Use when an institutional Word form (.doc/.docx IRB protocol, ethics application, grant template) must be filled without breaking its styles, tables, fonts or page layout. Renders content drafted by /write-protocol into the template; CJK-aware.
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---
name: fill-protocol
description: Use when an institutional Word form (.doc/.docx IRB protocol, ethics application, grant template) must be filled without breaking its styles, tables, fonts or page layout. Renders content drafted by /write-protocol into the template; CJK-aware.
metadata:
triggers: "fill protocol, fill template, fill IRB form, IRB template, ethics template, grant template, 양식 채우기, 연구계획서 작성, 신청서 작성, 정부 양식, 병원 양식, 워드 템플릿"
---
# Fill-Protocol Skill
## Core Principles (Do Not Violate)
1. **Open the existing template — never create from scratch.** Use `Document(template_path)`, not
`Document()`: rebuilding loses the header logo, custom margins, footer placeholders and page
numbering. Replace cell/paragraph text in place; never a single `cell.text = "value"`
assignment, which erases run-level styles (bold, color, eastAsia font).
2. **Convert .doc → .docx via LibreOffice headless** before any editing. `pandoc -f doc` is not
supported; `textutil` corrupts table structure (merged cells dropped).
3. **Match cells by left-label text**, not row/column coordinates such as `table.cell(2, 1)`.
Templates evolve and coordinate matching breaks silently.
4. **Apply `cantSplit` to every filled row** so a row never breaks across pages.
5. **For CJK languages, set the `eastAsia` font attribute**, not just `run.font.name`, or
Hangul/Kanji/Hanzi render in fallback fonts.
6. **Validate** every fill operation: resolve every `[MISS]` line and every `WARN:` line
(`[TABLE-MISS]`, `[SECTION-MISS]`, `[RAW-NEWLINE]`) before the filled form is submitted.
## Dependencies
Python packages `docxtpl python-docx pyyaml` are always required. LibreOffice is needed only for a
legacy `.doc` template (~700 MB on macOS). The bundled `setup.sh` detects what is missing:
```bash
bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/setup.sh check # report what's installed (read-only)
bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/setup.sh install # install missing pieces (asks before each)
```
When invoking this skill on behalf of a user:
1. **Skip LibreOffice entirely** if the template is already `.docx`.
2. **Before calling `doc_to_docx.py`**, run `setup.sh check`. If LibreOffice is missing, **ask the
user** before installing, because the cask is ~700 MB.
3. **Never** pass `--yes` to `setup.sh install` unless the user has explicitly authorized
unattended installation in this session, because it installs without prompting.
4. If the user declines, ask them to convert the `.doc` manually (Word/LibreOffice/Pages → Save
As → .docx) and re-run with the converted file.
## Workflow
### Step 1 — Convert legacy .doc to .docx (if needed)
```bash
python3 ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/doc_to_docx.py path/to/template.doc path/to/template.docx
```
### Step 2 — Inspect the template structure
```bash
python3 ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/inspect_template.py path/to/template.docx
```
It lists every table, every cell (coordinates and content preview) and every top-level paragraph.
Take the exact labels for the YAML from this output.
### Step 3 — Author a content YAML
Start from `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/examples/example_irb_template.yaml`. Three fill modes; all keys are
optional.
```yaml
protections:
korean_font: "맑은 고딕" # CJK font (set to "Noto Sans CJK KR", "SimSun",
# "MS Mincho", etc. for other locales)
cant_split: true # Apply <w:cantSplit/> to every filled row
# Readability options (defaults shown)
blank_between_paragraphs: true # Enter between \n\n chunks
blank_around_section_header: true # Enter above/below filled sections
blank_around_all_section_headers: false # opt-in; also touches untouched sections
normalize_page_breaks: true # empty page-break paragraphs -> pageBreakBefore
# Mode 1 — table key/value (left-label cell → right value cell)
table_kv:
"Study Title": "Multi-center prospective validation of ..."
"Principal Investigator": "Last, First (Department)"
"연구 목적": "본 연구는 ..."
# Mode 2 — section replacement (find numbered header, replace until next header)
section_replace:
"1. Background":
"Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third leading cause of ..."
"4. 연구 배경 및 이론적 근거":
"..."
# Mode 3 — single paragraph in-place text replacement
paragraph_replace:
"Title:":
"Title: Multi-center prospective validation of ..."
```
Read `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/best_practices.md` (Readability knobs) before changing any
readability option from its default.
Content rules: put a reference in only with a `/search-lit`-confirmed DOI or PMID, otherwise mark
it `[UNVERIFIED - NEEDS MANUAL CHECK]`; mark any unconfirmed clinical definition, diagnostic
criterion or guideline claim `[VERIFY]` and ask the user.
### Step 4 — Run the fill
```bash
python3 ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/fill_form.py \
--template path/to/template.docx \
--content content.yaml \
--output path/to/filled.docx
```
The CLI prints `[OK]` / `[MISS]` for every fill operation, a summary, then any `WARN:` lines.
Investigate every `[MISS]` and `WARN:` before submitting (Principle 6).
Every value under `table_kv`, `section_replace` and `paragraph_replace` is written exactly as
typed (`012345`, `12:30`, `1.10`, `No` stay text). An empty value or a list/mapping value stops the
run with exit 2 and names the label; write `''` to blank a field on purpose. A `section_replace`
on a header with no later numbered header replaces everything to the end of the document, and its
`[OK]` line says so with the number of paragraphs replaced. If a signature/date block or anything
else follows the last section, bound it with `section_end` (header -> regex matched against the
paragraph that starts the kept block):
```yaml
section_end:
"18. References": "^Investigator signature"
```
### Step 5 — Visual verification
```bash
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf path/to/filled.docx
```
Without LibreOffice (a `.docx` template skips it), export the PDF from Word instead. Open the PDF and confirm: page count is sensible, no table row was split across pages, no font fell
back to Times New Roman, all required fields are populated.
Read `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/best_practices.md` when a label or section header does not
match, the template has no numbered section headers (`section_end`), a cell
needs multi-line content, or cells are merged.
## Known Limitations
- **HWP / HWPX input is not handled directly** — convert it to `.docx` first.
- **Merged cells**: filling a label cell that participates in a vertical merge may overwrite the
merged region's content. Test on a copy first.
- **Embedded form fields** (Word content controls): not supported; plain paragraph and table cell
content only.
- **Right-to-left scripts** (Arabic, Hebrew): untested.
- **Last section with no later header**: replaced through the end of the document unless a
`section_end` pattern is given; the filler cannot tell the section body from a trailing block.