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Re: Lightweight RTF Editor in Debian?



> Hello,
>
> I have been looking for a lightweight RTF text editor for Lenny for
> quite a while now. Currently, I am using AbiWord, but all the
> dependencies on Gnome libraries are somewhat unpleasant (I'm using
> FluxBox as my WM). I have tried Ted, but I can't even get it to open a
> document. Are there any other lightweight editors that speak RTF?

I have not tried AbiWord. Probably should.

Problem with RTF is that it's Microsoft's language and they will do with it 
whatever they please and you'd better learn to like it. Differing versions 
and subversions of their software may do RTF entirely differently. The RTF 
standard (Microsoft? There is such a document--doesn't mean they follow it 
themselves) says that an RTF reader should accept anything thrown at it 
gracefully. There are alternates in the language for problematic/optional 
commands and objects.

I wrote the RTF filters for Dagesh/Accent which were maybe the most complete 
and better such filters around. Then Msoft put in Unicode support (aka 
kludge) and the interoperability was broken. Had the privilege afterwards of 
fixing this. Interoperability with Word was quite nice and did work with 
OpenOffice but alas, OO's current RTF seems to work best with its own 
exported RTF. Now crashes with mine. Not very gracefull (I would be joyfully 
willing to work on this but Sun is an employer, pretty please....)

Maintaining RTF reader/editors is a pain because one is chasing an 
ever-changing target made by a self-styled omnipotent rule-maker/braker.



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