Layout: field instructions do not add blank paragraphs (#1665)

Co-authored-by: Codex <noreply@openai.com>
Co-authored-by: Brandon Thomas <echelon@gmail.com>

ROADMAP.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 **Stage: alpha** · next: beta, ~15 points (60% → 75% ready for real work) and ~150–230 h away
 
-> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (progress log: grouped `flowChartOr` shapes draw their circle and crossing spokes; previously trivial: progress log: copies keep their formatting in other programs, #1523; previously trivial: progress log: privacy options on save, #1062; previously trivial: progress log: equation pictures in theme colours on Windows, #1002; previously trivial: symbol fonts, #776; previously trivial: the save prompt answers from the keyboard, #861; previously trivial: table column and row markers on the rulers, #700; previously trivial: table borders and the resize handle drag on the page, #217; previously trivial: formatting revisions landed, #41; previously trivial: Draw tab ink, #307, and Draw Table and Eraser, #303, landed: catalog 402/434; previously minor: readiness table with hours per audience; full number back to the additive weighted sum, 60%; mainstream and essentials numbers added; alpha gate checked; previously major: full re-measure against Word for Mac 16.113.4; restructured to the craftrules progress-docs standard) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4
+> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (multi-paragraph field instructions no longer add blank lines; previously trivial: progress log: grouped `flowChartOr` shapes draw their circle and crossing spokes; previously trivial: progress log: copies keep their formatting in other programs, #1523; previously trivial: progress log: privacy options on save, #1062; previously trivial: progress log: equation pictures in theme colours on Windows, #1002; previously trivial: symbol fonts, #776; previously trivial: the save prompt answers from the keyboard, #861; previously trivial: table column and row markers on the rulers, #700; previously trivial: table borders and the resize handle drag on the page, #217; previously trivial: formatting revisions landed, #41; previously trivial: Draw tab ink, #307, and Draw Table and Eraser, #303, landed: catalog 402/434; previously minor: readiness table with hours per audience; full number back to the additive weighted sum, 60%; mainstream and essentials numbers added; alpha gate checked; previously major: full re-measure against Word for Mac 16.113.4; restructured to the craftrules progress-docs standard) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4
 
 > **Printing update:** 2026-10-12 · direct desktop printing through craft-print; details below.
 
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ Ranked, to beta (detail and remaining milestones in [docs/roadmap.md](docs/roadm
 
 | Date | What landed |
 |---|---|
+| 2026-10-14 | Field instructions spanning paragraphs no longer add blank lines during pagination; empty result paragraphs still take a line. |
 | 2026-10-14 | Grouped `flowChartOr` shapes draw their circle and crossing spokes, as in Word |
 | 2026-10-14 | Deleting a comment removes its anchors from headers, footers, notes and text boxes too, not just the body, and deletes the whole thread below it, replies to replies included; no anchor or reply is left pointing at a deleted comment (#1345) |
 | 2026-10-14 | Legacy DOC DIB conversion checks the BMP header and copy before allocation, uses the caller's decode allowance, and caps PNG output while encoding; a BMP fallback is kept when it fits. A generated 1-pixel regression covers 57/58/512-byte limits. Resource-exhaustion consequences remain unmeasured. Related: #1334 and #1554 |
@@ -383,6 +384,7 @@ Ranked, to beta (detail and remaining milestones in [docs/roadmap.md](docs/roadm
 
 | Date | Change | Summary |
 |---|---|---|
+| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Field instructions spanning paragraphs no longer add blank lines during pagination; empty result paragraphs still take a line. |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | Floating-table overlap checks use visible line content; empty line-break lines no longer move a table |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | Progress log: deleting a comment leaves no dangling anchors or replies (#1345) |
 | 2026-10-14 | minor | Legacy DOC DIB conversion byte limits only; related #1334/#1554, stage and readiness estimates unchanged |

contributors/people.toml

@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ display_name = "Martin Ball"
 [people.finwarman]
 real_name = "Fin Warman"
 
+
 [people.albayazid]
 real_name = "Sazid Al Bayazid"
 

crates/docx/src/read/story.rs

@@ -397,6 +397,11 @@ impl Reader<'_> {
         para.text = pb.text;
         para.runs = pb.runs;
         para.objects = pb.objects;
+        // Paragraph boundaries inside an instruction are hidden with the field code.
+        // The result paragraph still takes a line, even when its cached text is empty.
+        if sc.fields.iter().any(|f| f.phase == Phase::Instr) && para.plain_text().is_empty() {
+            para.mark.hidden = Some(true);
+        }
         para.normalize();
         para
     }
@@ -613,6 +618,9 @@ impl Reader<'_> {
             }
             "w:tab" | "w:ptab" => self.emit_text(sc, pb, "\t", props),
             "w:br" => {
+                if sc.fields.iter().any(|f| f.phase == Phase::Instr) {
+                    return;
+                }
                 let c = match k.attr("w:type") {
                     Some("page") => "\u{000C}",
                     Some("column") => "\u{000E}",
@@ -620,7 +628,11 @@ impl Reader<'_> {
                 };
                 self.emit_text(sc, pb, c, props);
             }
-            "w:cr" => self.emit_text(sc, pb, "\n", props),
+            "w:cr" => {
+                if !sc.fields.iter().any(|f| f.phase == Phase::Instr) {
+                    self.emit_text(sc, pb, "\n", props);
+                }
+            }
             "w:noBreakHyphen" => self.emit_text(sc, pb, "\u{2011}", props),
             "w:softHyphen" => self.emit_text(sc, pb, "\u{00AD}", props),
             "w:sym" => {

crates/docx/tests/fixtures.rs

@@ -665,6 +665,41 @@ fn unbalanced_fields_and_markers() {
     assert_eq!(p[2].plain_text(), "after");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn field_code_spans_paragraphs() {
+    let body = r#"
+<w:p><w:r><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="begin"/></w:r><w:r><w:instrText>IF</w:instrText></w:r></w:p>
+<w:p><w:r><w:instrText> MERGEFIELD x</w:instrText><w:br/><w:instrText> = "y"</w:instrText></w:r></w:p>
+<w:p><w:r><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="separate"/></w:r><w:r><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="end"/></w:r></w:p>
+<w:p><w:r><w:t>Visible</w:t></w:r></w:p>"#;
+    let doc = read_body(body);
+    let p = paras(&doc);
+    assert_eq!(p.len(), 4);
+    for code in &p[..2] {
+        assert!(code.plain_text().is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(code.mark.hidden, Some(true));
+    }
+    assert_eq!(p[2].mark.hidden, None);
+    assert_eq!(p[3].plain_text(), "Visible");
+    assert_eq!(p[3].mark.hidden, None);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn empty_field_results_keep_line() {
+    let body = r#"<w:p><w:r><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="begin"/><w:instrText>PAGE</w:instrText><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="separate"/><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="end"/></w:r></w:p>
+<w:p><w:r><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="begin"/><w:instrText>IF</w:instrText></w:r></w:p>
+<w:p/>
+<w:p><w:r><w:instrText> x = y</w:instrText><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="separate"/><w:t>Result</w:t><w:fldChar w:fldCharType="end"/></w:r></w:p>"#;
+    let doc = read_body(body);
+    let p = paras(&doc);
+    assert_eq!(p[0].mark.hidden, None);
+    assert!(matches!(&p[0].objects[0], InlineObject::Field { instr, .. } if instr == "PAGE"));
+    assert_eq!(p[1].mark.hidden, Some(true));
+    assert_eq!(p[2].mark.hidden, Some(true));
+    assert_eq!(p[3].mark.hidden, None);
+    assert_eq!(p[3].plain_text(), "Result");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn header_self_reference_and_escaping_targets() {
     let hdr = format!(

crates/layout/src/lib.rs

@@ -653,8 +653,8 @@ struct Ctx<'a> {
     /// The width a top-level table's percentage width is a share of, when it isn't the box's:
     /// an inherited header or footer's tables follow the section that defines it.
     pct_base: Option<f32>,
-    /// Body blocks that are empty paragraphs carrying only a section break before a continuous
-    /// section, in order: they take no room (see [`place_para`]).
+    /// Empty body paragraphs with hidden marks or continuous section breaks, in order:
+    /// they take no room (see [`place_para`]).
     quiet_marks: Vec<usize>,
     /// Whether even pages are mirrored (mirrored margins, on pages): see [`mirror_even_pages`].
     mirror: bool,
@@ -2036,6 +2036,16 @@ fn layout_pass(
         .map(|w| w[0].0)
         .filter(|end| doc.body.get(*end).and_then(|b| b.as_para()).is_some_and(|p| p.text.is_empty()))
         .collect();
+    if !opts.show_hidden {
+        ctx.quiet_marks.extend(
+            doc.body
+                .iter()
+                .enumerate()
+                .filter_map(|(i, b)| b.as_para().filter(|p| p.mark.hidden == Some(true) && p.plain_text().is_empty()).map(|_| i)),
+        );
+    }
+    ctx.quiet_marks.sort_unstable();
+    ctx.quiet_marks.dedup();
     let outline = (opts.view == ViewMode::Outline).then(|| OutlinePass::new(doc, opts.outline.clone().unwrap_or_default()));
     let default_sect = SectionProps::default();
     let mut web_sect;

crates/layout/src/tests.rs

@@ -265,6 +265,47 @@ fn empty_doc_has_one_page() {
     assert!(c.top >= 72.0 && c.height > 8.0);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn hidden_marks_take_no_space() {
+    let mut d = Document::new();
+    d.body = vec![wordcraft_doc::para_block(wordcraft_doc::Paragraph::with_text("Before", Default::default()))];
+    for _ in 0..20 {
+        let mut p = wordcraft_doc::Paragraph::new();
+        p.mark.hidden = Some(true);
+        d.body.push(wordcraft_doc::para_block(p));
+    }
+    d.body.push(wordcraft_doc::para_block(wordcraft_doc::Paragraph::with_text("After", Default::default())));
+    let l = lay(&d);
+    let y = |block: usize| {
+        l.pages
+            .iter()
+            .flat_map(|p| &p.items)
+            .find_map(|item| match item {
+                Placed::Lines { path, y, .. } if *path == Path::top(block) => Some(*y),
+                _ => None,
+            })
+            .unwrap()
+    };
+    let mut plain = Document::new();
+    plain.body = vec![
+        wordcraft_doc::para_block(wordcraft_doc::Paragraph::with_text("Before", Default::default())),
+        wordcraft_doc::para_block(wordcraft_doc::Paragraph::with_text("After", Default::default())),
+    ];
+    let plain_layout = lay(&plain);
+    let plain_after = plain_layout.pages[0]
+        .items
+        .iter()
+        .find_map(|item| match item {
+            Placed::Lines { path, y, .. } if *path == Path::top(1) => Some(*y),
+            _ => None,
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+    assert!((y(21) - plain_after).abs() < 0.1, "hidden paragraphs moved the following text to {} vs {plain_after}", y(21));
+    let shown = layout(&d, &mut LayoutCache::new(), &LayoutOptions { show_hidden: true, ..Default::default() });
+    let after = shown.caret(&Pos::body(21, 0)).unwrap();
+    assert!(after.top > plain_after + 100.0, "showing hidden marks must restore their lines");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn long_paragraph_wraps_and_paginates() {
     let text = "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. ".repeat(400);

docs/file-format-parity.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # File-format parity with Microsoft Word
 
-> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-11 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (`flowChartOr` draws its circle and cross spokes, as in Word; previously trivial: RTF: Mac OS Roman and DOS text, #1653; previously trivial: VML text boxes keep their internal margins, fit to their text and vertical alignment; hidden drawings not shown; previously trivial: PDF export draws horizontal and vertical lines inside groups, #1474; previously trivial: symbol-font text exported as Unicode, #776; previously trivial: text-box margins, Resize shape to fit text and freeforms in groups, #743; previously trivial: formatted paste from the system clipboard's HTML and RTF, #687; previously trivial: independent complex-script formatting inheritance and round-trip regression tests; previously trivial: import/export fixes for TXT, RTF, ODT, HTML and LaTeX, #433–#440; previously major: first version; every format Word reads or writes, measured from the readers and writers on origin/main) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4, plus Word for Windows' extra formats
+> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-11 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (multi-paragraph field instructions no longer add blank lines; previously trivial: `flowChartOr` draws its circle and cross spokes, as in Word; previously trivial: RTF: Mac OS Roman and DOS text, #1653; previously trivial: VML text boxes keep their internal margins, fit to their text and vertical alignment; hidden drawings not shown; previously trivial: PDF export draws horizontal and vertical lines inside groups, #1474; previously trivial: symbol-font text exported as Unicode, #776; previously trivial: text-box margins, Resize shape to fit text and freeforms in groups, #743; previously trivial: formatted paste from the system clipboard's HTML and RTF, #687; previously trivial: independent complex-script formatting inheritance and round-trip regression tests; previously trivial: import/export fixes for TXT, RTF, ODT, HTML and LaTeX, #433–#440; previously major: first version; every format Word reads or writes, measured from the readers and writers on origin/main) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4, plus Word for Windows' extra formats
 
 Every format Word opens or saves, what WordCraft does with it, and how it's tested. Fidelity is the
 share of a typical real-world file's content and formatting that survives (read: shows correctly;
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ Measured by grepping `crates/docx/src/read` and `src/write` for the OOXML elemen
 | Footnotes, endnotes, comments | ✅ | ✅ | The document's own note separators and continuation notice (`w:type` `separator`, `continuationSeparator`, `continuationNotice`) round-trip as ids -1, 0 and 1 (#352); note options (`w:pos`, `w:numFmt`, `w:numStart`, `w:numRestart`) round-trip in the settings and in each `w:sectPr` (#385); `commentsExtended` written; `commentsIds` (durable ids) and `commentsExtensible` (UTC dates) read and regenerated consistently with the written paragraph ids; `people.xml` carried verbatim |
 | Tracked insertions and deletions (`w:ins`/`w:del`), paragraph-mark revisions | ✅ | ✅ | #125, #244 |
 | Formatting revisions (`w:rPrChange`, `w:pPrChange`, `w:sectPrChange`, `w:tblPrChange`, `w:trPrChange`, `w:tcPrChange`, `w:numberingChange`) | ✅ | ✅ | #41: kept on open and save, schema order (change element last); changes inside `styles.xml` are dropped. RTF/ODT ignore them |
+| Fields (`w:fldChar`, `w:fldSimple`), TOC, cross-references, `ADDIN` citations | ✅ | ✅ | Field codes Word supports but we don't evaluate keep their cached result. Instruction-only paragraphs carry hidden marks instead of blank lines; an empty result paragraph keeps its line. Imported TOCs preserve actual result boundaries, formatted entries and nested fields without relying on TOC styles. `EQ \o` (overstrike, enclosed characters) is drawn; enclosed characters are written as Word stores them, their style in the code's run sizes (#297); a cached picture (`INCLUDEPICTURE`) stays as the content of a range field (#465) |
 | Move tracking (`w:moveFrom`/`w:moveTo`, `w:moveFromRangeStart/End`, `w:moveToRangeStart/End`), moved paragraph marks | ✅ | ✅ | #400: both ends linked by the range name; ranges rewritten around each moved stretch (ids renumbered); a move missing an end or a range end opens as a plain deletion/insertion. ODT/PDF export the result (moved-away text hidden like deletions); RTF writes a move as a plain tracked deletion and insertion |
-| Fields (`w:fldChar`, `w:fldSimple`), TOC, cross-references, `ADDIN` citations | ✅ | ✅ | Field codes Word supports but we don't evaluate keep their cached result. Imported TOCs preserve actual result boundaries, formatted entries and nested fields without relying on TOC styles. `EQ \o` (overstrike, enclosed characters) is drawn; enclosed characters are written as Word stores them, their style in the code's run sizes (#297); a cached picture (`INCLUDEPICTURE`) stays as the content of a range field (#465) |
 | Content controls (`w:sdt`) | ✅ | ✅ | Block, inline, row and cell level, nested; title, tag, id, lock, placeholder, temporary, rich/plain text, `w14:checkbox`, combo box, drop-down list, date, picture, building block gallery, `w15` repeating sections; other `w:sdtPr` children (data binding, appearance) kept verbatim (#381). A TOC's control is rebuilt by the TOC. Replace All respects content-edit and control-deletion locks and refuses a batch before making any edit |
 | Restrict Editing (`w:documentProtection` edit/formatting/enforcement and password hash, `w:locked` styles, `w:permStart`/`w:permEnd` exceptions) | ✅ | ✅ | #412: SHA-512 hash with salt and spin count written; Word's legacy `w:cryptAlgorithmSid`/`w:hash` form (SHA-1/-256/-384/-512, ECMA-376 Part 4 §14.8.1) is kept and verified; MD2/MD4/MD5, `w:algIdExt` and other unsupported forms are refused, never unlocked; `w:colFirst`/`w:colLast` table-column ranges read as plain ranges; forms mode (`w:edit="forms"`) lets edits inside fillable content controls (`w:lock` content-editable, innermost wins) run, everything else rolls back; row-wrapped controls and control deletion remain refused; `review.restrict` reports `formFields`; Find Next Region covers form fields (the pane button shows for forms documents); under active protection, `developer.properties` refuses `lockEdit`/`lockDelete` changes — as Word blocks property edits until Stop Protection — while other properties (title, tag, placeholder…) stay editable |
 | Legacy form fields (`w:ffData`), check boxes, drop-downs | ❌ | ❌ | |
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ attributes inside stories and style or list definitions; a regenerated theme. Te
 
 | Date | Change | Summary |
 |---|---|---|
+| 2026-10-14 | trivial | DOCX paragraphs inside complex-field instructions carry a hidden paragraph mark; cached result paragraphs remain visible. |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | DrawingML `flowChartOr` preserves its circle and crossing spokes, including when grouped or rotated |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | `minorBidi`/`majorBidi` theme fonts name the theme's complex-script font (`a:cs`); an empty one names nothing, so the inherited font applies, as measured in Word |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | A missing font the font table classes as roman is drawn in Cambria, as measured in Word (Calibri for the other classes, as before) |

docs/gaps.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Where WordCraft falls short of Word
 
-> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (floating-table overlap ignores empty line-break lines; previously trivial: copies keep their formatting on the clipboard as HTML, #1523; previously trivial: sample-text formulas on Enter, #1067; previously trivial: #29: copied equations as MathML, OMML open as #1297, #816; previously trivial: the Font list no longer keeps every previewed font in memory, #848; previously trivial: table column and row markers on the rulers, #700; previously trivial: table borders and the resize handle drag on the page, #217; 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
+> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (multi-paragraph field instructions no longer add blank lines; previously trivial: floating-table overlap ignores empty line-break lines; previously trivial: copies keep their formatting on the clipboard as HTML, #1523; previously trivial: sample-text formulas on Enter, #1067; previously trivial: #29: copied equations as MathML, OMML open as #1297, #816; previously trivial: the Font list no longer keeps every previewed font in memory, #848; previously trivial: table column and row markers on the rulers, #700; previously trivial: table borders and the resize handle drag on the page, #217; 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
 
 > **Printing update:** 2026-10-12 · direct desktop printing through craft-print; details below.
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Document renaming: desktop renaming requires a filesystem that supports hard lin
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 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. Field reports fixed one by one: a cover page's theme-coloured shapes (#611), freeforms inside groups and text-box margins and Resize to fit (#743), cover-page positions relative to the page and freeforms drawn back to their start (#743), Word's text watermark in headers, read and written (#1290), and `flowChartOr` drawn with its spokes (#1644) | Everyone: the files people receive are the files that break | 30–50 | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-parity.md) |
 | 3 | **Crashes and freezes in the field**: startup crash on Intel UHD Graphics (#170, open), a crash on macOS 12.7.6 Intel (#979, open) (lag on GPUs without a DirectX 12 driver fixed, #316; 32-bit Windows exited at launch because DirectX 12 graphics pipeline creation failed, now OpenGL), freezes (#59 Thai fonts and #31 font selector, both open; #77 closed), broken shape tool (#142, open); the Windows 11 no-write-without-admin (#218) and unmovable images (#82) reports are closed (pictures and shapes in Behind Text drag through the text over them, #1313); memory growth on every font change fixed (#848: the font list no longer loads each family it previews) | B | 197 open issues (2026-10-12), among them the crash and freeze reports #170, #979, #59 and #31 | 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 only partially covered; no page-by-page comparison harness | B | Legacy same-style cell spacing preserved for measured modes 11/12/14, with mode 15 and non-cell controls; Contextual spacing corrected in body/header probes and repeated table-cell runs; [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) |
+| 4 | **Pagination differs from Word**: Aptos has no metric-matched substitute; legacy compatibility options only partially covered; no page-by-page comparison harness | B | Legacy same-style cell spacing preserved for measured modes 11/12/14, with mode 15 and non-cell controls; Contextual spacing corrected in body/header probes and repeated table-cell runs; [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md); [typing-parity.md](typing-parity.md) Known gaps; multi-paragraph field-code blank lines fixed | Page counts and line breaks differ, which matters for forms, legal and academic work | 30–50 + owner (font) | [layout-parity.md](layout-parity.md) |
 | 2 | **Remaining native ink forms are dropped on open and lost on save, silently**; OLE objects show only their picture | B | Drawing-level native ink, its optional picture fallback, and direct run-level content parts are preserved; ink nested in groups/canvases remains unsupported. Drawing canvases are read and written (#344); 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 remaining native ink forms; 45–70 to render and edit charts and SmartArt (#13) | [file-format-parity.md](file-format-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. Replace All now checks content-control locks before editing any match; a refused batch preserves the document and undo history. | B | List-label pitch corrected in synthetic metric controls; 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 | **Print dialog depth**: desktop printer choice, copies, collation, duplex and grayscale submit through craft-print; File › Print retains preview, page ranges and odd/even (#641); driver tray/options and pages per sheet remain; 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) |
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ The same gaps grouped the way the parity documents are, for agents working in on
 
 | Date | Change | Summary |
 |---|---|---|
+| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Pagination gap #4 narrowed: paragraph boundaries inside complex-field instructions add no flow height. Floating-table placement and other paragraph metrics remain open. |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | Field report: grouped `flowChartOr` omitted its crossing spokes; the preset now draws them; wider DOCX corpus work remains open |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | Floating-table overlap checks use visible line content; empty line-break lines no longer move a table |
 | 2026-10-13 | trivial | Gap #3: Behind Text pictures and shapes drag over text in the body and headers, selected or not; a click without movement still edits the text |

docs/layout-parity.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Layout and pagination parity with Microsoft Word
 
-> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (floating-table overlap ignores empty line-break lines; previously trivial: paragraph spacing adds up when the document turns HTML auto spacing off; previously trivial: an inherited footer sizes its percentage tables by its own section; previously trivial: an empty section mark stays on a full page; previously trivial: a fitting row with less room than its minimum height moves on whole; oversized rows still split; previously trivial: text past an exact-height row is cut off; previously trivial: a list number stays with text after a leading page break; previously trivial: a bookmark after a page break takes no line; previously trivial: a page break followed by a page break before or a next-page section starts one page; previously trivial: All Caps and Small Caps draw ß as SS, #1581; previously trivial: justified vertical page alignment, #1320; previously trivial: page numbers restart at 0; previously trivial: a list label moves with its first line when the paragraph is centred or end-aligned (#1159); previously trivial: PAGE fields in a paragraph split across pages show the page they are on, #1352; previously trivial: a dragged floating object anchors in the column it lands in, #884; previously trivial: a paragraph ending on a page with footnotes keeps its space after above the separator, #1116; previously trivial: symbol-font text drawn as Unicode symbols, #776; previously trivial: large-table scrolling measured and fixed, #811; previously trivial: text boxes use their own margins; Resize shape to fit text never cuts text, #743; previously trivial: complex-script shaping and Myanmar line breaking, #604; previously trivial: body page totals, table-cell footnotes and bookmark link pages fixed, #450 #451 #455; previously major: first version; line breaking, pagination and object placement checked against Word's behaviour from the layout source on origin/main) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4
+> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** trivial (multi-paragraph field instructions no longer add blank lines; previously trivial: floating-table overlap ignores empty line-break lines; previously trivial: paragraph spacing adds up when the document turns HTML auto spacing off; previously trivial: an inherited footer sizes its percentage tables by its own section; previously trivial: an empty section mark stays on a full page; previously trivial: a fitting row with less room than its minimum height moves on whole; oversized rows still split; previously trivial: text past an exact-height row is cut off; previously trivial: a list number stays with text after a leading page break; previously trivial: a bookmark after a page break takes no line; previously trivial: a page break followed by a page break before or a next-page section starts one page; previously trivial: All Caps and Small Caps draw ß as SS, #1581; previously trivial: justified vertical page alignment, #1320; previously trivial: page numbers restart at 0; previously trivial: a list label moves with its first line when the paragraph is centred or end-aligned (#1159); previously trivial: PAGE fields in a paragraph split across pages show the page they are on, #1352; previously trivial: a dragged floating object anchors in the column it lands in, #884; previously trivial: a paragraph ending on a page with footnotes keeps its space after above the separator, #1116; previously trivial: symbol-font text drawn as Unicode symbols, #776; previously trivial: large-table scrolling measured and fixed, #811; previously trivial: text boxes use their own margins; Resize shape to fit text never cuts text, #743; previously trivial: complex-script shaping and Myanmar line breaking, #604; previously trivial: body page totals, table-cell footnotes and bookmark link pages fixed, #450 #451 #455; previously major: first version; line breaking, pagination and object placement checked against Word's behaviour from the layout source on origin/main) · **Target:** Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4
 
 A document only "opens correctly" if its pages break where Word breaks them: the same lines, the
 same page count, footnotes and pictures on the same pages. This checklist covers line breaking,
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ font can't match Word's metrics.
 | Line spacing (single, 1.5, double, at least, exactly, multiple), spacing before/after, contextual spacing | 🟡 | Contextual spacing measured in body paragraphs and headers (below), with a four-paragraph table-cell regression; list-label ascent overflow is unscaled by multiple spacing and uses descent for automatic and at-least spacing (#601); other line-spacing combinations remain (#108, #135 open) | 3–5 |
 | Kerning only where Kerning for fonts asks for it (`w:kern`, at or above its size) | ✅ | Measured in Word for Windows: no `w:kern` or `w:kern="0"` is unkerned; WordCraft kerned every run, so its lines held more text than Word's. `layout::tests::kerning_follows_kerning_for_fonts_like_word` | — |
 | Automatic (HTML-style) paragraph spacing (`w:beforeAutospacing`, `w:afterAutospacing`) | ✅ | Measured in Word for Windows: 14 pt at any size, none at the top of the document or a cell or after a cell's last paragraph, the larger of two neighbouring spaces. `layout::tests::automatic_paragraph_spacing_like_word`, `…_drops_at_cell_edges` | — |
+| Paragraph boundaries inside field instructions | ✅ | Synthetic DOCX observed in Word: instruction-only paragraphs add no height; the empty result keeps a line. `docx::fixtures::field_code_spans_paragraphs`, `layout::tests::hidden_marks_take_no_space`. Other field-code display modes remain unverified | — |
 | Widow/orphan control, keep with next, keep lines together, page break before | ✅ | `lib.rs` keep_next/keep_lines; a line holding only a page break stays at the bottom of a full page instead of leaving a blank page (#534); a paragraph ending with a page break keeps its space after on the old page, so the next page starts at the top (compatibility modes 12 to 15, `layout::tests::space_before_at_the_top_of_a_page_like_word`); a three-line paragraph with room for two moves whole (neither a widow nor an orphan is allowed), as in Word | — |
 | Tabs (left, center, right, decimal, bar), leaders | 🟡 | Bar tabs untested | 1–2 |
 | Hyphenation (automatic, zone from the document, words in capitals, soft hyphens, consecutive limit, Manual Hyphenation, #407) | 🟡 | English patterns only; other languages hyphenate wrongly or not at all | in localization |
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ No overall parity estimate changes from these probes.
 
 | Date | Change | Summary |
 |---|---|---|
+| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Paragraphs inside complex-field instructions take no flow height; empty result paragraphs keep their line. |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | With `w:doNotUseHTMLParagraphAutoSpacing` the space between two paragraphs is the first's space after plus the second's space before, as measured in Word; without it, still the larger (#733) |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | An inherited header or footer sizes its percentage-width tables by the section that defines it, as measured in Word (a portrait footer table keeps its width on inheriting landscape pages) |
 | 2026-10-14 | trivial | An empty paragraph closing a section before a new page stays on a full page instead of starting a page of its own, as measured in Word |