Re: [Groff] conversion to DOC format

[Peter Schaffter]

On Tue, Aug 03, 2004, Dean Allen Provins wrote:
> Many firms or government agencies require cover letters and resumes in
> Microsoft Word (i.e. .DOC) format.

The problem is bigger than you think, methinks. :)

I write fiction, amongst other things.  My publisher requires
"digital manuscripts" (an oxymoron), not only to assess my work,
but also to insert comments and editing suggestions.

I write in plain text, naturally.  (Why would anyone do otherwise?)
My publisher runs a Mac shop, and uses (I think) Quark Xpress for
everything--word processing, editing, page layout.  They require
from me a format they can not only read, but edit as well (and
subesquently send back to me for my own editing changes).

Normally, when I want a formatted doc, I use groff and mom.  When I
want to send a formatted doc to my editor, I can't send them a .ps
or .pdf file, and they refuse to work with structured plain text.

The only solution I've come up with is a cheat.  I import my
structured plain text into an app like AbiWord or KWord, manually
mouse highlight-click-change anything that requires formatting,
then save the resulting file "as" a .doc file.

It's hellish work, but one of the interesting things I discovered
about doing a "save as" to .doc in AbiWord or Kword is that while
the extension becomes .doc, the file is actually in .rtf!  It turns
out that most non-*nix apps that open .doc files open .rtf files
intact, regardless of the file extension.

So what we need is a groff rtf "device," which I think would solve
the .doc problem.

Just some crazy thoughts and reflections.

Cheers, guys and gals.

-- 
Peter Schaffter

Author of _The Schumann Proof_, appearing fall, 2004
(pub. RendezVous Press, Canada)