Re: How to read a word 7 file?
On 23-Jun-98 Hamish Moffatt wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 23, 1998 at 11:26:18AM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
>> A rough-and-ready way to do just what you're asking is to use the "strings"
>> command:
>>
>> strings wordfile.doc > wordfile.txt
>
> It's not quite so simple; Word's "fast save" mechanism actually appends
> changes to the document since the last save to the end of the file.
> Once some number of fast saves has been exceeded it will rewrite the whole
> lot.
> "strings" is only going to show the original at the last non-fast-save time.
> This could be completely different!
Point taken! (Likewise the similar point, and the other most interesting
points, from sjc@debian.org ("Steve")). I agree; when "Fast-Save" has piled up
a whole stack of changes you should look for a way to access the
Word-specific features of the document; but when it's Word-7 and you can only
handle say Word-(<=6) then it's a bit tricky. I did say "rough and ready"; and
so long as there are not too many changes you may be able to suss out what the
final version should be, and it can work for Word-7 even if you can't read it
directly.
<SUBVERSIVE>When you look at the text content of a Word file using strings, you
are quite likely to find relics of deleted stuff, or even stuff from other
documents, that the person sending you the file did not wish you to see.
Anything from an order for embarrassing mechandise, to the part of the letter
to your boss that he cut out before sending you the rest.
Extract these, mail them back (anonymously if need be), and add a warning that
"Word Can Let You Down".</subversive>
Cheers,
Ted.
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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk>
Date: 23-Jun-98 Time: 15:44:55
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