rtf to text conversion

[jdorlon]

Does anyone have a PL/SQL function or procedure that will turn RTF formatted data into plain text? I have found a dos program that will do it, but I was hoping to have some PL/SQL code that can do it... anyone?

Thanks,

-John

(I originally posted this in the dba forum, but I think here is more appropriate. sorry for the crosspost)

[smoothyc]

I don't have a PL/SQL program, but I know you can do that with MS Word. Maybe there's a way to do it using a Word Macro.

Just a thought.

:-)

"C"

[jdorlon]

Maybe...

Here is my problem.

I have a table with a column that is type LONG. It has data in it that is in the rtf format. I want to be able to view the data in the long column in a report, but the reporting program can't translate rtf, so what I wanted to do was the following :

1) build a function like this -
function rtf_to_text(rtfdata varchar2) returns varchar2

2) build a view that uses the function, to give the appearance
of having a 'regular text' version of the table.

Another less preferred way I think I can pull this off is to use a microsoft API - call it via a library. But then my code is platform specific, so I am hoping to avoid this. Not to mention then I would have to use external procedures.

-John