wordcraft/docs/gaps.md

# Where WordCraft falls short of Word

> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-11 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-11 · **Change:** trivial (DOCX complex-script formatting inheritance fixed; broader RTL work remains; previously trivial: #24 narrowed: Customize Keyboard and Customize Ribbon landed; previously trivial: formatting revisions landed, #41; previously trivial: Draw Table and Eraser landed, #303; previously minor: beta distance restated: ~15 points, ~150–230 h; previously: first version; every known shortfall from the 2026-10-10 re-measure, ranked) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4

The work list. One entry per shortfall, ranked by how much it stops a Word user from switching
(**B** = blocks beta). Each says what's missing, the evidence, who it hurts, an Opus 5.5 agent
wall-clock estimate, and which parity document tracks it. Agents: pick from the top, check open PRs
first (`gh pr list`), and update this file and the parity doc when a gap closes.

Native save reliability: synthetic cases on macOS reproduced loss through the predictable temporary-file name. Saves now use owned, exclusively created siblings, synchronize before replacement and clean up on failure; originals survive pre-replacement errors. This narrows save-path reliability under gap #3; the listed field failures and broader stability work remain open. See [save-path guarantees](file-format-parity.md#native-save-path-guarantees).

## Ranked

| # | Gap | B | Evidence | Impact | Hours | Doc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **DOCX never tested on real-world files.** No corpus of files from Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages has been opened, rendered and round-tripped and compared with Word page by page | B | No corpus in the repo; `crates/docx/tests` are synthetic fixtures (including omitted/empty paragraph defaults and imported TOC range preservation); "DOCX fidelity corpus: not started" since 2026-10-06 | Everyone: the files people receive are the files that break | 30–50 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 2 | **Ink and drawing canvases are dropped on open and lost on save, silently**; OLE objects show only their picture | B | No ink or drawing-canvas (`wpc`) handling in `crates/docx`; group shapes (`wpg`) read and written (#267). Charts and SmartArt are drawn (#292) and, with OLE objects, written back with all their parts on save (#319) | Documents with diagrams drawn in Word or pen notes lose content without warning | 4–8 to preserve ink and drawing canvases; 45–70 to render and edit charts and SmartArt (#13) | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 3 | **Crashes and freezes in the field**: startup crash on Intel UHD Graphics (#170) (lag on GPUs without a DirectX 12 driver fixed, #316), freezes (#77, #59 Thai fonts, #31 font selector), no writes without admin on Windows 11 (#218), broken shape tool (#142), images can't be moved (#82) | B | 62 open issues, ~15 of them crashes, hangs or data-path failures | Anyone hit loses work or trust; the never-crash standard covers panics, not hangs or GPU driver faults | 20–30 | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) (Stability) |
| 4 | **Pagination differs from Word**: Aptos has no metric-matched substitute; legacy compatibility options ignored; no page-by-page comparison harness | B | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md); [typing-parity.md](typing-parity.md) Known gaps | Page counts and line breaks differ, which matters for forms, legal and academic work | 30–50 + owner (font) | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) |
| 5 | **Content controls** landed (#381): `w:sdt` kept, shown and edited (Developer tab, Design Mode, Properties). Move tracking landed (#400): `w:moveFrom`/`w:moveTo` with their named ranges round-trip, a tracked cut and paste of a paragraph or sentence records a move, either end accepts/rejects both, green double strike/underline markup and "Moved from/to" balloons; still missing: drag-and-drop moves (no text drag yet) and move options in Track Changes Options. Formatting revisions landed (#41): `w:rPrChange`/`w:pPrChange`/`w:tblPrChange`/`w:trPrChange`/`w:tcPrChange`/`w:sectPrChange`/`w:numberingChange` round-trip, are recorded while tracking, accepted/rejected and shown in balloons; still missing: tracked style-definition changes and table/section changes made in WordCraft. Opaque custom XML backing stores now survive saves; binding evaluation remains absent. | B | Issues #41, #400; source grep | Legal and editorial review workflows; templates with form controls | 5–8 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 6 | **No native printing** on desktop: File › Print opens the PDF in the system viewer, which prints (#286); File › Print has a preview, page range, odd/even, copies and collate (#641); printer choice, duplex and pages per sheet are still the system's; web prints through the browser (#209) | B | `ui.print` → `apps/wordcraft/src/print.rs`; issue #15 | Everyone who prints | 5–8 | [hardware-parity.md](hardware-parity.md) |
| 7 | **Dialog depth**: 54 modal dialogs vs Word's ~100 | B | `Dialog` enum in `crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs` | Power users reach for dialogs the ribbon alone doesn't cover | 11–19 | [ui-parity.md](ui-parity.md) |
| 8 | **Proofing covers English and Polish only**; no dictionaries, grammar or hyphenation for the other ~48 languages Word proofs (text in them is left unmarked) | | `crates/proof`: English and Polish, a language per run (2026-10-10); Word ships 120 proofing tools; issues #25, #40, #100 | Every writer outside English and Polish | 20–40 | [localization-parity.md](localization-parity.md) |
| 9 | **Password-protected files** can't be opened or saved | | #55; `docbin` detects and refuses RC4/XOR | Corporate and legal users | 6–10 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 10 | **Objects**: no group (#267 open), text in a freely rotated text box (free rotation and flips landed, #332; text direction, alignment and linked text boxes landed, #369; contour wrap and wrap side landed, #354), shape effects, WordArt 3-D effects and connector routing around shapes (WordArt effects and warps and glued connectors landed, #416), dragging members inside a Drawing Canvas (the canvas landed, #344) | | [parity-checklist.md](parity-checklist.md) (Shape Format 6/6, Layout › Group) | Newsletters, flyers, reports with diagrams | 20–30 | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) |
| 11 | **Interface languages**: 7 of the 12 key languages missing (hi, ar, fr, id, ko, vi, pt-PT); no mirrored RTL interface; ~5% of strings still English in the translated catalogs | | [localization-parity.md](localization-parity.md) | Most of the world's writers | 50–80 | [localization-parity.md](localization-parity.md) |
| 12 | **Draw tab / ink**: pens, pencil, highlighter, eraser, Select and Hide Ink landed (#307); Lasso Select, Add Pen, Ink to Shape and Ink Replay landed (#395); missing: Ink to Math, arrows in Ink to Shape, pressure, Word's own ink (`w14:contentPart`/InkML) | | [parity-checklist.md](parity-checklist.md) (Draw 9/11) | Pen and tablet users | 4–8 | [hardware-parity.md](hardware-parity.md) |
| 13 | **Charts and SmartArt editing** (editing charts and SmartArt from Word, more chart types and formatting) | | `insert.chart` and Chart Design basics landed (#409): WordCraft's own charts are editable; charts from Word stay read-only (no embedded-workbook editing), no combo/3D/radar/stock charts, axis or series formatting; Insert › SmartArt landed (#497) for graphics WordCraft makes | Reports and business documents | 35–55 | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) |
| 14 | **`.doc` can't be written; Word 6/95 files refused** | | `crates/docbin` is read-only | Users exchanging files with old Word or legacy systems | 25–40 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 15 | **References depth**: sources not saved in DOCX (#169 open); no EndNote/Mendeley desktop integration | | Sources live only in the session (#169 open) | Students and researchers | 6–10 | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) |
| 16 | **Right-to-left completeness**: kashida, RTL in HTML/ODT/RTF; eight older RTL bug reports to re-verify after #207 (#215, #211, #199, #66, #63, #48, #19). RTL tables and sections landed (#362) | | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) | Arabic, Persian, Hebrew writers | 7–11 | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) |
| 17 | **East Asian typography**: Asian Typography options (Phonetic Guide landed, #288; Enclose Characters landed, #297; document grid landed, #391; vertical text landed, #491) | | Catalog misses `para.asianTypography` | Chinese, Japanese and Korean documents | 11–19 | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) |
| 18 | **Screen-reader access** to the document canvas: exposed, not yet tried with real screen readers | | The canvas describes paragraphs, headings, lists, tables, links, pictures and the caret to AccessKit (#488), tested headlessly; no NVDA, VoiceOver or Orca run yet | Blind and low-vision users; public-sector procurement | 3–6 | [ui-parity.md](ui-parity.md) |
| 19 | **RTF and ODT depth**: notes, comments, revisions, sections, RTL | | ~1,500 lines each in `crates/formats` | Users exchanging with LibreOffice or older tools | 18–27 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 20 | **Performance on large real-world documents** unmeasured (500+ pages, many pictures) | | Only the 188-page sample benchmark | Thesis and book authors | 10–20 | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) |
| 21 | **Mail merge data sources**: no Outlook/Contacts, Access or database sources, no email merge; CSV, typed lists (#247) and Excel/OpenDocument spreadsheets (#334) only | | Select Recipients reads .csv/.tsv, .xlsx/.xlsm and .ods | Office administrators | 4–8 | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) |
| 22 | **Ecosystem**: no VBA execution (macros preserved only), no Office add-ins, no cloud storage, no real-time co-authoring | | `.docm` keeps macros (#172) | Enterprise users with macro templates; teams | 40–80 + owner decisions | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) |
| 23 | **PDF Reflow** (open a PDF as an editable document, Word for Windows) | | | Users who edit PDFs they receive | 30–50 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 24 | **Default shortcuts**: ~135 of Word's ~250 (#330, #339, #343; Customize Keyboard #368, Customize Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar #379 landed) | | [ui-parity.md](ui-parity.md) | Power users | 4–7 | [ui-parity.md](ui-parity.md) |
| 25 | **In-app AI assistant** (Copilot-style draft, rewrite, summarize) | | Chat PR #178 open | Users expecting Copilot | 15–30 + owner (provider) | [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md) |
| 26 | **Minor formats**: MHT, Works/WordPerfect, saving Word 2003 XML | | Word XML Document (Flat OPC) opens and saves, Word 2003 XML opens (#548) | Rare | 15–28 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
| 27 | **View windows**: Side by Side, Synchronous Scrolling, Arrange All, Switch Windows | | [parity-checklist.md](parity-checklist.md) (View 25/29) | Comparing documents | 3–5 | [ui-parity.md](ui-parity.md) |
| 28 | **Dictate** | | `tools.dictate` missing | Dictation users | 8–15 + owner (speech model) | [hardware-parity.md](hardware-parity.md) |
| 29 | **Equations**: ink equations | | #191 notes; long display equations wrap at operators (#326) | Maths-heavy documents | 2–3 | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) |

**Beta needs #1–#7** (~150–230 h with the stability and layout work they imply): they are the
blocking gaps, and closing them lifts file formats, layout, stability and UI enough to take the
full number from ~60% to ~75%. Everything else is depth on the way to full parity.

## By kind

The same gaps grouped the way the parity documents are, for agents working in one area.

- **Feature gaps:** #2 (preserve), #5, #10, #12, #13, #15, #17, #21, #25, #27, #28, #29; Clipboard
  pane, Manage Styles, Group (open PRs exist for the first three — review and merge before
  re-implementing). Paste Special, Advanced Find, Column Selection, Style Inspector, custom table
  styles, and Draw Table and Eraser (#303) landed on 2026-10-10.
- **UI/UX gaps:** #7, #18, #24; crop handles on the canvas (rotation handle landed, #332); table column markers on the
  ruler (#49; dragging borders and the resize handle on the page landed, #217); context menus for objects and tables; Linux title bar theming (#78); File ›
  Options › Animation effects › Use system setting reads macOS (Reduce motion) and the Linux/BSD
  desktops (`apps/wordcraft/src/animations.rs`) but hasn't been tried on a Mac or in a real
  GNOME or KDE session yet.
- **File-format gaps:** #1, #2, #5, #9, #14, #19, #23, #26; embedded fonts; glossary/building blocks.
- **Hardware gaps:** #6, #12, #28; scanner/Continuity Camera insert; KDE soft text (#140).
- **Localization gaps:** #8, #11, #16, #17; native-speaker review of every catalog (human).
- **Stability and performance gaps:** #3, #20.

## Revision history

| Date | Change | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #16: DOCX open/save preserves independent complex-script formatting inheritance; RTL sections, tables and typography remain open |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | `.doc` pictures, shapes and text boxes read (#551); gap #14 narrowed to the writer and Word 6/95 files |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Table column and row borders and the resize handle drag on the page (#217); UI/UX gap narrowed to the ruler's column markers |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | UI/UX gaps list: the system's animation setting is now read on macOS and the Linux/BSD desktops; trying it on real machines remains |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Animation effects setting landed (File › Options › Accessibility); UI/UX gaps list: the system's animation setting isn't read on macOS or Linux/BSD yet |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Word XML Document (Flat OPC) and Word 2003 XML opening landed (#548); gap #26 narrowed to 15–28 h |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #13 narrowed: Insert › SmartArt with eight layouts, Text Pane and SmartArt Design landed (#497); 25–40 h left for charts |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | File › Options panes landed (#485); removed from the dialog-depth list |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #18: the document canvas describes its text, structure and caret to screen readers through AccessKit (#488); real screen-reader testing remains |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Compare / Combine Documents and AutoCorrect Options dialogs and the Restrict Editing pane landed (#412); removed from the dialog-depth list; duplicate #7 rows merged |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #10: WordArt text effects and Transform warps, connectors glued to shapes (#416) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #5 narrowed: content controls kept, shown and edited (#381); move tracking remains |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Insert › Chart landed (#409); gap #13 narrowed to editing Word's charts, more types and SmartArt, 35–55 h |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Line Numbers, Hyphenation, Language, Envelopes and Labels dialogs landed (#407); gap #7 at 30 dialogs, 16–24 h; duplicated #7 rows merged |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Caption, Index, Mark Index Entry, Custom Table of Contents, Source Manager and Create/Edit Source dialogs landed (#402); removed from the dialog-depth list |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Document grid landed (#391); removed from the East Asian gap |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Move tracking landed (#400); gap #5 narrowed to content controls, 5–8 h |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #4: note options per section (below text, end of section, restart each section/page) and the Footnote and Endnote dialog (#385) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #10: Shape Format › Text: text direction, align text and linked text boxes (#369) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #16: right-to-left tables (`w:bidiVisual`) and sections (`w:bidi`) laid out mirrored, with `table.rtl` and `layout.sectionRtl` (#362) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #4: columns balance before a continuous section break (#350) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #21: Excel (.xlsx/.xlsm) and OpenDocument (.ods) spreadsheets as recipient lists (#334); hours 6–10 → 4–8 |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Insert › Icons landed (#309); removed from the objects gap |
| 2026-10-12 | minor | Preserve opaque custom XML data/properties through saves; gap #5 and readiness remain unchanged |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Imported TOC boundaries preserved in synthetic checks; real-world corpus gap and readiness unchanged |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #24 narrowed: Customize Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar customization landed (#379); the default shortcuts remain |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #24 narrowed: Customize Keyboard landed (#368); Customize Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar remain |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Native saves protect existing temporary-name entries and originals on pre-replacement failure; synthetic macOS evidence, explicit durability/platform limits; readiness unchanged |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #24: Word's field keys (Alt+F9, Shift+F9, Ctrl+Shift+F9, Ctrl+F11, Ctrl+Shift+F11, F11, Shift+F11) (#339) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #24: 125 of ~250 keyboard shortcuts after #330 |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Collapsed duplicate rows left by parallel merges |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | All 12 bibliography styles landed (#383); removed from References depth |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Formatting revisions landed (#41); gap #5 narrowed to move tracking and content controls, 8–12 h |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Omitted `w:pPrDefault` stays omitted across saves; explicit empty/default properties and later spacing edits remain writable. Synthetic preservation checks only; readiness estimates unchanged |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #12 narrowed: Lasso Select, Add Pen, Ink to Shape and Ink Replay landed (#395) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Draw Table and Eraser landed (#303); removed from the feature-gap list |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Tabs and Borders and Shading dialogs landed (#320); removed from the dialog-depth list |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Columns, Symbol and Field dialogs landed (#321); removed from the dialog-depth list |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #2 narrowed: charts and SmartArt drawn (#292), and with OLE objects kept on save (#319); group shapes landed (#267); ink and drawing canvases remain |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #4: a document's own footnote separators and continuation notice are drawn and kept on save (#352) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #4: long footnotes continue onto the next page (#352) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Define New Multilevel List and Track Changes Options dialogs landed (#328); removed from the dialog-depth list |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Enclose Characters landed (#297); removed from the East Asian typography gap |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Phonetic Guide (ruby) landed (#288): gap 17 narrowed |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #10: wrap side (both sides, left, right, largest) for Square, Tight and Through objects (#354) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #10: Tight and Through wrapping follow the object's outline (#354) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #10: free rotation and flips for pictures, shapes and text boxes, with a rotation handle (#332); text boxes rotate their frame; their text stays upright |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #10: Drawing Canvas landed (#344); in-canvas dragging of members remains |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #29: long display equations wrap across lines (#326) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #3: Windows lag on GPUs without a DirectX 12 driver fixed with an OpenGL fallback (#316) |
| 2026-10-10 | minor | #8: Polish proofing (spelling, grammar, hyphenation) and a proofing language per run landed; the gap is now the other languages (20–40 h) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #6: desktop File › Print opens the system PDF viewer (#286) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Table Properties dialog landed (#44); removed from the dialog-depth list |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Merged main: landed features removed from the feature-gap list |
| 2026-10-10 | minor | Beta note restated: full number back to the additive ~60% (method aligned with the standard, no new evidence) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | #491: vertical sections landed; vertical text removed from the East Asian gap |
| 2026-10-10 | major | First version, from the full re-measure: 29 ranked gaps with evidence, impact and hours |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | #307: Draw tab pens, eraser and Hide Ink landed; ink gap narrowed |