Docs_Packer — Bundle Documents into a Single HTML File

Docs_Packer is a tool that converts a folder of documents (PDF, Word, Excel, images, etc.) into a single self-contained HTML file with an informative table and download links.

It is designed for sharing document packages via email without relying on ZIP files or cloud storage.

Use Cases

Docs_Packer is useful in situations where traditional file sharing methods fall short:

Email-first sharing — When recipients have limited or no access to cloud platforms (SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), or when you simply prefer sending everything as a single email attachment. One clean HTML file replaces a ZIP archive, which is merely a file container with no support for structured metadata or semantic organization.

Controlled or restricted environments — Ideal for clients, partners, or internal teams working in secure environments where external cloud links are blocked or discouraged.

Custom presentation & navigation — Even when cloud platforms are available, they often lack the flexibility you want. With Docs_Packer you fully control the layout, table columns, grouping, and descriptions. You can highlight important files, add context, or mirror your preferred folder structure visually.

Repeatable document packages — Perfect for recurring deliveries (project updates, monthly reports, training materials, audit packs, etc.). Just drop the latest files into the input/ folder, run the tool, and you instantly get a fresh, professional HTML package. No need to write long explanatory emails — the table itself clearly shows what’s included and what’s new.

Archival & offline access — Creates a self-contained, future-proof archive that works completely offline and can be saved locally or stored for long-term reference.

Why not just send a Zip archive?

A zip file forces the recipient to download and extract files before they can be used — resulting in a messy list of files with no context. The sender can barely define how the documents are presented - ZIP archives provide no structure or presentation control.

Docs_Packer solves these problems and gives you much more:

• A professional, well-organized table view right after opening the file
• Customizable metadata (descriptions, versions, status, notes, etc.)
• Ability to highlight important files or group them logically
• Instant access — all files are available immediately

Feature	ZIP Archive	Docs_Packer
Single file	✔	✔
Works offline	✔	✔
No extraction needed	✗	✔
Structured view	✗	✔
Custom-defined Metadata	✗	✔
Presentation control	✗	✔

This makes the experience significantly better for the recipient and reduces follow-up questions for the sender. Sender gets full creative control over how the documents are presented.

How it works

Docs_Packer embeds all input files directly into a single HTML file using Base64 encoding.

The HTML file contains:

• The document data
• A generated table UI with the user-defined meta-information/semantics
• Download function - user can download any single file or all of them

This makes the output fully portable and independent of external systems.

Quick Example

The files placed to the input/ folder:

Resulting .html file:

Repository structure

docs_packer/
│
├── schema.py          ← EDIT THIS to add/rename/remove table columns
├── metadata.py        ← EDIT THIS to describe your files
│
├── pack_bundle.py     ← RUN THIS to build the bundle
├── validate.py        ← validation logic (do not edit unless you modify the program)
├── test_validate.py   ← program self-tests (run only if you modify the program)
│
├── input/             ← DROP YOUR FILES HERE
└── output/            ← generated HTML bundle appears here

Normal workflow — step by step

Step 1 — Drop your files into input/

Copy all documents you want to bundle into the input/ folder. File names, extensions, and casing all matter — they must match exactly what you write in metadata.py.

Step 2 — Describe your files in metadata.py

Open metadata.py. Add one entry per file inside the FILES = [...] list. Each entry is a Python dict. The keys must match what is defined in schema.py.

Example entry:

{
    "filename":    "Rate_Schedule.xlsx",   # exact filename inside input/
    "name":        "Rate Schedule",        # display name in the table
    "status":      "Approved",
    "change_date": "2025-04-15",           # format: YYYY-MM-DD
    "version":     "1.3",
},

Step 3 — Run the packer

python pack_bundle.py --title "Very important documents Q2-2025"

The script will:

1. Validate your schema.py and metadata.py automatically
2. Print a clear report if anything is wrong — and stop without building
3. Read each file from input/
4. Write the HTML bundle to output/

If there are errors, fix them and run again. The bundle is only built when everything is clean.

Step 4 — Send the output file

The generated .html file in output/ is fully self-contained. Attach it to an email. The recipient:

• Downloads it
• Double-clicks it (opens in Edge or Chrome on Windows)
• Sees a table of all documents
• Clicks Download on any row to save that file locally

No internet connection, no installation, no unzipping required.

Changing the table columns

All column definitions live in schema.py — this is the single place to edit.

To add a column:

1. Add an entry to COLUMNS in schema.py
2. Add the same key to every entry in metadata.py
3. Run pack_bundle.py — validation will tell you if you missed anything

To remove a column:

1. Remove the entry from COLUMNS in schema.py
2. The key can stay in metadata.py (it will be ignored with a warning) or you can clean it up

To rename a column header: Change the "label" value in schema.py. The key and all metadata stay the same.

Column definition fields:

Field	Required	Description
key	yes	Internal identifier. Must match keys in metadata.py
label	yes	Header text shown in the HTML table
required	yes	True = every file entry must have this field
type	yes	"text", "date", or "version"

Validation — what is checked automatically

Every run of pack_bundle.py checks:

Schema (schema.py)

• Every column entry has all required fields (key, label, required, type)
• No two columns share the same key
• type is one of the allowed values
• required is True or False (not a string)

Metadata (metadata.py)

• Every entry has a filename
• No duplicate filenames
• Every field marked required: True in schema is present in every entry
• Date fields follow YYYY-MM-DD format
• Every filename in metadata has a matching file in input/

Warnings (bundle is still built)

• A key in metadata is not defined in schema (will be ignored)
• A file exists in input/ but has no entry in metadata

Command-line options

python pack_bundle.py --title "My Bundle"        # sets the page title (default: "Document bundle")
python pack_bundle.py --output custom_name.html  # sets the output filename
python pack_bundle.py                            # uses defaults

Running the program self-tests

Only needed if you modify validate.py or pack_bundle.py.

python test_validate.py

Expected output: 23/23 tests passed — all good.

Requirements

• Python 3.7 or newer
• No external packages required (standard library only)
• Output file: any modern browser on Windows (Edge, Chrome, Firefox)

File name rules and limitations

File names are used directly as-is from input/ and passed into the HTML and JavaScript of the bundle. Certain characters can break the download or cause the browser to mishandle the file.

Safe file names must:

• Use ASCII characters only (a–z, A–Z, 0–9)
• Use underscores _ or hyphens - instead of spaces
• Avoid these special characters: # % & ? + \ ' " ( ) [ ] { }`
• Be shorter than 120 characters

Examples:

✗ Avoid	✓ Use instead
FA Rev 2.1 (FINAL).pdf	FA_Rev2.1_FINAL.pdf
Scope & Cost #3.xlsx	Scope_and_Cost_3.xlsx
P&ID_rev"3".dwg	P-ID_rev3.dwg
Протокол_совещания.docx	Meeting_Minutes.docx

Why spaces specifically: spaces in filenames are technically allowed and will usually work, but some email clients and browsers encode them inconsistently. Using _ is the safest habit.

Why non-ASCII (Cyrillic, etc.): the HTML bundle itself handles UTF-8 correctly, but Windows download dialogs and some email clients can corrupt non-ASCII filenames. Keep filenames in ASCII; use the "name" field in metadata.py for the full human-readable display name in any language.

Practical size limits

Total payload	Behavior
Up to ~100 MB	Works without issues
100 – 200 MB	Works, browser may be slower to open
Over 200 MB	Consider splitting into multiple themed bundles

Category

This project belongs to:

• File packaging tools
• Static HTML generators
• Offline document viewers

Keywords

document packaging, html bundle generator, file bundler, python html generator, embed files in html, zip alternative, email file sharing, self-contained html, document delivery tool, no cloud file sharing

License

Docs_Packer is open source and released under the MIT License. This license allows you to freely use, modify, and distribute the software for both personal and commercial purposes. While the MIT License permits anyone to fork or reimplement the project, the core idea, user experience, and design of Docs Packer are the result of careful thought and iteration. We kindly ask that if you build upon this project, you:

• Give appropriate credit to the original work
• Consider contributing any improvements back to the community

If you're looking for additional features (custom branding, password protection, advanced customization, etc.), commercial licensing, or support, feel free to reach out.

© 2026 IPOLIPOL. All rights reserved. Docs_Packer is a trademark of IPOLIPOL.