Re: How to convert .doc to plain text ascii in emacs.

[Thomas Persson <thomas@spacecentre.se>]

Yoni Rabkin Katzenell <yoni-r@actcom.com> writes:

> Don Saklad <dsaklad@nestle.csail.mit.edu> writes:
>
>> What related emacs commands are there that might convert an rmail
>> attachment from .doc to plain text ascii ?...
>>
>> It is an rmail message distributed from local government about an
>> upcoming public hearing.
>
> I heard that Antiword [http://www.winfield.demon.nl/] can convert doc
> files into plain text and postscript. Note though, that I have never
> used the software myself.

I use antiword and the following code to integrate it with emacs:

(defun antiword-buffer ()
  "Takes the current buffer as input to the external program antiword.

If the current buffer is a ms-word document it's contents are replaced
with the output from antiword and the extension `.doc' is replaced
with `.txt' in the buffer-file-name."
  (let ((txt-buffer-file-name (concat (substring (buffer-file-name) 0 -4)
				      ".txt")))
    (shell-command-on-region (point-min) (point-max)
			     "cat | antiword -" nil t nil)
    (undo-start)
    (if (equal (buffer-string) "- is not a Word Document.\n")
	(or (undo-more 1)
	    (message "%s - is not a Word Document."(current-buffer)))
      (set-visited-file-name txt-buffer-file-name)
      (not-modified))))

;; The following expression makes sure that antiword-buffer is run when a
;; file with the .doc extension is opened.
(setq auto-mode-alist
      (append '(("\\.doc\\'" . antiword-buffer))
	      auto-mode-alist))