WD97: How to Convert Between IBM's DCF Text Processor and Word (197019)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

This article was previously published under Q197019

SUMMARY

This article discusses conversion solutions that allow you to convert between IBM's Document Composition Facility (DCF) Version 1 Release 4 and Microsoft Word.

MORE INFORMATION

To convert data between IBM's Document Composition Facility (DCF) Version 1 Release 4 and Word, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Contact IBM Direct

Contact IBM Direct at (800) 426-2255 and order the Office Document Feature (ODF) for use with product number 5748-XX9 (the Document Composition Facility).

When the Office Document Feature (ODF) is installed, DCF can convert a Revisable-Form Text Document Content Architecture (RFT-DCA) file into an RFT/GML file for formatting by SCRIPT/VS. ODF can also convert an RFT/GML file back into an RFT-DCA file.

Word 97 can both read and save as RFT-DCA format created by ODF.

NOTE: Be sure to order the appropriate version of ODF for your processor type. See the environments under which DCF and ODF can be used in the "More Information" section later in this article.

Method 2: Contact a Third-Party Conversion Product Vendor

Contact a third-party conversion product vendor that supports conversion between DCF and Word. For more information about third-party conversion products, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

174813 WD: Third-Party Conversion Solutions

IBM's Document Composition Facility (DCF) is a host-based word processing program available for IBM's mainframe environments as well as for the OS/2 and Windows platforms. In addition to the OS/2 and Windows environments, DCF operates in the interactive environments of CMS, TSO, and Customer Information Control System (CICS) and the processors they operate with, when the appropriate Foreground Environment Feature (FEF) is installed. It can also be run in the batch environment under MVS and VSE.

DCF Version 1 Release 4 provides a text formatter called SCRIPT/VS. SCRIPT/VS processes documents marked up with its own control words and documents marked up with Generalized Markup Language (GML) tags.

Other IBM applications, such as BookMaster releases 3 and 4, write and save data in GML format that can be formatted using the Document Composition Facility (DCF) and subsequently exported from DCF in RFT-DCA format for use in Word.

GML tags, a type of shorthand text markup, describe the parts or elements of the document being formatted; they can be used instead of explicit SCRIPT/VS control words to achieve the same results.

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/14/2000
Keywords:kbhowto KB197019