Documentation for the AscToRTF text-to-RTF conversion utility

AscToRTF is a utility designed to convert plain text files into RTF pages. The program can be used to convert legacy text files to RTF as one-off conversions, or to help you author sets of RTF pages in text. The program has been developed from AscToHTM a text-to-HTML conversion utility. Much of the code and help files are developed in parallel, so there may occasionally be inappropriate references to AscToHTM.

The program attempts to detect the existing structure in the files being converted by determining rules or policies that describe the file layout. These are known as the analysis policies.

The RTF generated by the program can be configured to a limited extent via the programs output policies. The policies used by the file can be saved to a policy file and subsequently reloaded. This allows standard sets of policies to be defined.

This document described AscToRTF 2.0, released in Feb 2004.

Windows installation
OpenVMS version of AscToRTF

Assumptions made by the program
The analysis pass
The collating pass
The output pass

Overviews
Other Information
Running as a Windows application
Running as a command line program
Running from the 'SendTo' menu

Making your first attempt
Refining your results
Processing several files at once
Generating log files

Text layout
Text formatting
Adding hyperlinks
Headings and section titles
Pre-formatted text
Adding features to the document
The use of RTF stylesheets

What are Policy files?
Analysis policies
Output policies

Document commands
Section delimiters
Tagged Table commands
Table modifier commands
Other commands

Loading the Table Definition File
Sample Table Definition File
Defining a Table Type
Defining a Table Structure
Defining a Table Format

Loading the Style Definition File (SDF)
An Example Style Definition File

Text Commands available
Text Command line elements
An example Text Command File

Some background on WinHelp files
Formatting RTF files for use as WinHelp source documents
Running Microsoft Help Compiler Workshop (HCW)
Tips on how to write text files for AscToRTF
Using the pre-processor HELP commands
Integrating the help file with your software application
Creating HTML versions of your WinHelp files

Version 2.0 (February 2004)
Version 1.5 (October 2002)
Version 1.00 (March 2000)

What happens if I don't register the shareware version of AscToRTF?
Upgrade Policy
Other products by the same author
Contacts on the Web
Support

API version
Console version
Linux version

Converted from a single text file by AscToHTM © 1997-2004 John A Fotheringham