Phase 4: Correct

Apply approved corrections to the DOCX file via lxml XML manipulation.

What This Phase Does

1. Back up the original DOCX
2. Apply corrections in order: a. Cross-reference resolution (fill [_] placeholders) b. Small caps for journal/periodical names (run-splitting) c. Small caps for book titles (italic -> small caps) d. Signal italic fixes e. Id. chain corrections f. Terminal period additions g. Other typeface fixes
3. Write corrected DOCX

Run-Splitting Approach

When formatting a substring within a larger run:

1. Find the run containing the target text
2. Split into 3 runs: prefix (original) + target (new format) + suffix (original)
3. Clone rPr from original run via deepcopy
4. Add new formatting only to target run
5. Set xml:space="preserve" on all <w:t> elements

Critical Gotchas

NBSP Variants

All search operations MUST handle \xa0 (non-breaking space):

def find_in_run(text, target):
    if target in text:
        return text.find(target)
    nbsp_target = target.replace(' ', '\xa0')
    if nbsp_target in text:
        return text.find(nbsp_target)
    # Try regex with [\s\xa0] for mixed
    import re
    pattern = re.escape(target).replace(r'\ ', r'[\s\xa0]')
    m = re.search(pattern, text)
    return m.start() if m else -1

footnoteRef Space Run Bug

The run after <w:footnoteRef/> often contains the full footnote text, not just a space. When replacing entire footnote content, keep ONLY the footnoteRef run and add an explicit space run.

Cross-Run Text

supra note 10 spans italic + roman runs. Target the specific run containing the text you need to change (e.g., just "note 10" in the roman run).

Multi-Split Footnotes

Some footnotes need multiple formatting changes in the same run (e.g., FN91: italic the letter title AND small-caps the annual report title, both in one roman run). Process splits sequentially left-to-right:

1. First split creates 3 new runs from the original
2. Second split finds target text in one of the NEW runs and splits again
3. The find_run() search re-scans the footnote element each time, so it finds the new runs

Example: Jamie Dimon, Chairman & CEO Letter to Shareholders, in JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2023 Annual Report 1 (2024)

• Split 1: "Chairman & CEO Letter to Shareholders" → italic (creates 3 runs)
• Split 2: "JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2023 Annual Report" → small caps (splits the third run from Split 1)

Italic Spillover Cleanup

After all substantive fixes, clean up trailing/leading spaces in italic runs. Word displays these fine, but they cause Gemini annotation issues on re-audit:

# Find italic runs with trailing spaces
if text.endswith(' ') and is_italic:
    t.text = text.rstrip(' ')
    # Insert a new roman space run after

After each category of corrections, verify the fix was applied by reading back the modified XML. Silent failures from NBSP, run boundaries, or wrong-run targeting are common.

Skipping read-back verification is NOT HELPFUL — silent failures from NBSP or run boundaries mean the user's document still has errors. </EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT>

Rationalization Table

Gate: Exit Correct

Before proceeding to Verify phase:

• Backup DOCX exists (original preserved)
• Corrected DOCX exists
• Per-category fix counts logged
• Spot-check verification passed (at least 5 random fixes checked)

Next Phase

Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/bluebook-audit/skills/audit-verify/SKILL.md and follow its instructions.