Skip to content

Schopenhauer's Will

The Will to Document

A powerful CLI tool and Python library for generating Word documents from YAML/JSON specifications

v0.1.0
Installation Quick Start CLI Commands Python API GitHub

What is Schopenhauer?

Schopenhauer is a modern document generation tool that transforms YAML or JSON specifications into professional Word documents (.docx). Named after the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and his seminal work "The World as Will and Representation," this tool embodies the will to create beautiful documents programmatically.

YAML/JSON Specs

Define your document structure in human-readable YAML or JSON format. No need to manually format Word documents.

Powerful CLI

The will command provides intuitive commands for creating, generating, and manipulating documents.

Python Library

Full Python API for programmatic document creation with fluent builder patterns.

Templates

Built-in templates for reports, memos, proposals, and more. Support for custom templates.

REST API

FastAPI-powered REST API for cloud-based document generation and microservices integration.

Cloud Ready

Docker and GCP Cloud Run deployment support for scalable document generation services.

Quick Example

CLI Usage

# Create a simple document
will create -o report.docx --title "Annual Report" --author "Jane Doe"

# Generate from YAML specification
will generate spec.yaml -o output.docx

# Initialize a YAML template
will template init report -o my-report.yaml

YAML Specification

title: Quarterly Report
subtitle: Q4 2024 Results
author: Analytics Team

page_size: letter
margins: moderate

table_of_contents: true

sections:
  - type: section
    title: Executive Summary

  - type: content
    text: |
      This report summarizes the key achievements
      and metrics for the fourth quarter.

  - type: content
    title: Key Highlights
    bullets:
      - Revenue increased by 25%
      - Customer satisfaction at all-time high
      - New product launch successful

  - type: table
    title: Performance Metrics
    headers: [Metric, Q3, Q4, Change]
    data:
      - [Revenue, "$1.2M", "$1.5M", "+25%"]
      - [Users, "10K", "15K", "+50%"]

Python API

from will import WordDocument, DocumentBuilder

# Simple approach
doc = WordDocument()
doc.add_title("My Report", subtitle="2024 Edition")
doc.add_heading("Introduction", level=1)
doc.add_paragraph("Welcome to the report.")
doc.add_bullets(["Point 1", "Point 2", "Point 3"])
doc.save("report.docx")

# Fluent builder approach
(DocumentBuilder()
    .set_title("My Report")
    .add_heading("Introduction")
    .add_paragraph("Welcome to the report.")
    .add_bullets(["Point 1", "Point 2"])
    .save("report.docx"))

Installation

pip install schopenhauer

For additional features:

# With API server support
pip install schopenhauer[api]

# With documentation tools
pip install schopenhauer[docs]

# Everything
pip install schopenhauer[all]

Why "Schopenhauer"?

The name pays homage to Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), the German philosopher best known for "The World as Will and Representation" (Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung).

In Schopenhauer's philosophy, the Will (Wille) is the fundamental driving force behind all existence. Similarly, this tool represents the will to transform ideas into documents - the driving force that converts your specifications into tangible Word documents.

The CLI command will reflects this philosophical foundation, making document generation as natural as willing something into existence.

Features

  • Multiple Input Formats: YAML, JSON, or Python dictionaries
  • Rich Content Support: Headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, images, quotes, code blocks
  • Placeholder System: {{PLACEHOLDERS}} for template-based generation
  • Built-in Templates: Professional templates for common document types
  • Custom Styling: Full control over fonts, colors, margins, and layouts
  • Table of Contents: Automatic TOC generation
  • Headers & Footers: Configurable with page numbers
  • REST API: Full-featured API for cloud deployments
  • Batch Processing: Generate multiple documents in one request

Getting Started

  1. Install Schopenhauer
  2. Follow the Quick Start guide
  3. Learn the YAML format
  4. Explore CLI commands

Support