[NTLUG:Discuss] OpenOffice - winword formatting error issues -- Things you need to know about RTF

[Bryan J. Smith]

Douglas D. Darnold wrote:  
> I agree with sending an item as an RTF rich text format document, just
> using the RTF Windows file suffix.  

Export as RTF from non-MS Word for Windows to MS Word for Windows works
best.  Word must read it byte-by-byte, which its RTF importer does.

But exporting RTF from MS Word for Windows does _not_ actually create
RTF.  Most versions create "polluted" RTF with MS Word attributes.  The
"file magic" is actually DOC, and not RTF.

In other words, Microsoft itself does _not_ even follow ANSI RTF
standard revisions (e.g., 1.6, 1.7, etc...) for each new MS Word
version.  Rather pathetic, but true.

Luckily Corel and OpenOffice.org/StarOffice recognize the "file magic"
as DOC, and load it as such, even if the extension is RTF.

> Windows will open it in Word or whatever the user has;
> OOO/AbiWord/Applix will open it normally, etc.  In my experience,
> unless it is extremely-heavily formatted, there's not much, if any,
> format change if in RTF.  HTH.

Because MS Word exports a DOC "file magic" even when you select RTF, it
really makes *0* difference from the standpoint of using Corel or
OOo/SO.

But going the other way, RTF _forces_ MS Word to do a byte-by-byte read,
so it's _much_more_reliable_, I agree.  Unfortunately, all sorts of
attributes are not supported at the same time.


-- 
     Linux Enthusiasts call me anti-Linux.
   Windows Enthusisats call me anti-Microsoft.
 They both must be correct because I have over a
decade of experience with both in mission critical
environments, resulting in a bigotry dedicated to
 mitigating risk and focusing on technologies ...
           not products or vendors
--------------------------------------------------
Bryan J. Smith, E.I.            b.j.smith at ieee.org