Re: [libreoffice-users] The RTF export and import stuff

Hi :)

I am not sure what the objective is so i have several points.  Points 4 and 8 
are both about security to do with malware/viruses.

1. "Rtf" is a file format similar to ".doc", ".docx", ".odt".  The layout 
changes a bit but it is easy to edit.  File-sizes are less than most ".doc" or 
".docx" often by a factor of 10 although it could be more.  "Rtf" stands for 
"Rich text format" and the difference between it and ".txt" is that it can hold 
formatting, pictures and therefore theoretically some types of viruses such as 
ones in pictures although those are extremely rare and usually ineffective 
nowadays.  I have never heard of an Rtf being infected although ".doc" has often 
reached the mainstream press because of getting infected.  Somehow MicroSquish 
has successfully created FUD that makes people believe the exact oposite of 
reality so most people will insist that you use ".docx" (or ".doc") or else they 
complain about your formats being weird, dangerous or unreadable (they probably 
wont complain to you, just to everyone you do business with).  Any file in any 
format when created by LibreOffice/OpenOffice or any OpenSource word-processor 
is extremely unlikely to be infected by malware although they might pick-up 
malware later on from other systems. 


2. In most OpenSource programs you can "Save As ...", then either use the 
drop-down "File Format" list at the bottom of the dialogue box or else just type 
in the extension at the end of the file-name in the top-box of the dialogue 
box.  For example to "Save As ..." an "rft" try going up to the menus at the top

File - "Save As ..." - now give the file a name but add ".rtf" at the end of the 
name

3.  When you use "Save As ... " and change the format a warning message appears 
saying something like "Are you sure you want to use the less safe format or keep 
as ".odt"".  The buttons seem to contradict the message so choose "Keep current 
format" to change to the format you chose.  It is confusing but try each button 
in turn to see what i mean.

4.  Most people use the ".doc" or ".docx" format thinking that it is safer and 
better.  LibreOffice/OpenOffice can use ".doc" and ".docx" so it is probably 
better that we use ".doc" for most people.  MicroSquish Office adds a load of 
strange characters and odd personal information and information about programs 
that wrote or have modified the document and some bits that were deleted from 
the document.  None of that can be seen when you open the document in 
Word-processors (but can often be seen by text-editors).  One way to avoid all 
that 'bloat' is to save documents as ".rtf"s and that keeps files very much 
smaller (and safer) than the ".doc" formats.  LibreOffice/OpenOffice don't 
include all those strange random bits of information so we might be better using 
the ".doc" format so that we seem less weird to most people.  Try 


File - "Save As ..." and add ".doc" to the end of the file-name

5.  The ".doc", ".docx" and ".rtf" (and most other) formats always look slightly 
different on different machines or if you boot into a different OS on the same 
machine.  Various random factors such as printer settings and type of printer 
affect the layout quite radically.  If you want to make sure the layout looks 
identical to the way you see it on your screen then try "Save As ..." ".pdf" 
(=portable document format).  However, then no-one can edit the document 
sensibly.  So, it is best to avoid "pdf" except in special cases.  However you 
can try 


File - "Save As ... " - and add ".pdf" to the end of the file-name

6.  You can also convert the document to ".pdf" in 2 other ways.  You can use 
the File menu to "Export to pdf".  Or you can try to print the file but when the 
print dialogue box appears tick the little box about half-way up the left side 
that says "Print to file".  In MicroSquish Office you also get this option but 
it is on the right of that dialogue-box and tends to use some weird non-standard 
format instead of the well-known pdf and is often a different format on 
different machines.  OpenSource Word-processors all tend to use "pdf" which can 
then be read fairly easily (but not able to be modified (except by Gimp or other 
photo-editing software)).

7.  You can save almost any document as "rtf" and when anyone opens it with 
almost any Word-processor it looks the same as the ".doc" or ".docx" would look 
on the same machine with the same Word-processor.  It keeps pictures, tables and 
charts in roughly the same position relative to the text usually.

8.  You can set the default format instead of using "Save As ... " all the 
time.  I usually change the default to the ".doc" format even though it is less 
safe than the ".odt" format.

Tools - Options (at the very bottom of the menu) - "Load/Save" - General 

Now near the bottom of that dialogue box see the 2 drop-downs that are 
side-by-side?  The first one usually says "Text document", if so then change the 
2nd one by scrolling it back 1 place to "MicroSoft Word 97/2000/Xp".  Also it is 
worth changing the 1st box to "Spreadsheet" and then scroll  the 2nd box back 
upwards 2 places to  "MicroSoft Excel 97/2000/Xp".  Then do "Presentations" in a 
similar way to spreadsheets.  Now everyone receiving your documents will be 
happy and believe that you are safe (except other knowledgeable 
linux/mac/Bsd/unix users and a few eccentrics).  You could set the default "Text 
document" to "rtf" if you really want but then most people receiving your 
documents will be wary and suspicious of you.

9.  Quite why people believe the ".doc" and ".docx" formats are safe and other 
formats are unsafe despite all evidence to the contrary is a masterpiece of FUD 
spread by MicroSquish.  When using MicroSquish Office when you open a non-".doc" 
type format a pop-up box appears warning you that you might be opening a 
non-safe document that may contain viruses or other malware.  However, news 
reports have often shown that various viruses or malware have been spread ONLY 
by the ".doc" or ".xls" formats NEVER by "rtf"s, "odt"s or anything else.  
Luckily none of them could affect linux users so you really don't need to 
mention it to anyone.  You can even receive infected files safely and safely 
open, make changes, save and email the file off to people without even being 
aware that the file is infected!  This type of thing is the reason we need to do 
anti-virus scans otherwise people think we pass on infected files deliberately!  
Of course it does also mean we could open an infected file, "Save As ... " an 
".rtf" thereby removing the virus unless it is in one of the pictures but you 
can right-click on the pictures and save them out of the document and make them 
safe or at least check/scan them that way.  Simply using "Save As .." "rtf" is 
usually all that is needed to make infected documents safe again.  Even if you 
find news-reports to back-up your knowledge people will see you as weird, 
eccentric and dangerous if you let them know the facts.  This is one example of 
FUD that MicroSquish has won incontrovertibly.

I hope something here helps!
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)






________________________________
From: shirish शिरीष <shirishag75@gmail.com>
To: users@libreoffice.org
Sent: Wed, 22 December, 2010 4:22:23
Subject: [libreoffice-users] The RTF export and import stuff

Hi all,
 Few days/weeks ago I was browsing the net and came across the RTF
Export function about Libreoffice as somebody had done the same in GSOC.

http://vmiklos.hu/blog/libreoffice

as well as 
http://drewjensen.typepad.com/blog/2010/12/libreoffice-33-new-features.html

I wanted to know if there are some samples RTF's which I as a user
could download and see using the various text-editors see it.

Looking forward for some samples of the same or links where such
samples can be found.

-- 
          Regards,
          Shirish Agarwal  शिरीष अग्रवाल
  My quotes in this email licensed under CC 3.0
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