Paul, This was amazingly helpful. I think finally I'm on the right path.
I too found that same problem with the help file. The dialog window is cut off by the bottom of the screen. There is no scroll bar. The dialog window got cut off right at the command I needed. I also saw the "close" button that was just floating in the bottom middle of the dialog window that cannot be clicked. This bug desperately needs to be fixed. Do you know, is there a way to see the full dialog window, with all its commands, somewhere on the web? Is it archived somewhere in the LibreOffice help? I have found more detailed help on using this specific "convert-to" command at http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/2641/convert-to-command-line-parameter/ But I cannot find the full list of commands. Also, and most importantly, it appears to me that this command cannot run in batch mode? In the example given at the website I linked above, the format of the command only takes one file at a time. How would it process multiple files at a time, if the final parameter is a file name? Wouldn't it need to be a directory name? thank you so much joe On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 4:38 PM, Paul <paulste...@afrihost.co.za> wrote: > Hi Joe, > > I'm also running Win 7 64 bit, and my LO (4.1.1.2) executable sits under > > c:\Program Files (x86)\LibreOffice 4\program\soffice.exe > > running that with the "--help" parameter gives a dialog window with a > bunch of options, too many for the dialog window, which doesn't have a > scroll bar, so I can't see them all. It even writes over the close > button. There seems to be a bug... > Also, the close button cannot actually be clicked... > > Luckily, at the bottom just before it gets cut off I see the > following, which, as I can't actually copy any of the text, is typed > out and may contain a spelling error or two, plus is badly formatted: > > --convert-to output_file_extension[:output_filter_name] [--outdir > output_dir] files > Batch convert files. > If --outdir is not specified then current working dir is used as > output_dir. > Eg. --convert-to pdf *.doc > --convert-to pdf:writer_pdf_Export --outdir /home/user *.doc > > This seems to be what you need. You should be able to put all the files > in one directory and run LO with the parameter "--convert-to pdf > *.htm", possibly giving another directory as outdir, and possibly with > the --headless parameter. > > Hope this helps. > > Paul > > > > > On Thu, 10 Apr 2014 15:56:32 -0500 > Joe B <paperba...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hello Tom, > > > > Thanks for being so nice and offering your help. > > > > Yes, I am running Windows 7 64 bit. > > > > My cmd.exe does not recognize "lowriter", but it does recognize > > "soffice". When I typed "soffice --help", a window pops up called > > "Help Message" It lists the LibreOffice version I am using. Then it > > says : "Usage: soffice [options] [documents...]" > > Then there is a list of options flags. But the list is quite > > short...only a page. There's nothing in it about batch processing. > > I really didn't glean anything from it. > > > > I followed the link you gave me to > > > https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Other_Documentation_and_Resources#Programmersand > > ...well it's pretty overwhelming. I then followed the link for > > "Andrew > > Pitonyak's macro page", hoping that he might have some pre-baked code > > to run as a macro in LibreOffice to batch convert files between > > different formats. I downloaded his "Useful Macro Information" file, > > but it's 518 pages! I did look through the contents to try to find > > something about batch processing or file format changing, but there > > is nothing. > > > > So...I'm stumped on what to do next. > > > > Secondly, I should clarify more the files I'm starting with. I > > believe they were written in Microsoft Word from...whatever version > > existed in the 90s. Then at some later point, the files were somehow > > converted to this crazy Microsoft XML format, but saved with an > > ".htm" file extension. The files are full of bizarre Microsoft > > Server-specific instructions that just totally break the webpage. > > I'm using Apache as my server, not Microsoft Server, and Apache can't > > understand all those weird Microsoft Server-specific commands like: > > xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" > > xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" > > xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" > > > > I understand that file attachments are not allowed. If it would help > > to get a look at the source code for one of these files, just so you > > have some inkling of what I'm talking about, I can try to post it > > somewhere for you to take a gander at. > > > > Thanks, > > Joe > > paperba...@gmail.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 8:28 AM, Tom Davies <tomc...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Hi :) > > > Ahh, just spotted the give-away ".exe" so it sounds like you are > > > using Windows. It is still worth trying the "--help" tag to see if > > > you do get a quick-help cheat-sheet. > > > > > > Let us know either way! :) > > > Regards from > > > Tom :) > > > > > > > > > On 10 April 2014 14:26, Tom Davies <tomc...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > >> Hi :) > > >> We call it "headless mode". Errr, which OS are you using? Is it a > > >> Windows or a Gnu&Linux or Mac? > > >> > > >> Headless mode can be scripted and there might even be a thread in > > >> the archives that shows a decent script worth copying. I think > > >> the better way is to try using LibreOffice on the command-line and > > >> get it doing more and more until you've figured it out. For > > >> example does soffice > > >> or > > >> lowriter > > >> work from the command-line? On my Gnu&Linux both work but some > > >> OSes might be limited to using just 1 of those. Then try, for > > >> example lowriter --help > > >> to get a quick cheat-sheet of options. > > >> > > >> Hopefully people on this list can help but there might also be > > >> documentation at > > >> > > >> > https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Other_Documentation_and_Resources#Programmers > > >> or scroll up a bit to see what is in the "Corporate Users" section > > >> of the page. > > >> > > >> > > >> Attachments don't get to the mailing-list anyway! You can use > > >> Nabble to upload them to a central place so that people can choose > > >> to look if they want. > > >> > > >> > > >> I would try to keep the original documents in MS format so that if > > >> there is any problem with some tiny subset of all the ones being > > >> converted then you can focus on those and do them with a bit more > > >> finesse. However from Doc, Xls etc to Odt, Ods etc should work > > >> reasonably well. > > >> > > >> It's the DocX, XlsX etc that is a bit more unpredictable thanks to > > >> MS's constant changing of that format (currently on at least 3 > > >> different "transistional" versions and at least 1 "strict" none of > > >> which seem to fully comply with their ISO promise). Even with > > >> those i think a batch-process using a scripted headless mode is > > >> the best plan and then deal with individual oddities later. > > >> > > >> Regards from > > >> Tom :) > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> On 10 April 2014 13:30, Joe B <paperba...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > > >>> Hello all, > > >>> > > >>> This is my first post. > > >>> > > >>> I am working on migrating a website. I am trying to convert many > > >>> files written in an old version of MS Word, which were then saved > > >>> as old Microsoft 2002/2003 XML files. The files were saved using > > >>> an .htm extension. The files are filled with Microsoft xml crud. > > >>> (I will just refer to them as .htm files for the rest of this > > >>> e-mail) > > >>> > > >>> I found a simple solution, in simply opening the file in > > >>> LibreOffice Writer, and re-saving the file in HTML Document > > >>> (Writer) (.html) format. Now the files work great. > > >>> > > >>> I don't want to do this one file at a time obviously, as there are > > >>> hundreds > > >>> of these .htm files. I am trying to figure out a way to do this > > >>> for multiple files in a folder...I think the term is "batch > > >>> processing". > > >>> > > >>> In other words, have a script that will: > > >>> 1. iterate through each .htm file in a folder > > >>> 2. open the file in LibreOffice Writer > > >>> 3. save the .htm file in HTML Document (Writer)(.html) format > > >>> 4. close the file > > >>> 5. iterate over all the remaining files in the folder until all > > >>> files have > > >>> had their formats changed > > >>> > > >>> Is there a way to do this via a command line script. Or by > > >>> creating a batch file? > > >>> > > >>> I'm sorry, I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to the command > > >>> line or batch > > >>> files. I know how to open LibreOffice Writer.exe from the > > >>> command line with one argument, which will open that document, > > >>> but that's about it. > > >>> > > >>> I have some experience in other scripting languages, like Python, > > >>> Perl, etc, but not windows scripting. I am having a very > > >>> difficult time getting > > >>> this to work in Python, so I thought I would come here and try to > > >>> ask for guidance. > > >>> > > >>> I could attach a copy of one of the .htm files that I am > > >>> converting if that > > >>> would help, but don't want to attach a file in my very first > > >>> e-mail. > > >>> > > >>> thank you, > > >>> Joe > > >>> paperba...@gmail.com > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> To unsubscribe e-mail to: users+unsubscr...@global.libreoffice.org > > >>> Problems? > > >>> > http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ > > >>> Posting guidelines + more: > > >>> http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette List archive: > > >>> http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ All messages > > >>> sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted > > >>> > > >>> > > >> > > > > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe e-mail to: users+unsubscr...@global.libreoffice.org > Problems? > http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ > Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette > List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ > All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be > deleted > > -- To unsubscribe e-mail to: users+unsubscr...@global.libreoffice.org Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted
