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Rich Text Format (RTF) Specification, version 1.6

This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

 

Microsoft Corporation

May 1999

Summary: The Rich Text Format (RTF) Specification provides a format for text and graphics interchange that can be used with different output devices, operating environments, and operating systems. RTF uses the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), PC-8, Macintosh, or IBM PC character set to control the representation and formatting of a document, both on the screen and in print. With the RTF Specification, documents created under different operating systems and with different software applications can be transferred between those operating systems and applications. (248 printed pages)

Contents

Introduction RTF Syntax Conventions of an RTF Reader Formal Syntax Contents of an RTF File    Header       RTF Version       Character Set       Unicode RTF       Font Table       File Table       Color Table       Style Sheet       List Table       Track Changes (Revision Marks)    Document Area       Information Group       Document Formatting Properties       Section Text       Paragraph Text       Character Text       Document Variables       Bookmarks       Pictures       Objects       Drawing Objects       Word 97-2000 RTF for Drawing Objects (Shapes)       Footnotes       Comments (Annotations)       Fields       Form Fields       Index Entries       Table of Contents Entries       Bidirectional Language Support Far East Support    Escaped Expressions    Character Set    Character Mapping    Font Family       Composite Fonts (Associated Fonts for International Runs)       New Far East Control Words Created by Word 6J       New Far East Control Words Created by Asian Versions of Word 97       New Far East Control Words Created by Word 2000 Appendix A: Sample RTF Reader Application    How to Write an RTF Reader    A Sample RTF Reader Implementation       Rtfdecl.h and Rtfreadr.c       Rtftype.h       Rtfactn.c    Notes on Implementing Other RTF Features       Tabs and Other Control Sequences Terminating in a Fixed Control       Borders and Other Control Sequences Beginning with a Fixed Control    Other Problem Areas in RTF       Style Sheets       Property Changes       Fields       Tables       Rtfdecl.h       Rtftype.h       Rtfreadr.c       Makefile Appendix B: Index of RTF Control Words Appendix C: Control Words Introduced by Other Microsoft Products    Pocket Word    Exchange (Used in RTF<>HTML Conversions)