Wp2Html News on 30th Aug 1998 HEADLINE: Users of WordPerfect version 7/8 on Windows 95 or higher may have found Wp2Html appears to NOT read their files. This early release version corrects that problem. Wp2Html version 2.7 ===================== This is specific bug fix version for those users who have WP7 or 8 running under Windows 95/98. It allows Wp2Html to read files which have been stored in MicroSoft "OLE Compound Document Format", rather than the native WordPerfect format. Version 2.7 Release Notes, August 98 ==================================== Corrections and Bugs -------------------- Read WP file packed into MicroSoft OLE doc files. Wp2Html will read the binary file format of WordPerfect for all version, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. This binaru format is the same whatever platform you use, so copying a binary WP file from, say, DOS to UNIX will work as WordPerfect can read the file on either system. However one user has reported a problem recently working with WordPerfect 7 where Wp2html appeared not to recognise the file format. I suspect many other users have this problem but have not reported it. It transpires that when running WordPerfect version 7 or higher under Microsoft Windows 95 or later, the WordPerfect file MAY be stored not as a simple WordPerfect file but as a Microsoft "OLE Compound Document". It is reported in a Corel technical note. The COREL documentation says (http://www.corel.com/partners_developers/ds/co32sdk/docs/ff/B_1DOCIN.HTM#Comparison) "WordPerfect 6.x (WP 6.x) files are separated into two sections, document prefix and document area. WordPerfect 7.0 (WP 7.0) files add support for the OLE Compound File format specification. This Compound document information wraps around a WordPerfect file, and separates the document into four sections, OLE Compound document, document prefix, document area, and ending Compound document information. The OLE Compound file format is the native file format for OLE 2 servers and makes it possible for full implementation of Windows 95 Shell integration features. A Compound file is a file system within a file. This support was added to allow users, using OLE 2 server applications, to browse, modify, and share embedded WordPerfect 7.0 documents without starting WordPerfect. In addition, the Windows 95 Shell integration gives users the ability to move documents to other machines without losing their links. Note: When creating WordPerfect 7.0 documents you do not need to include the OLE Compound Document wrapper. WordPerfect will read in WP 7.0 documents without it." This is designed to allow OLE integration features. In fact what it does is to take the WP binary file, and break it into blocks which are then stored scattered inside another file which mimics a file system. This is bad news if you need to copy WP files between platforms. It is also bad news for program efficiency and disk space, as every WP file is now broken up so it cannot be read sequentially off disk and the OLE file format adds at least around 10 to 20% extra to the file size. I have now implemented a fix inside Wp2Html so that it will try and spot a OLE wrapped file and extract the native WordPerfect file to process. This is transparent to the user. I would appreciate any feedback on how well this works and any problems you encounter. Andrew