How Can I Process MS Word Files in PHP Without Using COM Objects?

Working with MS Word Files in PHP: Exploring Alternatives to COM Objects

Many developers working with PHP desire the ability to read and modify Word documents without resorting to COM objects. While simply writing text to a .doc file may not produce a native Word document, alternative solutions exist that offer more comprehensive functionality.

Microsoft Office XML Formats

For both reading and writing Word files, Microsoft Office XML formats provide a viable option compatible with Word 2003 and 2007. To read XML documents, ensure they are saved in the correct format (Word 2003 XML-Document in Word 2007). Writing using these formats involves adhering to the publicly accessible XML schema. Despite not using this format for writing, extracting data from an Excel worksheet saved as XML-Spreadsheet 2003 is easily achievable.

OpenXML

Another solution, exclusive to Word 2007, is OpenXML. DOCX files are simply ZIP archives containing XML files. Numerous resources on MSDN provide insights into the OpenXML file format for reading data. However, writing documents using OpenXML requires a significant investment of time and effort.

PHPExcel: A Valuable Reference

PHPExcel, a PHP library, offers a valuable example of working with OpenXML files. It supports writing to and reading from Excel 2007 files. Examining PHPExcel's codebase can provide further understanding of the complexities involved in working with OpenXML Word documents.

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