Repository: DS4SD/docling
Issue category: Bug Report

What is the meaning of `missing-text`?
### Question

When exporting docx documents as text, I always seem to get some `missing-text` in the output. I was not able to find this string in the project repository, `python-docx`, or documentation. 

Snippet:

```py
doc_converter = DocumentConverter(allowed_formats=[InputFormat.DOCX])
conv_res = doc_converter.convert(input_doc_path)
print(conv_res.document.export_to_text())
```

Output:

```py
<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>

<missing-text>
```

Documents:

- Complete failure, all text is "missing-text": [doc.docx](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/17983955/doc.docx)
- Partial failure, only some of the text is "missing-text": [doc2.docx](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/17983962/doc2.docx)

Both documents are public. 

What causes `missing-text`? What should be my mental model for it when processing documents? 

Thanks!


Functions to edit:
docling/backend/msword_backend.py:MsWordDocumentBackend.handle_tables

Patch:
diff --git a/docling/backend/msword_backend.py b/docling/backend/msword_backend.py
index 05508712..bab956a7 100644
--- a/docling/backend/msword_backend.py
+++ b/docling/backend/msword_backend.py
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ def get_level(self) -> int:
     def walk_linear(self, body, docx_obj, doc) -> DoclingDocument:
         for element in body:
             tag_name = etree.QName(element).localname
-
             # Check for Inline Images (blip elements)
             namespaces = {
                 "a": "http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main",
@@ -153,6 +152,7 @@ def walk_linear(self, body, docx_obj, doc) -> DoclingDocument:
                 self.handle_pictures(element, docx_obj, drawing_blip, doc)
             # Check for Text
             elif tag_name in ["p"]:
+                # "tcPr", "sectPr"
                 self.handle_text_elements(element, docx_obj, doc)
             else:
                 _log.debug(f"Ignoring element in DOCX with tag: {tag_name}")
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ def handle_text_elements(self, element, docx_obj, doc):
         if paragraph.text is None:
             return
         text = paragraph.text.strip()
-        # if len(text)==0 # keep empty paragraphs, they seperate adjacent lists!
 
         # Common styles for bullet and numbered lists.
         # "List Bullet", "List Number", "List Paragraph"
@@ -291,9 +290,7 @@ def handle_text_elements(self, element, docx_obj, doc):
     def add_header(self, element, docx_obj, doc, curr_name, curr_level, text: str):
         level = self.get_level()
         if isinstance(curr_level, int):
-
             if curr_level > level:
-
                 # add invisible group
                 for i in range(level, curr_level):
                     self.parents[i] = doc.add_group(
@@ -301,9 +298,7 @@ def add_header(self, element, docx_obj, doc, curr_name, curr_level, text: str):
                         label=GroupLabel.SECTION,
                         name=f"header-{i}",
                     )
-
             elif curr_level < level:
-
                 # remove the tail
                 for key, val in self.parents.items():
                     if key >= curr_level:
@@ -314,7 +309,6 @@ def add_header(self, element, docx_obj, doc, curr_name, curr_level, text: str):
                 text=text,
                 level=curr_level,
             )
-
         else:
             self.parents[self.level] = doc.add_heading(
                 parent=self.parents[self.level - 1],
@@ -346,7 +340,7 @@ def add_listitem(
                 label=GroupLabel.LIST, name="list", parent=self.parents[level - 1]
             )
 
-            # TODO: Set marker and enumerated arguments if this is an enumeration element.
+            # Set marker and enumerated arguments if this is an enumeration element.
             self.listIter += 1
             if is_numbered:
                 enum_marker = str(self.listIter) + "."
@@ -365,8 +359,8 @@ def add_listitem(
                 self.level_at_new_list + self.prev_indent() + 1,
                 self.level_at_new_list + ilevel + 1,
             ):
-                # TODO: determine if this is an unordered list or an ordered list.
-                #  Set GroupLabel.ORDERED_LIST when it fits.
+                # Determine if this is an unordered list or an ordered list.
+                # Set GroupLabel.ORDERED_LIST when it fits.
                 self.listIter = 0
                 if is_numbered:
                     self.parents[i] = doc.add_group(
@@ -467,6 +461,19 @@ def get_rowspan(cell):
                 row_span = get_rowspan(cell)
                 col_span = get_colspan(cell)
 
+                cell_text = cell.text
+                # In case cell doesn't return text via docx library:
+                if len(cell_text) == 0:
+                    cell_xml = cell._element
+
+                    texts = [""]
+                    for elem in cell_xml.iter():
+                        if elem.tag.endswith("t"):  # <w:t> tags that contain text
+                            if elem.text:
+                                texts.append(elem.text)
+                    # Join the collected text
+                    cell_text = " ".join(texts).strip()
+
                 # Find the next available column in the grid
                 while table_grid[row_idx][col_idx] is not None:
                     col_idx += 1
@@ -477,15 +484,15 @@ def get_rowspan(cell):
                         table_grid[row_idx + i][col_idx + j] = ""
 
                 cell = TableCell(
-                    text=cell.text,
+                    text=cell_text,
                     row_span=row_span,
                     col_span=col_span,
                     start_row_offset_idx=row_idx,
                     end_row_offset_idx=row_idx + row_span,
                     start_col_offset_idx=col_idx,
                     end_col_offset_idx=col_idx + col_span,
-                    col_header=False,  # col_header,
-                    row_header=False,  # ((not col_header) and html_cell.name=='th')
+                    col_header=False,
+                    row_header=False,
                 )
 
                 data.table_cells.append(cell)