WD: Exporting a Text File to MS-DOS or UNIX Systems from MacWord

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.1
• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh. version 6.0, 6.0.1
• Microsoft Word for the Power Macintosh, version 6.0, 6.0.1
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

This article describes how to transfer a text file from Word to most MS-DOS programs or to UNIX and XENIX systems; you must save the file from Word in a special way to ensure that it transfers successfully.

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Method 1: Adding Carriage Returns by Saving as Text Only with Line Breaks

Use the appropriate method for your version of Word.

Microsoft Word 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 98:

1. On the File menu, click Save As.

2. Type a file name in the Save Document As box.

3. In the "Save File as Type" list, click "Text Only with Line Breaks." Click Save.

1. On the File menu, click Save As.

2. Type a file name in the Save Document As box.

3. Click File Format. Select "Text Only with Line Breaks" and then click OK. Click Save.

Method 2: Adding Line Feeds Using Apple File Exchange

1. Save the file from Word in "Text Only with Line Breaks" format. Quit Word.

2. Start Apple File Exchange and insert an MS-DOS formatted floppy disk.

3. In the Mac To MS-DOS menu, if any check marks appear, choose those options having check marks to toggle the check marks off.

4. In the Mac To MS-DOS menu, click Text translation.

5. For the first option, "Carriage Return, Line Feed (CR/LF)" click the bidirectional arrow button until the check box choice reads: "Replace CR with CR/LF." Make sure "Replace CR with CR/LF" is on.

6. Click OK.

7. In the scrolling list for the Macintosh disk, select the text file. Choose the Translate button to translate the file to the MS-DOS disk.

8. When Apple File Exchange completes the translation, click Quit on the File menu.

Method 3: Adding Line Feeds Using Word

Use the appropriate method for your version of Word.

Microsoft Word 6.0, 6.0.1 and Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition:

1. On the File menu, click Save As.

2. Type a file name in the Save Document As box.

3. In the "Save File as Type" list, select "MS-DOS Text with Line Breaks." Click Save.

Microsoft Word 5.0 and 5.1:

1. Save the file as "Text Only with Line Breaks."

2. On the Edit menu, click Replace.

3. In the Find What box, type "^13" (without the quotation marks).

4. In the Replace With box, type "^13^10" (again without the quotation marks).

5. Click Replace All.

6. When Word presents an "End of document reached" message, click OK.

7. In the Replace dialog box, click Cancel.

8. On the File menu, click Save.

1. Save the document as "Text Only with Line Breaks."

2. On the Utilities menu, click Change.

3. In the Find What text box, type "^13" (without the quotation marks).

4. In the Change To text box, type "^13^10" (again without the quotation marks).

5. Click Change All.

6. Once the file has been entirely changed, click Cancel.

7. To finish the procedure, click Save on the File menu.

Carriage returns (also known as paragraph marks or line breaks) are ASCII value 13, and they trigger the print head to RETURN to the left side of the CARRIAGE (thus the phrase "carriage return").

MORE INFORMATION

Saving for MS-DOS Programs

Macintosh text files typically have only a carriage return (paragraph mark) at the end of each line, but most MS-DOS programs require a carriage return and a line feed to denote the end of a line. If a file does not have line feeds, an MS-DOS program will likely interpret the file as one long paragraph. This usually generates an error.

Saving for UNIX Mail Systems

Most UNIX mail systems require 256 or fewer characters before a carriage return. To keep files saved from Word from exceeding that limitation, save the files in "Text Only with Line Breaks" format. Also, it is common for MS-DOS programs to be modified to run under UNIX and XENIX systems. In that case, the file may need line feeds (in addition to paragraph marks) in order to transfer correctly.