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Copying a microsoft word doc

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Join Date: Jun 2009

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shealy

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Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 1st, 2009

I have 2 binaries - a java binary that requests a microsoft word doc from a c++ binary. The C++ binary opens the word doc in binary mode, reads x no of chars and returns chars to java binary. Java binary eventually receives all data and writes data using filestream write. When I try to open the newly created file, the contents are not readable. The size of the newly created file is the exact same size as the original file that is read by the C++ server.

Should the java and C++ binaries try and manipulate the microsoft word line feeds etc?

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Join Date: Dec 2008

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u8sand

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 1st, 2009

I once tried to do something like this with ONLY C++. Tried to take all the contents of a document and remake it with the same thing. The problem is though that there are some characters that may not show up (may not follow ascii char set) and their may be text that is not being retrieved. Make sure your getting all the text, so use a pointer:

 Help with Code Tags 
 C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text) 
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
 
using namespace std;
 
char* main(char* file)
{
    char* contents;
    char* buffer;
    int numOfChars = 0;
    char ch;
    ifstream fin(file);
    if(fin)
    {
        while(fin.get(ch))
        {
            buffer = new char[numOfChars+2];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfChars; i++)
                buffer[i] = contents[i];
            buffer[numOfChars] = ch;
            buffer[numOfChars+1] = '\0';
            delete contents;
            contents = new char[++numOfChars+1];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfchars; i++)
                contents[i] = buffer[i];
            contents[numOfChars] = '\0';
            delete buffer;
        }
        fin.close();
    }
    else
        return "Error";
    return contents;
}
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

using namespace std;

char* main(char* file)
{
    char* contents;
    char* buffer;
    int numOfChars = 0;
    char ch;
    ifstream fin(file);
    if(fin)
    {
        while(fin.get(ch))
        {
            buffer = new char[numOfChars+2];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfChars; i++)
                buffer[i] = contents[i];
            buffer[numOfChars] = ch;
            buffer[numOfChars+1] = '\0';
            delete contents;
            contents = new char[++numOfChars+1];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfchars; i++)
                contents[i] = buffer[i];
            contents[numOfChars] = '\0';
            delete buffer;
        }
        fin.close();
    }
    else
        return "Error";
    return contents;
}

Last edited by u8sand; Jul 1st, 2009 at 10:29 pm.

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 1st, 2009

>>When I try to open the newly created file, the contents are not readable
Its because doc files are binary files, not text files. Those files contain a lot of formatting information, such as font, font color, font size, etc, that is only readable by MS-Word or similar compatible program.

Binary files have to be opened in binary mode ifstream fin(file, ios::binary); and use stream's read() method.

 Help with Code Tags 
 C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text) 
ifstream fin(file, ios::binary);
ofstream out("newfile.doc", ios::binary);
char iobuffer[255];
while( fin.read( iobuffer, sizeof(iobuffer) )
{
    // do something with this block of data
    size_t sz = fin.gcount();
    out.write( iobuffer, sz);
}
ifstream fin(file, ios::binary);
ofstream out("newfile.doc", ios::binary);
char iobuffer[255];
while( fin.read( iobuffer, sizeof(iobuffer) )
{
    // do something with this block of data
    size_t sz = fin.gcount();
    out.write( iobuffer, sz);
}

Last edited by Ancient Dragon; Jul 1st, 2009 at 10:37 pm.

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Join Date: Jun 2009

Posts: 14

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shealy

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 2nd, 2009

I'm pretty sure that the text is being copied correctly insofar as one can using C++ filestream reads/writes and buffers. File sizes are the same also. Does one need to use microsoft apis to ensure that non-ascii chars are converted?

•

Originally Posted by u8sand

I once tried to do something like this with ONLY C++. Tried to take all the contents of a document and remake it with the same thing. The problem is though that there are some characters that may not show up (may not follow ascii char set) and their may be text that is not being retrieved. Make sure your getting all the text, so use a pointer:
Help with Code Tags

C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
 
using namespace std;
 
char* main(char* file)
{
    char* contents;
    char* buffer;
    int numOfChars = 0;
    char ch;
    ifstream fin(file);
    if(fin)
    {
        while(fin.get(ch))
        {
            buffer = new char[numOfChars+2];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfChars; i++)
                buffer[i] = contents[i];
            buffer[numOfChars] = ch;
            buffer[numOfChars+1] = '\0';
            delete contents;
            contents = new char[++numOfChars+1];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfchars; i++)
                contents[i] = buffer[i];
            contents[numOfChars] = '\0';
            delete buffer;
        }
        fin.close();
    }
    else
        return "Error";
    return contents;
}
#include <iostream> #include <fstream> using namespace std; char* main(char* file) { char* contents; char* buffer; int numOfChars = 0; char ch; ifstream fin(file); if(fin) { while(fin.get(ch)) { buffer = new char[numOfChars+2]; for(int i = 0; i < numOfChars; i++) buffer[i] = contents[i]; buffer[numOfChars] = ch; buffer[numOfChars+1] = '\0'; delete contents; contents = new char[++numOfChars+1]; for(int i = 0; i < numOfchars; i++) contents[i] = buffer[i]; contents[numOfChars] = '\0'; delete buffer; } fin.close(); } else return "Error"; return contents; }

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Join Date: Jun 2009

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shealy

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 2nd, 2009

I missed this reply - sorry. I am treating the microsoft word doc in the C++ code as a binary doc and using fstreams to read/write the data. Then when I use microsoft word to open the newly copied file, the contents are not readable.
Is it possible to just read the contents of the microsoft doc file in binary form, write and open without doing any formatting of special chars?

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 2nd, 2009

>>Does one need to use microsoft apis to ensure that non-ascii chars are converted?

Huh? I didn't post anything specific to microsoft, only standard C++ stuff. Binary files have to be opened in binary mode using ios::binary option. If you don't do that then the destination file will be corrupt.

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 2nd, 2009

•

Originally Posted by shealy

I missed this reply - sorry. I am treating the microsoft word doc in the C++ code as a binary doc and using fstreams to read/write the data. Then when I use microsoft word to open the newly copied file, the contents are not readable.
Is it possible to just read the contents of the microsoft doc file in binary form, write and open without doing any formatting of special chars?

That is exactly what the code snipped I posted will do. Its just standard file i/o operation, nothing special about it.

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Join Date: Jun 2009

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shealy

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 2nd, 2009

To be clear - I am using fstreams and read and opening the microsoft word doc in binary mode. Ditto with the newly created file that gets the contents of the word doc. All this is done using C++ code. When I try to view the newly created doc with ms-word, the contents are not readable.

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

Jul 2nd, 2009

•

Originally Posted by u8sand

I once tried to do something like this with ONLY C++. Tried to take all the contents of a document and remake it with the same thing. The problem is though that there are some characters that may not show up (may not follow ascii char set) and their may be text that is not being retrieved. Make sure your getting all the text, so use a pointer:
Help with Code Tags

C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
 
using namespace std;
 
char* main(char* file)
{
    char* contents;
    char* buffer;
    int numOfChars = 0;
    char ch;
    ifstream fin(file);
    if(fin)
    {
        while(fin.get(ch))
        {
            buffer = new char[numOfChars+2];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfChars; i++)
                buffer[i] = contents[i];
            buffer[numOfChars] = ch;
            buffer[numOfChars+1] = '\0';
            delete contents;
            contents = new char[++numOfChars+1];
            for(int i = 0; i < numOfchars; i++)
                contents[i] = buffer[i];
            contents[numOfChars] = '\0';
            delete buffer;
        }
        fin.close();
    }
    else
        return "Error";
    return contents;
}
#include <iostream> #include <fstream> using namespace std; char* main(char* file) { char* contents; char* buffer; int numOfChars = 0; char ch; ifstream fin(file); if(fin) { while(fin.get(ch)) { buffer = new char[numOfChars+2]; for(int i = 0; i < numOfChars; i++) buffer[i] = contents[i]; buffer[numOfChars] = ch; buffer[numOfChars+1] = '\0'; delete contents; contents = new char[++numOfChars+1]; for(int i = 0; i < numOfchars; i++) contents[i] = buffer[i]; contents[numOfChars] = '\0'; delete buffer; } fin.close(); } else return "Error"; return contents; }

Hey, why has no-one told him that it's int main() and not char* main() or void main() or ... ??

Last edited by tux4life; Jul 2nd, 2009 at 6:24 am.

"Never argue with idiots, they just drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

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Re: Copying a microsoft word doc

#10

Jul 2nd, 2009

When I actually tried it I had the same problem. I used a command prompt and found out that the two files were just a few bytes different.

well, the code I posted almost works. The problem is that the last few bytes does not get read/written

 Help with Code Tags 
 C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text) 
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    char iobuf[255];
    size_t total = 0;
    size_t sz = 0;
    ifstream fin("file1.doc", ios::binary);
    if( !fin.is_open() )
    {
        cout << "Can't open the file\n";
        return 1;
    }
    ofstream fout( "copy.doc", ios::binary);
    while( fin.read(iobuf, sizeof(iobuf) ))
    {
        sz = fin.gcount();
        total += sz;
        fout.write(iobuf, sz);
        sz = 0;
    }
    sz = fin.gcount();
    if( sz > 0)
    {
        cout << "sz = " << sz << "\n";
        total += sz;
        fout.write(iobuf, sz);
    }
    fin.close();
    fout.close();
    cout << "Total = " << total << "\n";
	return 0;
}
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    char iobuf[255];
    size_t total = 0;
    size_t sz = 0;
    ifstream fin("file1.doc", ios::binary);
    if( !fin.is_open() )
    {
        cout << "Can't open the file\n";
        return 1;
    }
    ofstream fout( "copy.doc", ios::binary);
    while( fin.read(iobuf, sizeof(iobuf) ))
    {
        sz = fin.gcount();
        total += sz;
        fout.write(iobuf, sz);
        sz = 0;
    }
    sz = fin.gcount();
    if( sz > 0)
    {
        cout << "sz = " << sz << "\n";
        total += sz;
        fout.write(iobuf, sz);
    }
    fin.close();
    fout.close();
    cout << "Total = " << total << "\n";
	return 0;
}