Aspose.Words FOSS
Python
Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Licensing & Open Source

What license does Aspose.Words FOSS for Python use?

Aspose.Words FOSS for Python is released under the MIT license. You can use, modify, and distribute the library in both personal and commercial projects. The only requirement is to include the original license text in copies of the software.

Can I use Aspose.Words FOSS in a commercial product?

Yes. The MIT license permits commercial use, modification, and distribution without purchasing a separate license or activation key.

Installation & Requirements

How do I install Aspose.Words FOSS for Python?

Install via pip:

pip install aspose-words-foss>=26.4.0

The package installs its dependencies (olefile, fpdf2, pydantic) automatically.

What Python versions are supported?

Aspose.Words FOSS requires Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12. Earlier Python versions are not supported.

Are there any native or system dependencies?

No native extensions or system-level dependencies are required. All dependencies are pure Python packages installed automatically by pip.

Format Support

Which document formats can Aspose.Words FOSS read?

The library reads DOCX, DOC, RTF, TXT, and Markdown input formats. Load any supported file by passing the file path to the Document constructor:

import aspose.words_foss as aw

doc = aw.Document("input.docx")

Which output formats does Aspose.Words FOSS support?

Documents can be exported to PDF, Markdown, and plain text using SaveFormat constants:

  • SaveFormat.PDF — PDF export
  • SaveFormat.MARKDOWN — Markdown export
  • SaveFormat.TEXT — plain text export

Can I control output formatting?

Yes. Use PdfSaveOptions or MarkdownSaveOptions for fine-grained control over the output instead of SaveFormat constants.

API Usage

How do I convert a DOCX file to PDF?

Load the document and call save() with SaveFormat.PDF:

import aspose.words_foss as aw

doc = aw.Document("input.docx")
doc.save("output.pdf", aw.SaveFormat.PDF)

How do I extract text from a Word document?

Use Document.get_text() to extract all text content:

import aspose.words_foss as aw

doc = aw.Document("input.docx")
text = doc.get_text()

How do I convert a document to Markdown?

Use SaveFormat.MARKDOWN:

import aspose.words_foss as aw

doc = aw.Document("input.docx")  # or .doc, .rtf, .txt, .md
doc.save("output.md", aw.SaveFormat.MARKDOWN)

Known Limitations

Does Aspose.Words FOSS support all features of the commercial Aspose.Words?

No. Aspose.Words FOSS is a separate open-source library with a focused feature set: document loading, format conversion, and text extraction. It does not include the full feature set of the commercial Aspose.Words product.

Are there any format conversion limitations?

The library focuses on document-to-document conversion (DOCX, DOC, RTF, TXT, Markdown to PDF, Markdown, text). Complex document features like macros, embedded OLE objects, or advanced typography may not be fully preserved during conversion.

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