office

name	office
description	Create and edit Office documents (Word .docx, PowerPoint .pptx, Excel .xlsx) by writing and running small Python scripts with python-docx, python-pptx, and openpyxl. Use whenever the user asks to author, generate, or edit a Word/PowerPoint/Excel file. Preferred over any MCP document tools — it costs almost no context.

Office Documents (code-generation approach)

Author and edit .docx, .pptx, and .xlsx files by writing a Python script to a file with your file-creation tool and running it. Do NOT ask for a document-editing tool. The libraries (python-docx, python-pptx, openpyxl) are well known to you from training; write ordinary Python.

You use exactly two tools here: your file-creation/editor tool (to write the script) and the shell (only to run it with uv).

Step 1 — Write the script to a file (with your file tool, NOT the shell)

• Use your normal create-a-new-file tool — the same one you use to write source code — to create build_doc.py. Write plain, multi-line Python, exactly as you would any source file.
• Do NOT use the edit tool for this (it fails if the file does not exist yet) — create a new file.
• Save it in the current working directory (or an absolute path the user asked for). Never write it into the skill's own folder or anywhere under .copilot / .config — that is not where the user works.
• Do NOT compose the script through the shell: no echo, cat, here-docs, > redirection, Set-Content, or PowerShell here-strings. Those inject shell escapes and corrupt the file. (Copilot's shell on Windows is PowerShell, where this reliably fails.)
• The file must contain real newlines and real quotes. If the content you are producing contains the characters \n, \r\n, or \", STOP — you are using the wrong tool. Your file tool takes literal text; it needs no escaping.

Step 2 — Run it with uv

uv run --with python-docx --with python-pptx --with openpyxl build_doc.py

• Use only the --with packages you actually need (just --with python-docx for a Word file).
• Have the script .save(...) the document to the current working directory (or the path the user asked for). The shell is only for running the script and uv, never for composing it.

Step 3 — Confirm and iterate

• Confirm the output file exists and report its full path to the user.
• If the run fails, read the traceback, edit the script file (it now exists) to fix it, and re-run. Never retry by piping code through the shell.

Workflow

1. Clarify the target: file type, filename/path, and the content/structure requested.
2. Create build_doc.py in the working directory with your file tool (Step 1) that builds (or opens + edits) the document.
3. Run it with the uv run --with ... command (Step 2).
4. Verify the file was created/modified; on a traceback, edit the script file and re-run.
5. Tell the user the final path (and a one-line summary of what you produced).

Word — python-docx

from docx import Document
from docx.shared import Pt, Inches

doc = Document()                      # or Document("existing.docx") to edit
doc.add_heading("Title", level=0)
doc.add_heading("Section", level=1)
p = doc.add_paragraph("Body text. ")
p.add_run("Bold.").bold = True
doc.add_paragraph("Bullet", style="List Bullet")
table = doc.add_table(rows=1, cols=2)
table.style = "Light Grid Accent 1"
table.rows[0].cells[0].text = "A"; table.rows[0].cells[1].text = "B"
doc.save("out.docx")

PowerPoint — python-pptx

from pptx import Presentation
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt

prs = Presentation()                  # or Presentation("existing.pptx") to edit
title = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[0])
title.shapes.title.text = "Deck Title"
title.placeholders[1].text = "Subtitle"
body = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1])
body.shapes.title.text = "Agenda"
tf = body.placeholders[1].text_frame
tf.text = "First point"
tf.add_paragraph().text = "Second point"
prs.save("out.pptx")

Excel — openpyxl

from openpyxl import Workbook, load_workbook
from openpyxl.styles import Font

wb = Workbook()                       # or load_workbook("existing.xlsx") to edit
ws = wb.active; ws.title = "Sheet1"
ws.append(["Name", "Value"])
ws["A1"].font = Font(bold=True); ws["B1"].font = Font(bold=True)
ws.append(["Alpha", 10]); ws.append(["Beta", 20])
ws["B4"] = "=SUM(B2:B3)"
wb.save("out.xlsx")

Notes

• To edit an existing file, open it (Document(path) / Presentation(path) / load_workbook(path)), modify, and save — overwrite the same path unless the user wants a copy.
• For images, use doc.add_picture(path, width=Inches(...)) / slide.shapes.add_picture(...).
• Keep scripts small and readable; iterate (run → read traceback → fix) rather than guessing large scripts.
• This approach works on every model/context size because it adds no tool schemas.