Microsoft Word
Enable an AI agent to recognise Microsoft Word, assess its document-editing environment and determine which document operations are available, appropriate and authorised.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise Microsoft Word, assess its document-editing environment and determine which document operations are available, appropriate and authorised.
Microsoft Word is Microsoft's proprietary word-processing application family for creating, editing, formatting, reviewing and printing text-based documents containing elements such as tables, images and references.
It can be Create or edit a document using verified Word capabilities and an appropriate template.; Inspect and change styles, sections, headers, footers and pagination settings.; Review comments and tracked changes, accepting or rejecting revisions only within the authorised scope.; Open, save, convert or export documents while checking preservation of required features.; Inspect protection, sharing and persistence states before modifying or distributing a document.; Run supported automation and verify both saved content and rendered output..
Distinguishing features
Product identity identifies Microsoft Word; opening a DOCX file alone does not establish that the application is Word.
The editing environment exposes document concepts such as paragraphs, styles, sections and page layout rather than treating the document only as an unstructured character stream.
Word denotes an application family, while DOCX denotes a document format that other applications can also read or write.
An installed or browser-based Word environment must be distinguished from a document previewer by its verified editing capabilities.
Microsoft Word must be distinguished from the broader Microsoft 365 offering by identifying which application actually performs the document operation.
Scope
+ Word product identity, edition, platform and deployment context
+ Word-specific document structure, formatting and pagination behaviour
+ Document opening, conversion, saving and output capabilities
+ Review, collaboration and document protection controls
+ Automation, extensions and operational readiness
- The computer, operating system, printer or other physical host
- Microsoft as an organisation and Microsoft 365 as a broader service suite
- Individual documents as intellectual works and their subject-matter correctness
- The full specification of DOCX, Office Open XML or other file formats
- Cloud storage services, identity providers and organisational records policies
- Other word processors and general-purpose text editors
Characteristics
- Product and edition identity
- Observed product name, edition and licence offering; unknown permitted Prevents capabilities from being inferred solely from the Word name or a file association.
- Execution platform
- Windows desktop, macOS desktop, web, mobile or other verified platform Available editing controls and automation interfaces depend on the environment.
- Version and update context
- Reported version, build and update channel where exposed Makes capability observations and compatibility problems reproducible.
- Document format relationship
- Current file format, compatibility mode and verified open, edit, save or export support Separates successful opening from reliable editing and preservation.
- Editing and protection state
- Editable, read-only, protected view, restricted editing, password-gated or unknown, where applicable Determines which document changes are currently possible and authorised.
- Layout dependencies
- Required fonts, templates, linked content and output configuration Missing or changed dependencies can alter pagination and presentation.
- Persistence state
- Saved, locally modified, synchronising, synchronisation failed, recovery available or unknown An apparent edit is not sufficient evidence that the intended document was durably updated.
- Review and collaboration state
- Tracked-change setting, unresolved revisions and comments, active collaborators and sharing context Determines whether an operation changes final content, proposes revisions or affects concurrent work.
- Automation surface
- Verified UI automation, VBA, add-in API, desktop object model or no available interface An agent must choose an interface supported by the actual Word environment.
- Rendered page count
- Pages under a recorded layout and output configuration Provides a concrete check for unintended pagination changes without treating page count as invariant.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 19 findings · 29 questions.
Word identity and capability Establishes which Word environment is present and which capabilities have been verified.
The product name alone does not establish equivalent behaviour across platforms, editions and deployments.
Product boundary
Distinguishes the Word product family from a running instance, document format and surrounding suite.
Word product identification
Record evidence that the relevant application is Microsoft Word and identify the particular environment being assessed.
- What application identity, platform and edition establish that this environment is Microsoft Word? definition
- Is the subject the Word product family, a deployed installation, a running session or a document opened within it? boundary
Capability evidence
Connects required operations to observed support in the target environment.
Edition-specific operation support
Record whether the required Word operation is available, including version, licence and administrative constraints.
- Which reported build, documentation or direct observation supports the claimed editing or automation capability? provenance
- Can the required operation be completed in this Word environment, or does it require another platform or edition? action
Word document structure and layout Covers the structural and presentation mechanisms an agent must understand to edit Word documents reliably.
Visible text alone does not expose the styles, sections and generated elements that govern document behaviour.
Semantic editing structure
Identifies paragraph styles, lists, tables, fields and other structured elements relevant to a change.
Structure-aware editing
Record whether content is ordinary text, style-controlled content, a field, a content control or another structured element before altering it.
- Is the target content ordinary text, a field result, a content control, a table cell or another Word element? definition
- Should the requested change modify content, a style, numbering definitions or a generated element's source? action
Sections and pagination
Tracks page-level settings and dependencies that determine the rendered document.
Layout preservation
Record section boundaries, header and footer relationships, page settings and font dependencies needed to preserve the intended layout.
- Which section breaks, header or footer links, margins and font dependencies govern the affected pages? definition
- Under the intended output configuration, what changes in page count, line wrapping or element placement follow the edit? measurement
Word files and output Covers document fidelity, persistence, recovery and delivery through Word.
A successful editing action must result in the correct saved artifact with the required content and presentation preserved.
Format and conversion
Assesses the consequences of opening and saving documents across formats and compatibility contexts.
Feature preservation across formats
Record the input and target formats, compatibility warnings and document features whose preservation must be checked.
- Which document features, such as macros, fields, revisions or embedded objects, must survive the proposed conversion? boundary
- What reopen or comparison check establishes that the chosen Word save or export operation preserved those features? action
Saving, recovery and rendering
Separates in-session edits, durable storage and rendered deliverables.
Verified document delivery
Record the intended save destination, persistence evidence and checks on printed or exported output.
- What evidence shows that the latest changes reached the intended file and storage location? provenance
- Which saved-file and rendered-output checks are needed before treating the document as delivered? action
Word review and collaboration Models revisions, comments and shared editing as distinct document operations.
Editing text, proposing a tracked revision and resolving review feedback have different consequences.
Tracked revisions and comments
Establishes how proposed changes and review discussions are represented and displayed.
Review state interpretation
Record tracking and display settings separately from the existence and disposition of revisions and comments.
- Does the current view hide revisions or comments that remain present in the document? boundary
- Does the task authorise direct editing, tracked proposals, accepting or rejecting changes, or resolving comments? action
Shared editing context
Identifies collaborators, access relationships and synchronisation conditions affecting Word edits.
Concurrent edit coordination
Record whether the document is being edited concurrently and how the agent will detect conflicting or unsynchronised changes.
- Which observed participants, permissions and storage context establish the current coauthoring situation? provenance
- How should the agent verify the latest document state before applying a change that could overwrite concurrent work? action
Word trust and automation Covers document restrictions, active content and the interfaces through which an agent can operate Word.
Word operations may be constrained by document protection, administrative policy and platform-specific automation support.
Document trust and restrictions
Distinguishes editing restrictions from controls over macros, linked content and other active behaviour.
Permitted document operations
Record the specific restriction or trust control affecting the requested operation and the authority required to change it.
- Is the operation blocked by read-only access, Protected View, restricted editing, encryption or an administrative control? definition
- Can the authorised task be completed within the current restrictions, and what explicit authority would be needed to alter them? action
Automation and extensions
Maps the requested Word operation to an available automation interface and its verification requirements.
Automation interface selection
Record supported interfaces, their access to the relevant document elements and the evidence required to confirm successful execution.
- Which verified interface can access the required Word elements in this platform and deployment? provenance
- How will the agent confirm that automation changed the intended document, preserved required structure and saved successfully? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The sense covered is the software product family, not a physical tool, individual installation or document; PHY.OBJ merits classification review.
- Features, licensing and platform availability vary by release and should be checked before making version-specific claims.
- This is recalled knowledge, not source-verified research; standards references describe file formats rather than certifying every Word implementation.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Word for Windows
- Word for macOS
- Word for the web
- Word mobile applications
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Filename extension - .docx - Identifies the usual modern Word document format, not the application itself.
- Filename extension - .docm - Identifies a macro-enabled Word document.
- Filename extension - .doc - Commonly identifies the legacy binary Word document format.
- IANA media type - application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document - Registered media type for an Office Open XML word-processing document.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- ECMA-376, Office Open XML File Formats, issued by Ecma International: specifies the format family underlying DOCX.
- ISO/IEC 29500, Office Open XML File Formats, issued by ISO and IEC: standardizes document representation and packaging; support and conformance depend on the Word version and selected format.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Drafting correspondence, reports and manuscripts.
- Reviewing documents through comments and tracked changes.
- Producing consistently formatted documents using styles and templates.
- Generating personalized letters and labels through mail merge.
- Preparing documents for printing or PDF distribution.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Document length - No meaningful universal range; Word reports word and page counts. - words; pages
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Layout, fonts, pagination or fields can change between application versions, platforms and alternative document editors.
- Unsaved work can be lost after crashes or interruptions; recovery depends on configuration and storage.
- Macros and other active content in untrusted documents can execute malicious actions.
- Comments, tracked changes and document metadata can disclose information unintentionally.
- Documents built without suitable headings, reading order or alternative text can be difficult to use with assistive technology.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Interface language, proofing dictionaries and language tools vary by installation and language support.
- Paper sizes, date formats and other document conventions vary by locale.
- Right-to-left and other script-specific layout requirements affect document preparation.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Word processor - A word processor is the application category; Microsoft Word is a particular branded family within it.
- Microsoft 365 - Microsoft 365 is a broader suite and service offering that can include Word.
- DOCX - DOCX is a document file format used by Word and other applications, rather than an editing application.
- Microsoft Word document - A document is an individual information artifact created or edited with the software.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Microsoft Word this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should the registry retain Microsoft Word in PHY / PHY.OBJ, or classify it as software while preserving vr.tr.microsoft-word as the canonical identity?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already cover Microsoft Word or provide a canonical word-processor model that this entry should reference?
- Which Word platforms, editions and release ranges must the researched model cover, and what official evidence establishes their capability differences?
- Which document formats, standards and preservation guarantees can be substantiated for the selected Word environments?
- Which deployment-specific licensing, collaboration, protection and automation constraints must be discovered at runtime rather than asserted at product-family level?