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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Start associated text on DCA conversion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- These notes give extra information on converting MS_Word files from the Mac to FrameMaker files using version 1.0 of FrameMaker's dcatomif filter. Also included is an improved configuration file for this filter. We evolved this method some time ago, and Frame may well now provide a better method of doing so. Ask for information from your FrameMaker supplier about Frame's current range of filters for other word/document processors. First of all, DCA files are binary files. When you transfer them between computers, you must ensure you preserve the top bit of each byte. It's important to realise this, as many comms programs default to stripping top bits. Secondly, the process of converting MS-Word documents to FrameMaker is not as simple as suggested. This is because the DCA format used has fewer codes available for characters and fonts than does MWS-Word, so many characters and fonts get merged. There are some fixes you can use for this to get an improved conversion. These involve doing some global exchanges on the RTF file that MS-Word produces, and/or editing a file within the FrameMaker filter that specifies how fonts and characters are converted. * Below is a version of this file that (in my opinion) improves the mapping of characters. By the way, this isn't a criticism of FrameMaker's version of the file - that has to be a generic file for any word processor which will produce DCA, and there are a lot of them out there. It's just that my version is specific to MS-Word on the Mac. To use the file, rename the file dca.am that was supplied with your filter as something else (say dca.am.issue). It's a good idea to keep it! Then save my version of the file as dca.am. The file is delimited by rows of tilde's (~). * Also, below is a document in MS-Word RTF format that gives a lot of details about how to make a conversion, and how to customise it. Some of it's simple, other bits get more technical. I can't guarantee its technical accuracy because most of it was worked out by trial and error - although many people use DCA, it seems to be virtually impossible to get a specification! The document had to be in some weird format (rather than plain text) because it needs to use a lot of top-bit-set Mac characters. Many mail systems strip out top bits. However, if you're interested in converting MS-Word files, you ought to have a copy of MS-Word available! To read the document, transfer it to a Mac, and read it into Word as an RTF file. If in doubt, consult your MS-Word manual. Again, the document is delimited by more rows of tilde's (~). Some of the lines are quite long, and this may cause problems with some mail systems. I hope you don't get a corrupted version.
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.