Word doc Binary Format

[Geoff]

On the internet there is a document called "Microsoft
Word 97 Binary File Format" which, obviously, specifies
the binary format of a Word 97 document. The document
can be found at http://www-
ix.gsi.de/~bio/DOCS/wword8.html I need to find the
binary format specifications of a Word document from a
newer version of Word. Does anyone know if Microsoft has
published such a document? and if so, where can it be
found?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Geoff
..

 

[Charles Kenyon]

I'm not aware that Microsoft ever published or released their file format.
Unless you are trying to incorporate features only supported by later
versions, the Word 97 file format will work for all later versions.

I tried following the link you gave <URL:
http://wwwix.gsi.de/~bio/DOCS/wword8.html> and it did not work. Neither did
<URL: http://www-ix.gsi.de/~bio/DOCS/wword8.html> or <URL:
http://www.ix.gsi.de/~bio/DOCS/wword8.html>.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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[Jezebel]

Charles, I'm not sure that that's right about the 97 format working for
subsequent versions. My understanding is that for anti-virus and security
reasons, the current format is polymorphic, controlled in ways that MS is
keeping very private. So my contacts at Symantec tell me, anyway.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

A Word 97 document works in Word 2003. While I am not assuming that the
original poster's site actually contained the (complete) file specs for a
Word 97 document, if it did, and if a document meeting those specs were
created by a third-party app, it should work as well in Word 2000-2003 as
would one created by Word 97.

I am also guessing that what the poster really wants is something that is
automatically opened by Word as a Word doc and contains text. I would be
surprised if they were actually incorporating custom styles,
headers/footers, sections, fields, or macros in the document.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Geoff,

One has always had to request the BIFF from Microsoft; usually, only the format for the current version is available. There's a KB article on the procedure you need to follow on microsoft.com

I suspect that the posting of the BIFF here may be illegal. The discussion between Charles and Jezebel gives a few reasons why it's not such a bad thing that MS keeps some control

If it's a question of generating Word documents, alternatives would be to use RTF (I believe that format is open source), HTML, Word HTML (version 2002), or WordML (Word 2003).

On the internet there is a document called "Microsoft
Word 97 Binary File Format" which, obviously, specifies
the binary format of a Word 97 document. The document
can be found at http://www-
ix.gsi.de/~bio/DOCS/wword8.html I need to find the
binary format specifications of a Word document from a
newer version of Word. Does anyone know if Microsoft has
published such a document? and if so, where can it be
found?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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