---
title: Credits & Attributions
description: The open source projects and cultural references that make mcwaddams possible.
---

import { Aside, Card, CardGrid, LinkCard } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';

> *"It's not just about me and my dream of doing nothing."*

mcwaddams stands on the shoulders of giants — both technical and cinematic.

---

## Open Source Dependencies

The tools that make document extraction possible.

<CardGrid>
  <Card title="python-docx" icon="document">
    Modern Word document processing. The workhorse of `.docx` extraction.
    <br/><small>MIT License</small>
  </Card>
  <Card title="openpyxl" icon="document">
    Excel XLSX file processing with full formula support.
    <br/><small>MIT License</small>
  </Card>
  <Card title="python-pptx" icon="document">
    PowerPoint PPTX processing for slides and speaker notes.
    <br/><small>MIT License</small>
  </Card>
  <Card title="mammoth" icon="document">
    Enhanced Word to HTML/Markdown conversion. Our fallback hero.
    <br/><small>BSD-2-Clause</small>
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

<CardGrid>
  <Card title="pandas" icon="document">
    Data analysis powerhouse. Handles CSV and Excel fallbacks.
    <br/><small>BSD-3-Clause</small>
  </Card>
  <Card title="olefile" icon="document">
    OLE Compound Document parsing for legacy `.doc`, `.xls`, `.ppt`.
    <br/><small>BSD-2-Clause</small>
  </Card>
  <Card title="xlrd" icon="document">
    Legacy Excel XLS support. Because 2003 never really left.
    <br/><small>BSD License</small>
  </Card>
  <Card title="Pillow" icon="document">
    Image processing for embedded graphics extraction.
    <br/><small>HPND License</small>
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

### Framework & Tools

| Project | Purpose | License |
|---------|---------|---------|
| [FastMCP](https://github.com/jlowin/fastmcp) | MCP server framework | MIT |
| [Astro](https://astro.build) | This documentation site | MIT |
| [Starlight](https://starlight.astro.build) | Documentation theme | MIT |
| [Tailwind CSS](https://tailwindcss.com) | Styling | MIT |

---

## Office Space

The cultural foundation of this project.

<Aside type="tip" title="Why Office Space?">
Mike Judge's 1999 film isn't just a comedy — it's a documentary about corporate dysfunction that resonates with anyone who's ever debugged a printer or processed legacy documents.
</Aside>

### The References

| Reference | Location | Why It Fits |
|-----------|----------|-------------|
| **Milton Waddams** | Project name | Relegated to the basement with legacy documents |
| **TPS Reports** | Test section | "Testing Painful Stuff" — `.doc` from 1997 is painful |
| **Red Swingline** | Logo/branding | The small things that matter |
| **"Did you get the memo?"** | Throughout | Clear documentation is essential |
| **"I could set the building on fire"** | Footer | But we'd rather process documents |
| **Pieces of Flair** | Badge system | Gamification for the bureaucratic soul |

### Key Quotes Used

> *"I was told there would be document extraction."*

Adaptation of Milton's "I was told there would be cake" — except here, there actually is document extraction.

> *"Did you get the memo about the TPS reports?"*

Our test section is literally called TPS Reports. Because testing legacy formats is painful, and we test it so you don't have to.

> *"I believe you have my stapler..."*

The persistence of caring about the small things. Like proper Unicode handling in a `.doc` from 1997.

---

## Author

<Card title="Ryan Malloy" icon="external">
  Built by Ryan Malloy at [Supported Systems](https://supported.systems).
  <br/><br/>
  - [ryanmalloy.com](https://ryanmalloy.com) — Personal site
  - [GitHub](https://github.com/ryanmalloy) — Open source work
  <br/><br/>
  <small>
    Read: [AI Discernment vs AI Criticism](https://ryanmalloy.com/collaborations/ai-discernment-vs-criticism/) —
    On building with AI while maintaining craft standards.
  </small>
</Card>

---

## Special Thanks

### The Python Community

For building and maintaining the libraries that make Office document processing possible. Every commit to `python-docx` or `openpyxl` makes legacy document handling slightly less painful.

### The MCP Ecosystem

For creating a protocol that lets AI agents access tools without reinventing the wheel. mcwaddams exists because FastMCP made it trivial to build.

### Mike Judge

For creating Office Space and giving the tech industry a shared vocabulary for describing workplace dysfunction. The red stapler is a symbol of what happens when you ignore the people doing the actual work.

The hero image — featuring THE actual film slate and red Swingline from production — is courtesy of [Mike Judge on X](https://x.com/MikeJudge).

Additional Office Space screenshots and character images sourced from the [Office Space Wiki](https://officespace.fandom.com/wiki/Office_Space_Wiki). Initech logo from the [Initech wiki page](https://officespace.fandom.com/wiki/Initech). Box of Flair merchandise image from the [Office Space Box of Flair wiki page](https://officespace.fandom.com/wiki/Office_Space_Box_of_Flair).

### Swingline

For actually manufacturing a red stapler after the movie came out. Sometimes life imitates art. (Fun fact: the prop department painted a black stapler red because Swingline didn't make that color in 1999.)

---

## License

mcwaddams is released under the MIT License.

```
MIT License

Copyright (c) 2024 Ryan Malloy

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.
```

---

<div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 3rem;">

🔴

*I believe you have my documentation...*

<small>Unlike Milton's stapler, this one's MIT licensed. Take it.</small>

</div>
