Of course! Converting JavaDoc to a Word document (.docx) is a common requirement for creating technical documentation, reports, or onboarding materials. Here’s a comprehensive guide covering the most effective methods, from simple command-line tools to IDE integrations.

Summary of Methods

Method 1: The Robust Way - Using Doxia with Maven (Recommended)

This is the most professional and automated approach if you are already using Maven for your project. The Doxia framework is designed to convert various documentation formats (including JavaDoc) into a standard output format like HTML, which we can then convert to DOCX.

Step 1: Add Doxia JavaDoc Module to Your pom.xml

First, you need to generate the JavaDoc as HTML. The Doxia maven-javadoc-plugin can help structure this.

Add the following plugin to your pom.xml. This configuration generates a modern, single-file JavaDoc.

<project>
  ...
  <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>3.6.3</version> <!-- Use the latest version -->
        <configuration>
          <doclint>none</doclint> <!-- Disable checks for cleaner output -->
          <additionalOptions>
            <additionalOption>-Xdoclint:none</additionalOption>
          </additionalOptions>
          <quiet>true</quiet>
          <failOnError>false</failOnError>
          <sourceFileExcludes>
            <sourceFileExclude>**/module-info.java</sourceFileExclude>
          </sourceFileExcludes>
          <!-- Generate a single-page HTML doc for easier conversion -->
          <detectJavaApiLink>true</detectJavaApiLink>
          <nohelp>true</nohelp>
          <notimestamp>true</notimestamp>
          <additionalparam>-Xdoclint:none</additionalparam>
          <docfilessubdirs>true</docfilessubdirs>
          <useStandardDocletOptions>true</useStandardDocletOptions>
          <charset>UTF-8</charset>
          <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
          <docencoding>UTF-8</docencoding>
          <show>protected</show>
          <linksource>true</linksource>
        </configuration>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>generate-javadoc</id>
            <phase>site</phase>
            <goals>
              <goal>javadoc</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
  ...
</project>

Step 2: Generate the HTML JavaDoc

Run the following Maven command to generate the JavaDoc. By default, it will be created in target/site/apidocs/index.html.

mvn site

Step 3: Convert HTML to DOCX

Now you have a well-formed HTML file. You can convert this to a DOCX using a dedicated library. A great choice is docx4j.

A) Add docx4j to your project:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.docx4j</groupId>
    <artifactId>docx4j-core</artifactId>
    <version>11.4.4</version> <!-- Use the latest version -->
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.docx4j</groupId>
    <artifactId>docx4j-export-fo</artifactId>
    <version>11.4.4</version>
</dependency>

B) Create a Java Conversion Class:

This Java program will read the generated HTML and create a DOCX file.

import org.docx4j.Docx4J;
import org.docx4j.convert.in.xhtml.XHTMLImporterImpl;
import org.docx4j.openpackaging.packages.WordprocessingMLPackage;
import org.docx4j.openpackaging.parts.WordprocessingML.MainDocumentPart;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.InputStream;
public class HtmlToDocxConverter {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            // Path to your generated JavaDoc HTML file
            String inputHtmlPath = "target/site/apidocs/index.html";
            // Path for the output DOCX file
            String outputDocxPath = "JavaDoc-Documentation.docx";
            System.out.println("Loading HTML from: " + inputHtmlPath);
            File htmlFile = new File(inputHtmlPath);
            // Create a new Word document package
            WordprocessingMLPackage wordMLPackage = WordprocessingMLPackage.createPackage();
            MainDocumentPart mainDocumentPart = wordMLPackage.getMainDocumentPart();
            // Import the HTML content
            // You might need to customize the options for better conversion
            XHTMLImporterImpl xhtmlImporter = new XHTMLImporterImpl(wordMLPackage);
            xhtmlImporter.setHyperlinkStyleName("Hyperlink");
            InputStream is = new java.io.FileInputStream(htmlFile);
            org.docx4j.wml.Document wmlDocument = xhtmlImporter.convert(is, null);
            mainDocumentPart.getContent().addAll(wmlDocument.getBody().getContent());
            // Save the document
            System.out.println("Saving DOCX to: " + outputDocxPath);
            Docx4J.save(wordMLPackage, new File(outputDocxPath), Docx4J.FLAG_NONE);
            System.out.println("Conversion successful!");
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Run this Java class to generate your JavaDoc-Documentation.docx file.

Method 2: The Modern Way - AsciidoctorJ + Docx

This approach involves converting JavaDoc to Asciidoc (a more modern markup language) and then using AsciidoctorJ to create a beautiful DOCX.

Step 1: Generate Asciidoc from JavaDoc

Use the asciidoc-maven-plugin. This plugin parses Java source files and their comments to generate Asciidoc files.

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.asciidoctor</groupId>
    <artifactId>asciidoctor-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.4</version>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <id>generate-asciidoc</id>
            <phase>generate-resources</phase>
            <goals>
                <goal>javadoc</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
    <configuration>
        <sourceDirectory>${project.basedir}/src/main/java</sourceDirectory>
        <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/asciidoc</outputDirectory>
        <backend>html5</backend> <!-- Doesn't matter here, we use the generated adoc files -->
    </configuration>
</plugin>

After running mvn generate-resources, you'll have .adoc files in target/asciidoc.

Step 2: Convert Asciidoc to DOCX

AsciidoctorJ has excellent support for DOCX via a converter.

A) Add dependencies:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.asciidoctor</groupId>
    <artifactId>asciidoctorj</artifactId>
    <version>2.5.10</version> <!-- Use the latest version -->
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.asciidoctor</groupId>
    <artifactId>asciidoctorj-pdf</artifactId>
    <version>2.3.10</version>
</dependency>
<!-- The DOCX converter is now part of the main asciidoctorj-diagram bundle -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.asciidoctor</groupId>
    <artifactId>asciidoctorj-diagram</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.4</version>
</dependency>

B) Create a Java Conversion Class:

import org.asciidoctor.Asciidoctor;
import org.asciidoctor.Options;
import org.asciidoctor.ast.Document;
import java.io.File;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;
public class AsciidocToDocxConverter {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Asciidoctor asciidoctor = Asciidoctor.Factory.create();
        // Path to your main Asciidoc file (e.g., index.adoc)
        String inputAdocPath = "target/asciidoc/index.adoc";
        // Path for the output DOCX file
        String outputDocxPath = "JavaDoc-Asciidoc.docx";
        System.out.println("Converting " + inputAdocPath + " to " + outputDocxPath);
        Map<String, Object> options = new HashMap<>();
        options.put(Options.BACKEND, "docx");
        options.put(Options.IN_PLACE, false); // Don't overwrite the .adoc file
        options.put(Options.TO_FILE, new File(outputDocxPath).getAbsolutePath());
        // Optional: Add a docx template for styling
        // options.put("template", "path/to/your/custom-template.docx");
        asciidoctor.convertFile(new File(inputAdocPath), options);
        System.out.println("Conversion successful!");
    }
}

Method 3: The Quick & Easy Way - IDE Plugins

Some IDEs, like IntelliJ IDEA, have plugins that can directly export JavaDoc to Word.

1. Install a Plugin: Go to File -> Settings -> Plugins. Search for WordExport or similar JavaDoc export plugins.
2. Generate JavaDoc: Right-click on your project in the Project Explorer.
3. Select Generate JavaDoc....
4. In the dialog that appears, there will often be an option to set the output format to Word or to specify a .docx file path. This plugin usually uses a local template to convert the standard HTML output.

• Pros: Very fast and integrated into your workflow.
• Cons: The quality of the conversion depends heavily on the plugin. It might not handle complex layouts or modern JavaDoc features perfectly. You may need to manually adjust the template.

Method 4: The Manual Way - HTML to DOCX

This is the simplest method, requiring no extra code, but it's the least automated.

1. Generate HTML JavaDoc: Use the standard Maven command.

   mvn javadoc:javadoc

   This creates HTML files in target/site/apidocs/.

2. Open in Word:

   • Open the index.html file in a web browser (Chrome, Firefox).
   • Select all (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A) and copy (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C).
   • Open Microsoft Word.
   • Paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V) the content into a new document.

3. Clean Up: The formatting will likely be a mess. You will need to manually re-apply styles (Headings, Code blocks, etc.), which is very time-consuming.

Method 5: The Last Resort - Online Converters

For very small, non-sensitive files.

1. Generate the single-page HTML JavaDoc (as in Method 1).
2. Go to a website like CloudConvert or Zamzar.
3. Upload your index.html file.
4. Choose "DOCX" as the output format.
5. Enter your email and download the converted file.

• Warning: Do not use this for proprietary or sensitive code. You are uploading your source code to a third-party service.