Re: Unicode off

From: peter_constable@sil.org
Date: Thu Sep 23 1999 - 15:56:01 EDT


       Charles wrote:
>Thanks for responding. My problem is this: We deal with
       files from all over the world. We get authors' files and they
       must be converted (no matter what they are) into RTF format.
       We then convert all of the RTF code into ASCII text so that we
       can make universal changes to the text.
       Until there was WORD 97 we only had to deal with Symbol font,
       and the \'hex codes. Now in an RTF file we get \u#### \'hex.
       The Unicode creates problems.
       Over the past few months I've discovered that the WORD Symbol
       font falls into the Private Use (of Unicode) area which was our
       main problem but Unicode, in general, is nothing but a problem
       to us.

       Let me see if I understand:

       - you receive files (file format?) in a variety of languages
       using a variety of different encodings
       - for whatever reason, you convert those into RTF
       - for whatever reason, you convert the RTF files into plain
       text files (you said "ASCII", but I gather that the character
       sets involved are *not* that of ASCII - otherwise you wouldn't
       be having *any* problems - and thus that you really mean plain
       text using non-standard character encodings)
       - in many cases, the files are to be displayed using
       symbol-encoded fonts

       What I'm still not clear on:
       - What file formats are sent to you?
       - Why does everything go through RTF? Is it because you are
       receiving Word documents?
       - If you are receiving Word docs, is there a reason why you
       don't simply export as plain text? (Other than the fact that
       Word 97 will convert all text formatted with a symbol-encoded
       font into "?"?)

       Depending upon why you need RTF, and some other factors (that
       probably only you can decide) I might have a workaround for
       you.

       Peter



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