# Scenario A: Creating a New DOCX from Scratch
## When to Use
Use Scenario A when:
- The user has no existing file and wants a brand new document
- The user provides content (text, tables, images) and wants it assembled into a DOCX
- The user specifies a document type (report, letter, memo, academic) or describes a custom layout
Do NOT use when: the user already has a DOCX they want to modify (→ Scenario B) or wants to restyle an existing document (→ Scenario C).
---
## Step-by-Step Workflow
### 1. Determine Document Type
Ask or infer the document type from the user's request:
| Type | Typical Signals |
|------|----------------|
| Report | "report", "analysis", "whitepaper", sections with headings |
| Letter | "letter", "dear", address block, salutation |
| Memo | "memo", "memorandum", To/From/Subject fields |
| Academic | "paper", "essay", "thesis", APA/MLA/Chicago mention |
| Custom | None of the above, or user specifies exact formatting |
### 2. Gather Content Requirements
Collect from the user:
- Title and subtitle (if any)
- Author / organization
- Section structure (headings and nesting)
- Body content per section
- Tables (headers + rows)
- Images (file paths or placeholders)
- Special elements: TOC, page numbers, watermark, headers/footers
### 3. Select Style Set
Based on document type, load the matching styles XML asset:
- Report → `assets/styles/default_styles.xml` or `assets/styles/corporate_styles.xml`
- Academic → `assets/styles/academic_styles.xml`
- Letter / Memo / Custom → `assets/styles/default_styles.xml` (with overrides)
### 4. Configure Page Setup
Set `w:sectPr` values based on document type defaults (see below) or user overrides.
```xml
```
### 5. Build Document Structure
Assemble `word/document.xml` with:
1. `w:body` as root container
2. Paragraphs (`w:p`) with heading styles for section titles
3. Body paragraphs with `Normal` style
4. Tables, images, and other elements as needed
5. Final `w:sectPr` as last child of `w:body`
### 6. Apply Typography Defaults
Set document-level defaults in `styles.xml` under `w:docDefaults`:
```xml
```
### 7. Add Complex Elements
See the Complex Elements Guide section below.
### 8. Run Validation Pipeline
```
dotnet run ... validate --xsd wml-subset.xsd
dotnet run ... validate --xsd business-rules.xsd # if applying a template
```
---
## Document Type Defaults
### Report
| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Body font | Calibri 11pt |
| Heading font | Calibri Light |
| H1 / H2 / H3 / H4 size | 28pt / 24pt / 18pt / 14pt |
| Heading color | #2F5496 (corporate blue) |
| Margins | 1 inch (1440 DXA) all sides |
| Page size | A4 (11906 × 16838 DXA) |
| Line spacing | Single (line="240") |
| Paragraph spacing | 0pt before, 8pt after body |
### Letter
| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Font | Calibri 11pt |
| Page size | Letter (12240 × 15840 DXA) |
| Margins | 1 inch all sides |
| Structure | Date → Address → Salutation → Body → Closing → Signature |
| Line spacing | Single |
### Memo
| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Font | Arial 11pt |
| Page size | Letter |
| Margins | 0.75 inch (1080 DXA) |
| Header | "MEMO" centered, bold, 16pt |
| Fields | To, From, Date, Subject (bold labels, tab-aligned values) |
### Academic
| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Font | Times New Roman 12pt |
| Line spacing | Double (line="480") |
| Margins | 1 inch all sides |
| Page size | Letter |
| Headings | Bold, same font, 14/13/12pt for H1/H2/H3 |
| First line indent | 0.5 inch (720 DXA) |
| Heading color | Black (no color) |
---
## Content Configuration JSON Format
The CLI `create` command accepts a JSON config:
```json
{
"type": "report",
"title": "Quarterly Revenue Analysis",
"subtitle": "Q1 2026",
"author": "Finance Team",
"pageSize": "A4",
"margins": { "top": 1440, "right": 1440, "bottom": 1440, "left": 1440 },
"sections": [
{
"heading": "Executive Summary",
"level": 1,
"content": [
{ "type": "paragraph", "text": "Revenue grew 12% year-over-year..." },
{
"type": "table",
"headers": ["Region", "Revenue", "Growth"],
"rows": [
["North America", "$4.2M", "+15%"],
["Europe", "$2.8M", "+8%"],
["Asia Pacific", "$1.9M", "+18%"]
]
},
{ "type": "image", "path": "charts/revenue.png", "width": "5in", "alt": "Revenue chart" }
]
},
{
"heading": "Detailed Analysis",
"level": 1,
"content": [
{ "type": "paragraph", "text": "Breaking down by product line..." }
]
}
]
}
```
Supported content types:
- `paragraph` — body text (applies Normal style)
- `table` — headers + rows (applies TableGrid style)
- `image` — inline image with width/height control
- `list` — bulleted or numbered list items
- `pageBreak` — forces a page break
---
## Complex Elements Guide
### Table of Contents
Insert a TOC field code. Word will update the actual entries when the file is opened:
```xml
Table of Contents
TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u
[Table of contents — update to populate]
```
### Page Numbers in Footer
Add a footer part (`word/footer1.xml`) and reference it in `w:sectPr`:
```xml
PAGE
1
```
### Watermark
Add a header part with a shape behind the text:
```xml
```
---
## Post-Creation Checklist
1. **Validate** against `wml-subset.xsd` — all elements in correct order, required attributes present
2. **Merge adjacent runs** with identical formatting to keep XML clean
3. **Verify relationships** — every `r:id` in document.xml has a matching entry in `document.xml.rels`
4. **Check content types** — every part in the package is registered in `[Content_Types].xml`
5. **Preview** — open in Word or LibreOffice to visually confirm layout
6. **File size** — confirm images are reasonably sized (compress if > 2MB each)