For Windows 9X, XP
HABit Wordstar Converter converts formatted files produced by the MS-DOS WordStar word processor into plain text or HTML files that can easily be read or loaded into modern word processors.
For more about WordStar and its history, see the WordStar Resource Site.
The HABit Wordstar Converter utility and all accompanying files are copyright (2001, 2005) to the author
Henry Bartlett 237 Peel Street
LAUNCESTON
Tasmania
Australia 7250
email: habitsoft@gmail.com
and may not be copied, decompiled or changed in any manner except as authorised by the copyright holder.
You may use Wordstar Converter free of charge for as long as you wish except that if you find it useful, you are requested to contact the author by postcard or email to the address above to let him know that you are using Wordstar Converter. Suggestions (preferably constructive) as to improvements are welcome.
All information received in this way will be held in strict confidence and not used for spam nor made available to others.
The author disclaims all warranties as to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The author has tried to ensure that programming errors in Wordstar Converter have been reduced to a minimum and that the program functions correctly but the author cannot be held responsible for any losses sustained through the use of Wordstar Converter.
Wordstar Converter may not be included in any commercial package or in any Cover disk without the author's explicit permission. Otherwise, you may copy Wordstar Converter and distribute Wordstar Converter freely provided:
- that the distribution package is copied complete.
(that is all files are included and no changes are made to any files that form part of the package)- that no charge be made for the media containing Wordstar Converter that is more than the reasonable retail cost of the blank media.
Users of Wordstar Converter who have suggestions about improvements or who find any problems in the use of Wordstar Converter are invited to contact the author.
email: habitsoft@gmail.com
readme.txt - this file
wsconv.exe - the program file
- Select or create a folder for your Wordstar Converter files. (C:\habutil is suggested)
- Find the folder containing the extracted files and copy readme.txt and readme.txt to your Wordstar Converter folder.
- Create Desktop and/or Start-Menu shortcuts in the normal manner.
- Delete the files Wsconv.exe and Readme.txt.
If you created a folder for Wordstar Converter and it no longer contains files then delete it also.- if you installed icons:-
Delete any Wordstar Converter shortcuts on the Desktop or in the Start-Menu.
Wordstar Converter Version 1 (for Windows 3X) released March 2001.
Wordstar Converter Version 2 (for Windows (9X, XP) released April 2002.
Wordstar Converter Version 3 (for Windows (9X, XP) released March 2005.
Start Wordstar Converter by clicking on the file wsconv.exe in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
An Open File dialog will appear and you can select the file you wish to convert. The file will then be loaded into the Wordstar Converter window for preview.
If the file is larger than 30 KB, Wordstar Converter will not be able to load it all.
As the purpose of the preview is to ensure that you have the correct file and that it does require conversion, this should not cause any problems since Wordstar Converter fully processes any file, regardless of its size.
Please note well, Wordstar Converter shows only the beginning of the file as a sample so that you can see what it is that you are proposing to convert.
WordStar, like most DOS programs used an 8-bit version of the ASCII character set using the IBM extended character set (ECS) coding but Windows programs normally use an ANSI character set based on Latin-1 coding. If the original Wordstar file included any accented letters or other European symbols, it is likely that, unless converted, they will not be rendered correctly in Windows programs.
If the Convert ECS box is checked, characters in the Extended ASCII range (accented letters and symbols) will be converted into the corresponding Windows ANSI characters.
Some Extended ASCII characters have no equivalents in the normal Windows ANSI fonts and, in these cases, the nearest equivalent is used for text-mode conversions.
HTML conversions use special HTML characters to display characters in the Extended ASCII range.
If the Keep layout box is checked, all blank spaces used by Wordstar to format the page are preserved. This is useful if you just need to examine the file but makes it more difficult to format the document in a modern word-processor. Note that if the layout formatting uses the 'text styles', found in WordStar 2000 and some later versions (5, 6 and 7), it will not be preserved.
If the Keep layout box is not checked, you have the option of separating the paragraphs by inserting blank lines between them.
To separate the paragraphs in this way, check the Double-space box.
To convert files ready for formatting in a word-processor, it is recommended that you have the Keep layout box un-checked and the Convert ECS box checked, or else output to HTML.
When you load a WordStar file, WordStar Converter will display the version number, if it is given in the file, and will set the File Format option.
WordStar 2000 (first released in 1987) used a different file structure from that used in the other MS DOS versions and the WordStar 2000 option will need to be set in order to convert these files. This option is normally set automatically when WordStar 2000 files are loaded.
Click on the [Convert] button and a Save File dialog will appear for you to provide a name for the converted file. Make sure that this name is different from that of the original.
The conversion will then start. The time taken will depend on the size of the file and the speed of your computer but should be only a few seconds.
After conversion, the first part of the converted file will be reloaded into the preview window for you to check to see if the result is what you desire.
Remember, Wordstar Converter shows only the beginning of the converted file as a sample so that you can see if the conversion worked correctly. To see the full file, you may need to use another program such as WordPad.
Also, if the output is to a plain-text file, none of the original character attributes (bold, italics etc.) will be preserved and layout formatting based on 'text styles' will be lost.
HTML output will contain the original character attributes and limited layout formatting.
WordStar Converter renders tabs as strings of non-breaking spaces in HTML output. But strings of ordinary spaces are rendered as a single space.
To output to HTML:
- Open the original WordStar document.
- If either the "Keep layout" box or the "Double spaced" box has a check mark in it then click it to remove the check.
- Now, if the "Text file" option in the "Save as" box has a dot in it, set the "HTML file" option by clicking on it.
- Click on the "Convert" button.
- To view the HTML file correctly, switch to Windows Explorer or My Computer, find the converted file and double-click on it.
Batch Conversion
This version of WordStar Converter can convert a number of files as a batch.
To use the batch conversion routine:
- Place all the files that you wish to convert in the same folder.
The files may have been produced by different versions of WordStar.
The filenames may have different extensions but you will find it easier if they all have the same extension.- Run WordStar Converter 3.3.
- Load one of the files you wish to convert and convert it as above.
Check that the conversion is suitable for your needs.
- Click on the "Batch" button and all the other files in the folder with the same filename extension will be converted using the same settings that you used for the first file.
These converted files will not appear in the Preview window.To convert files with different extensions or in different folders, repeat steps 3 and 4 above.
You can also run Wordstar Converter from the Run item of the Start menu:
-eg C:\habutil\wsconv a:\olddoc.ws to convert the Wordstar file olddoc.ws on A drive.The converted file should contain all the text in the original but the occasional formatting character may also remain. These should be obvious and easily removed.
To extract all the information from a complex document, it may be necessary to convert to both HTML and text-with-layout and to compare the results.
NOTE: you cannot edit files in the Preview window. Load the converted file into a Word Processor for editing.
And remember, if your file is larger than 30 KB not all of it will be visible in the Preview Window but it should all have been converted.
For further information, contact
Henry Bartlett
Email: habitsoft@gmail.com