Aspose.Words FOSS
Python
How to Load DOC Files in Python

How to Load DOC Files in Python

Aspose.Words FOSS for Python reads legacy Word 97-2003 .doc files through DocFileReader. This guide shows how to load .doc files from disk, streams, and byte buffers.

Loading from a File Path

The simplest approach uses the Document constructor, which auto-selects the DOC reader:

import aspose.words_foss as aw

doc = aw.Document("legacy-report.doc")
print(f"Loaded {len(doc.sections)} section(s)")

Loading from a Stream

For web applications handling file uploads:

import aspose.words_foss as aw

with open("uploaded.doc", "rb") as stream:
    doc = aw.Document(stream)
    text = doc.get_text()
    print(text[:200])

Loading from Bytes

When the file content is already in memory:

from aspose.words_foss.doc_reader.doc_file_reader_core import DocFileReaderCore

data = read_from_database()  # returns bytes
reader = DocFileReaderCore()
reader.load_bytes(data)

See Also