kc@rna.UUCP (Kaare Christian) (04/21/89)
Hi, I'm trying to convert some raw (but structured) ASCII text into a form that can be imported into a PC word processor with format/structure info intact. The idea is to convert help text for a program into part of a reference manual for the program. I hope to be able to update the help text, run it through some sort of filter that produces something digestible for the word processor, and then incorporate the result into the next printout of the manual. The word processor that I'm using, Lotus Manuscript, can import DCA format text, which sounds like it fits the bill. DCA is supposed to be an easy way to exchange docuements without loss of format information. Unfortunately, when I played around with exporting DCA text (so that I could try to grok the format) it looked like noise. Is DCA an ASCII coding, or is it EBCDIC, or is it something else? Does anyone have any spec for DCA, or (much better) some software that translates into or out of DCA? Stepping back one full pace -- Does anyone know of a common PC word processor that can import (while retaining formatting information) an easy-to-work-with, text-based format? I'm aware of pc implementations of n/troff and tex, but I'd prefer to stay with products like Manuscript/Word/WordPerfect. Kaare Christian kc@rna.rockefeller.edu ...!cmcl2!rna!kc
sob@harvisr.harvard.edu (Scott Bradner) (04/21/89)
The reference document for DCA is: Document Contact Architecture: Revisable - Form - Text Reference IBM #SC23-0758-0 DCA is basicly EBCDIC coded text with additional control character sequences. Scott