extra codes

["Myron Gochnauer" goch@xxxxxxxx]

Does anyone have a way of stripping excess formatting codes from documents
converted from RTF format?

The jumbo U2 file has a routine for stripping multiple Mode commands, but
RTF seems to have several other coding conventions that result in needless
baggage for XyWrite. For example, every time it changes from normal to
italic in a section of text with an explicit typeface and size, it repeats
the typeface and size. I can see how this makes sense in some typesetting
systems, but it is not necessary in XyWrite. Similar XyWrite-excesses occur
at the beginnings of every line covered by special indentation (e.g. a
series of hanging indents: ≪IP0,.25IN≫).

Since RTF seems to be the most common and robust format-of-exchange, it
might be a good idea to write a series of XPL routines that would strip as
much of the excess coding as possible. How far have others gone with this?

I often find myself trying to edit a document in Word or WordPerfect and
becoming so frustrated that I save it as RTF, do the editing in XyWrite and
then send it back to the big dog.

Myron