sesquipedalian / rtf2xml

Converts MS Rich Text Format to XML

VERSION:

2.0

OVERVIEW

The script rtf2xml converts Microsoft RTF to XML.

By default, the script outputs to a raw XML, which faitfully represents the strucutre of the original RTF document.

INSTALLATION

1. Type:

   python setup.py install
   

FOR earlier versions:

pip install rtf2xml

NOTE: I have not yet uploaded rtf2xml to the Python PyPi. I am waiting to get a permissions issue resolved. The installation downloaded with pip will work for python 2, but not python 3.

QUICK USE

To convert an RTF document to raw XML type:

rtf2xml my_file.rtf

Bugs, limitations

• Won't properly convert legacy RTF with multi-byte representations.

  The script rtf2xml will convert older RTF that has 8-bit representations, which includes most (all?) of the languages of Europe. However, rtf2xml cannot convert older files in the Japanese or Chinese language. It can convert newer files in these languages, but the older RTF gives no unicode markings, making conversion impossible.

• Will often misrepresent RTF produced with Open Office.

  Open Office RTF produces some characters as double question marks (??). Other RTF readers can filter out these charcters, but the script rtf2xml cannot, and in my opinion, these double question marks do not follow Microsoft's guidelines.

• Won't convert pictures.

  See the documentation on this limitation.