run.text = text[0] + str(replace.get()) # Gets input from GUI
            print(run.text)
        else:
            run.text = text[0] + str(replace.get()) + text[1]
     else: break
     doc.save("docss.docx")

I want the result as shown below:

1. Ok Guys Please wake up.

2. Ok Guys Please getting up.

Actual Result:

1. Ok Guys Please wake up.

2. Ok Guys Please waketing up.

Answer 1

The problem with replacing text in runs is that the text can become split over multiple runs meaning a simple find and replace of the text will not always work.

Adapting my answer to Python docx Replace string in paragraph while keeping style

The text to be replaced can be split over several runs so it needs to searched by partial matching, identify which runs need to have text replaced then replace the text in those identified.

This function replaces strings and retains the original text styling. This process is the same regardless of whether styling is required to be retained as it is the styling that causes text to be potentially broken into multiple runs, even if the text visually lacks styling.

The code

import docx


def docx_find_replace_text(doc, search_text, replace_text):
    paragraphs = list(doc.paragraphs)
    for t in doc.tables:
        for row in t.rows:
            for cell in row.cells:
                for paragraph in cell.paragraphs:
                    paragraphs.append(paragraph)
    for p in paragraphs:
        if search_text in p.text:
            inline = p.runs
            # Replace strings and retain the same style.
            # The text to be replaced can be split over several runs so
            # search through, identify which runs need to have text replaced
            # then replace the text in those identified
            started = False
            search_index = 0
            # found_runs is a list of (inline index, index of match, length of match)
            found_runs = list()
            found_all = False
            replace_done = False
            for i in range(len(inline)):

                # case 1: found in single run so short circuit the replace
                if search_text in inline[i].text and not started:
                    found_runs.append((i, inline[i].text.find(search_text), len(search_text)))
                    text = inline[i].text.replace(search_text, str(replace_text))
                    inline[i].text = text
                    replace_done = True
                    found_all = True
                    break

                if search_text[search_index] not in inline[i].text and not started:
                    # keep looking ...
                    continue

                # case 2: search for partial text, find first run
                if search_text[search_index] in inline[i].text and inline[i].text[-1] in search_text and not started:
                    # check sequence
                    start_index = inline[i].text.find(search_text[search_index])
                    check_length = len(inline[i].text)
                    for text_index in range(start_index, check_length):
                        if inline[i].text[text_index] != search_text[search_index]:
                            # no match so must be false positive
                            break
                    if search_index == 0:
                        started = True
                    chars_found = check_length - start_index
                    search_index += chars_found
                    found_runs.append((i, start_index, chars_found))
                    if search_index != len(search_text):
                        continue
                    else:
                        # found all chars in search_text
                        found_all = True
                        break

                # case 2: search for partial text, find subsequent run
                if search_text[search_index] in inline[i].text and started and not found_all:
                    # check sequence
                    chars_found = 0
                    check_length = len(inline[i].text)
                    for text_index in range(0, check_length):
                        if inline[i].text[text_index] == search_text[search_index]:
                            search_index += 1
                            chars_found += 1
                        else:
                            break
                    # no match so must be end
                    found_runs.append((i, 0, chars_found))
                    if search_index == len(search_text):
                        found_all = True
                        break

            if found_all and not replace_done:
                for i, item in enumerate(found_runs):
                    index, start, length = [t for t in item]
                    if i == 0:
                        text = inline[index].text.replace(inline[index].text[start:start + length], str(replace_text))
                        inline[index].text = text
                    else:
                        text = inline[index].text.replace(inline[index].text[start:start + length], '')
                        inline[index].text = text
            # print(p.text)


# sample usage as per example 

doc = docx.Document('find_replace_test_document.docx')
docx_find_replace_text(doc, 'Testing1', 'Test ')
docx_find_replace_text(doc, 'Testing2', 'Test ')
docx_find_replace_text(doc, 'rest', 'TEST')
doc.save('find_replace_test_result.docx')

Sample output

Here are a couple of screenshots showing a source document and the result after replacing the text:

'Testing1' -> 'Test '
'Testing2' -> 'Test '
'rest' -> 'TEST'

Source document:

Resultant document:

I hope this helps someone.

Answer 2

replace

if str(word.get()) in run.text:

with little formating

if ' {} '.format(str(word.get())) in run.text:

to search separeted word(with two spaces).