Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!unido!gmdzi!yvw
From: yvw@gmdzi.UUCP (Yvo Van Wezemael)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: 'Standard' Wordprocessor exchange format?
Keywords: wordprocessor, database
Message-ID: <955@gmdzi.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jan 89 08:11:16 GMT
Organization: Forte Research Group
Lines: 24

At least once in a month someone asks for the file-format of a
particular wordprocessor-file (MS Word, MacWrite,...). In most cases
these people want to create output to files containing some
formatting/styles from databases. (Me too was one of them.) Because of
the complexity of these formats, most people end up with something
like using MakeWrite for MacWrite, RTF format for MSWord (rest I don't
know). So I ask myself if there isn't a need for some 'standard'
file-format, which can be expected to be read by most wordprocessors.
This would make life much more easier. Even if it wouldn't be 'the'
standard, one or two widely accepted formats would make it. 
The best solution I know so far is the RTF format (though I'm not
really a MS Word fan), easy to generate and gives me all what I need.

Want do you think of that? I would like to see some discussion on this
point. Or did I miss some obvious solution?

			---	Yvo



-- 
Yvo Van Wezemael:
	German National Research Laboratory for Computer Science (GMD)
        P.O. Box 1240 (Schloss Birlinghoven)   D-5205 Sankt Augustin 1
	phone: (+49 2241) 142422	yvw@gmdzi.UUCP