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Author Topic: Text Edit problem  (Read 3790 times)

Offline bellbram

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Text Edit problem
« on: February 26, 2003, 06:46:00 AM »
I'm now five days into Jaguar and wish I'd stayed out of the forest!

Somehow I must have unwittingly started Text Edit — really don't know how.    Anyway the darned thing has turned a number of my text files (originally in Claris) into a load of meaningless (to me) rubbish.

Is there any way I can get them back to plain English?
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Offline Gregg

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« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2003, 07:39:00 AM »
got backups?
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Offline kps

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« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2003, 08:50:00 AM »
TextEdit is a text editor, if you open a propriatory file like a Claris or Word document, it will show all the formating etc. which looks like "gibberish".

Unless you resaved the documents in TextEdit (the default is RTF) they should open as before in Claris (running in Classic). If you resaved, then import the RTF files into Claris (AppleWorks) and tweak any formating issues.

What version of Claris(Apple) Works are you using?
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Offline bellbram

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« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2003, 10:40:00 AM »
kps:   I've copied one of the gibberish docs into Claris 5, but don't really know what to do now.       You said "tweak any formatting issues", but I fear I don't know what that means.   Can you explain in my (Idiot's) language?    

 Gregg:  I backed up to CD, but must have inadvertently backed up the gibberish, 'cos that's what's there.    I do have a backup on an external HD, using Retrospect, but I find it difficult to retrieve.   Retrospect is rather too complex for my wee brain.
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Offline kelly

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« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2003, 10:46:00 AM »
bellbram. You either clicked on the Save Option after it was opened or it did it by default.  

Just use Find (COMMAND-F) with that items name to find it on your External.

No need to involve Retrospect.
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kelly
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Text Edit problem
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2003, 10:52:00 AM »
quote:
I've copied one of the gibberish docs into Claris 5, but don't really know what to do now.  You said "tweak any formatting issues", but I fear I don't know what that means.
I'm not in OS X, but karl still works for a living, so I'll try to explain what I think he means.

First, I assume you are using Claris 5 in Classic, but at any rate, instead of copying and pasting these files into it, just try using the "Open" command, inside Claris. If these are truly RTF files, Claris should be able to show them to you.

But there may be some changes in the formating, if there even was any. You probably won't have any problems with 'bold' or 'italic' text, but tab placement may not be the same as the original. So, you may want to 'tweak' the locations of where the tabs are.

Seems most '.rtf' files I open end up with tabs every inch, no matter where they may were originally. I seem to always just delete them all and put them in where I want them.

As for 'Quiting' TextEdit, you'll need someone with some X knowledge, but I would think that if it is 'in' your dock, then it is running. So, click on it, to make it active and then use its "Quit" command.

HTH! Karl will probably get back to you after work, but that may be pretty late over there!    

Jim C.
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Offline Bill

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Text Edit problem
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2003, 12:39:00 PM »
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Offline bellbram

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« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2003, 05:41:00 PM »
kelly:  Thanks for the tip, but afraid it didn't work.        The window of the external HD has but two items: 'Backup Set A' and 'Backup Set A.cat'.  I guess I'll just have to try and master Retrospect unless there are any other ideas.
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Offline bellbram

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« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2003, 05:56:00 PM »
Bill:   Thanks for yours.  I admired the great window.  How the heck do you do that?  I have seen the various possibilities in the TextEdit menu, but nothing seems to revert to the original.
Is there a way??
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Offline kelly

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« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2003, 07:14:00 PM »
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kelly
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Offline bellbram

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« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2003, 08:54:00 PM »
kelly: You're not going to believe this...
   Because OSX couldn't find the Retrospect catalogue file, I restarted back in OS9.2 and using Retrospect Express 5, restored the files that had been corrupted.  They were fine.  So back to OSX to drag them to the OSX desktop.  On opening them, found them corrupted again.

So, restart again in OS9.2, and do another restore, but this time the darned files  came up corrupted.

Am at my wits end.   Mind you, that's not very far!

How I hate TextEdit
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Offline Bill

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Text Edit problem
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2003, 11:22:00 PM »
bellbram,all I did is take a snapshot writing with TextEdit and then copy and paste the other snapshots of the textEdit menus onto the original snapshot.

As far as your predicament with TextEdit .... well after rereading this thread,I'm at a loss to what in blazes is happening or how to get out of it.?.

Reads like the whole mess was corrupted somehow while in transit between the two OS systems.
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Offline kps

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« Reply #12 on: February 27, 2003, 12:19:00 AM »
How are you doing all this?

You recovered your files, dragged them to the OS X desktop and openned them...how? Double Clicking? In "classic" using Claris Works 5...how?

The issue I see is Claris/Apple works 5 having some compatibility problems. No doubt updating to 6 and converting the files from 5 would fix the issue, but that's not desirable for you at present.

Two things: Use the Get Info menu to inspect the corrupted files. What file type does it indicate? Does it say it's a Works file? Text edit will open any file that the system can not find an application for. That's the issue. Attach a claris works file extension to the end of the files and see if the system will launch "classic" and CW 5.  The file extension is cwk  so a file by the name of My_File would become My_File.cwk.
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Offline bellbram

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« Reply #13 on: February 27, 2003, 05:09:00 AM »
kps:        You've cracked it!    By adding .cwk to every corrupted file, they opened straight away.   And not in Classic either, but in OSX.     What a simple solution.   Even I can grasp it    

I owe you one.   Can't thank you enough
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Offline kps

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« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2003, 08:33:00 AM »
, glad I could help.

Using the Get Info dialog box you can also lock the file association to the application.

I'm rather surprised it didn't read the creator code in a v.5 document. I believe it's still the same code in  v.6 and the creator code is embedded in the file itself.
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