Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!hsdndev!husc6!ukma!dftsrv!heawk1!hoepfner From: hoepfner@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patrick Hoepfner) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: Re: Just My Opinion: MS Word 4.0 vs. Nisus Message-ID: Date: 13 Apr 91 19:17:46 GMT References: <4338@ryn.mro4.dec.com> Sender: news@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov Distribution: na Lines: 33 hedstrom@sirius.UVic.CA (Brad Hedstrom) writes: [ ... deleted stuff ... ] [When you read a MS Word 3.0 or 4.0 file from Nisus] >> table formatting is not preserved. >You're right, it doesn't (I just tried it). I'm assuming that to >preserve the Word table, Nisus would have had to implement Word's >Table functionality (probably using the same data structures). >I would imagine that since Word's tables aren't PICTs (one can't copy >and past them except as text, all formatting is lost), they are >proprietary data structures that Microsoft isn't too keen on divulging >to its competitors. Nisus could provide the table funcionality by what ever means that it would like to and I don't think that MS could sue over the ability to create tables. Remember that Lotus tried to sue someone over the look- and-feel issue because their competator had used rows and columns. The judge ruled against Lotus because the row-and-column metaphor was tied to the way that spread sheets worked (also Lotus didn't invent it, they stole it from someone else.) If Nisus wanted to provide the table functionality, there is no legal reason form them not to. I personally would like it if Nisus provided the ability to read RTF files and use Claris' XTND file format reading and writing technology. +--------------------------+---------------------------------------+ / Patrick Hoepfner | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center \ / America Online: PatrickH9 | Internet: hoepfner@heasfs.gsfc.nasa.gov \ +-----------------------------+------------------------------------------+