sdo-docx-formatting

name

sdo-docx-formatting

description

Reusable .docx formatting conventions for formal standardization documents. Use when formatting headings, notes, enumerations, tables, figures, cross-references, citations, and text in technical standards documents. Applies across SDOs -- concrete style names are provided by the per-SDO drafting skill. Triggers include "format this document", "apply styles", "add cross-references", "insert table/figure", "format notes or citations".

Standards Document Formatting

Apply these conventions for formal technical documents across all SDOs (3GPP, ETSI, ITU-T). This skill describes what to do at the conceptual level. Concrete Word style names vary per SDO and are provided by the per-SDO drafting skill (3gpp-drafting, etsi-drafting, itut-drafting).

Core rules

1. Apply formatting exclusively through named paragraph and character styles defined in the document template. Never apply direct/ad-hoc formatting (e.g., toggling bold, changing font size, or adding colour without a named style). If a required named style is missing from the document template, inform the user and offer to create the style definition before applying it.
2. Keep numbering and references update-safe -- use SEQ fields and bookmarks, never hard-coded numbers.
3. Use non-breaking spaces (\u00a0) for semantic units (number+unit, Figure/Table+number).
4. Use real tab runs (<w:tab/>), never spaces, for tab-separated structural elements (heading number+title, enumeration bullet+text, note label+text). See sdo-docx-operations for officecli patterns.

Style-name abstraction

This skill uses abstract style names. Each SDO drafting skill provides the concrete mapping. Example:

Abstract name	Purpose	3GPP / ETSI	ITU-T
body-text	Main body paragraphs	Normal	Body Text
heading-1 through heading-3	Section headings	Heading 1--Heading 3	Heading 1--Heading 3

Always consult the per-SDO drafting skill for the correct concrete style IDs. If the per-SDO drafting skill is not available in context, ask the user which SDO applies and use the example mappings in the table above as defaults.

Conventions by domain

Document mode (apply first)

Determine document class before applying structural rules:

• Standards mode (specifications, reports, Recommendations, Norms): use clause-centric structure (N, N.M, N.M.P), and treat normative references as an early clause (typically clause 2).
• Meeting-document mode (contributions, submissions, TDoc/TD): section-oriented structure is allowed by template/SDO practice, and reference sections are often placed near the end.

If uncertain, ask the user whether the document is a meeting document or an actual standard.

Headings (critical rules)

• Never use MS Word automatic numbering for clauses/sections. Use <w:tab/> between heading number and title.
• Numbering: N → N.M → N.M.P.
• In standards mode, use clause terminology (not section terminology) for internal structure and cross-references.
• References is not numbered when represented as a standalone heading.

Enumerations (critical rules)

• Never use MS Word built-in list feature. Prefer en-dash (–) enumerations with <w:tab/> after the bullet.
• Styles: enum-1, enum-2, enum-3 for hierarchy levels.

Notes (critical rules)

• Format: NOTE\u00a0N:\t<text> (uppercase NOTE, non-breaking space, real tab). Omit number for single notes.
• Last note in a block → note-main; preceding notes → note-continuation.

Tables and Figures (critical rules)

• Table caption above: Table\u00a0N: <text> with {SEQ Table \* ARABIC} field; bookmark tbl_<name> around the number part only.
• Figure caption below: Figure\u00a0N: <text> with {SEQ Figure \* ARABIC} field; bookmark fig_<name> around the number part only.
• Never hard-code numbers. Cross-ref with {REF bookmark}.

Citations (critical rules)

• Each entry: [N]\t<text> using reference-entry style and {SEQ Ref \* ARABIC} field. Bookmark ref_<name> around the sequence field only.
• In standards mode, normative References are typically near the beginning (often clause 2). If a Bibliography exists, it is an informative end section/appendix and follows annexes.
• In meeting-document mode, a References section is commonly placed near or at the end.

Text formatting (critical rules)

• Use body-text for paragraphs, code-text for inline code/filenames.
• Non-breaking spaces between number+unit and Figure/Table+number.
• Straight quotes only (", '), never curly/typographic.

Equations (critical rules)

• Display equations: single paragraph with style equation, structure \t<equation>\t(<SEQ EQ>).
• Do not hard-code equation numbers. Use {SEQ EQ \* ARABIC}.
• Bookmark EQ_<name> around the numbered label for cross-referencing.
• Inline equations mixed with body text use oMath runs, no numbering.

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Full details in reference files:

• references/headings.md
• references/enumerations.md
• references/notes.md
• references/tables-figures.md
• references/equations.md
• references/citations.md
• references/text-formatting.md

Cross-references

• sdo-docx-operations -- officecli patterns for tab-run injection, field-code injection, bookmark insertion
• sdo-writing-style -- prose quality rules for the textual content
• Per-SDO drafting skill (3gpp-drafting, etsi-drafting, itut-drafting) -- concrete style name mapping