batch conversion (Corel WordPerfect > txt or Word files)
September 25, 2006 6:08 AM Subscribe
I have close to 3000 files in Corel WordPerfect 11 that I need to switch to a program that I can use in Mac. I'd prefer a simple txt file, but Word will do if it must. Given that my Mac cannot open the original file, I need a script or something that will work in Windows.
The one thing that's been keeping me cross-platform for so long is the fact that I have years of work on a Windows machine that I cannot open in my Mac. Corel WordPerfect, my favorite word processing software ever, does not support Mac.
Is there a way to:
- open one of the wordperfect docs
- select all
- paste into a text file (or MS Word)
- save as the same title as the original doc name (or as the first line of text in the file)
- move onto next doc in folder and repeat process
The idea of doing it manually for 3000 files is more than my impatience can stomach.
Thanks!
-- Wade
The one thing that's been keeping me cross-platform for so long is the fact that I have years of work on a Windows machine that I cannot open in my Mac. Corel WordPerfect, my favorite word processing software ever, does not support Mac.
Is there a way to:
- open one of the wordperfect docs
- select all
- paste into a text file (or MS Word)
- save as the same title as the original doc name (or as the first line of text in the file)
- move onto next doc in folder and repeat process
The idea of doing it manually for 3000 files is more than my impatience can stomach.
Thanks!
-- Wade
If all you need is the text, it could be as simple as opening Windows Explorer and doing a mass rename from the WP extension (.doc?) to .txt, or even (gasp) pushing to DOS, going to your document directory and running REN *.doc *.txt, or for safety, COPY *.doc *.txt. You'll need to chop off the header garbage, but the text should be clean.
You may also be able to do the conversion from within WP. This has the advantage that the files come out clean text. If you convert to .rtf instead of .txt, you will save most of the formatting, The Mac will certainly be able to open .rtf files.
I can't imagine, though, that WP or Word for Mac can't read WP Win files. Get a USB thumb drive -- 64MB ones are available for pennies -- and copy the WP Win files to that, move the thumb drive to your Mac and either copy them to the Mac's document directory or load/convert them directly from the thumb drive.
posted by KRS at 1:20 PM on September 25, 2006
You may also be able to do the conversion from within WP. This has the advantage that the files come out clean text. If you convert to .rtf instead of .txt, you will save most of the formatting, The Mac will certainly be able to open .rtf files.
I can't imagine, though, that WP or Word for Mac can't read WP Win files. Get a USB thumb drive -- 64MB ones are available for pennies -- and copy the WP Win files to that, move the thumb drive to your Mac and either copy them to the Mac's document directory or load/convert them directly from the thumb drive.
posted by KRS at 1:20 PM on September 25, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:18 AM on September 25, 2006