: Hello Everyone,
: I want to be able to create Word Documents on demand from a C based
: application.
: I have done it with WordPerfect but would really like a set of routines
: that
: already understands the word file format. Something simple like:
: OpenWordDoc( "test.doc" );
: BoldOn();
: TextOut( buffer );
: BoldOff();
: Indent();
: Does anyone have any routines or have you heard of any routines for
: doing this.
: I would really prefer to not learn yet another file format so ANYTHING
: would be
: helpfull.
Words format is proprietary and changes constantly. The MS preferred
method of converting documents is to use Rich Text Format as an
intermediary. RTF is also proprietary, but with a published
format (course, the* around with that format all the time as well).
The MS attitude appears to be - use Word exclusively and to hell with
everything else.
Course, if you really need to get something into word format,
out Word Basic commands instead of Word format and build it
dynamically. I once had to convert DCA/RFT documents to AsterX 2.1
(now Applix) format. The existing convertor melted down, particularly
on some of the nastier constructions. DCA/RFT (an IBM format) used
a typewriter (Selectric, natch) paradigm. It had no concept of
paragraphing, but did allow you to compose characters like the +/-
sign by scrolling up a half line, entering the plus, scrolling down
a line, entering the minus, then scrolling up a half line to enter
the rest of the expression. Our documents, written by engineers,
were full of this stuff.
I could have spent weeks figuring out the ASTERX format. Instead,
I output ASTERX macros that easily did all the work.
: If you have any ideas how this could easily be done I would appreciate
: hearing
: from you.
: Thank you for your time.
: Bob
--
Dan Mercer
Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.
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