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Last Modified: 2012-06-21

Convert MS word file to text file

Hi,

I have to convert a MS-word (*.doc/*.docx) file to a text file (*.txt) using a VC++ and MFC.

The problem faced while conversion is that When I try to convert word file to text file the text file is not in the readable form. It shows the text in the form like "´•IOÃ0…ïHü‡ÈW”¸p@5åÀr„JqvIj/ò¸Û¿gÜ%j«¶)P.‘ç½÷yœ™tfºN&àQY“³ë¬Ã0ÒÊT9û¼¤w,Á L!jk ".

Reverse conversion, I mean from text to *.doc is working fine.

I checked the font properties are also same. Even I pasted the converted garbage text to word file, but it produced the same garbage one.

Welcome if any further information required.

Thanks

harshvir_drish

Asked: 2011-09-08

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Visual C++.NET

1 Solution

LVL 45

AndyAinscowFreelance programmer / ConsultantCommented: 2011-09-08

How do you perform the conversion?

harshvir_drishAuthor Commented: 2011-09-08

I am doing this task using VC+ program.

Pl. find the code snippet , developed by me for this purpose.

CFile File1;
	char Buff[15024];
	File1.Open(m_SourceFile,CFile::modeRead);
	UINT Bytes = File1.Read(Buff,15024);
	CFile File2;
	File2.Open(L"c:\\MyFile.txt",CFile::modeCreate|CFile::modeWrite);
	File2.Write(Buff,Bytes);

Open in new window

Waiting for your appreciable response.

LVL 45

AndyAinscowFreelance programmer / ConsultantCommented: 2011-09-08

Thought so. A word document is not text, it has other information in it. What you are doing is effectively renaming xx.doc to xx.txt. Hence you see garbage.

harshvir_drishAuthor Commented: 2011-09-08

Yes I tested the same by opening the same word file with notepad and the output is same as generated by my code.

So, Can you guide further?

Thanks for your quick and appreciable response.

LVL 4

pgorodCommented: 2011-09-09

1. I would do it from within Word, with a Macro, a simple "Save as..." text.

From MFC, there are ways to handle Word from there (COM automation object):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/196776

But the basic idea is that Microsoft Word knows about it's format, you should use their code to convert.

2. A totally different approach, only for docx format (does not work for .doc!) is that you can unzip a docx and you will see text files with the document content; these are in XML and the format is documented by Microsoft.

LVL 45

AndyAinscowFreelance programmer / ConsultantCommented: 2011-09-10

>>So, Can you guide further?

Two possiblities spring to mind.
Already mentioned is controlling word via automation.
The other is to send a message to word to copy the open document to the clipboard, then your app reads the clipboard and saves to .txt file.

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Convert MS word file to text file

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