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List:       koffice-devel
Subject:    Re: Library for MS Word filters (again)
From:       "Andrew C. Oliver" <acoliver () apache ! org>
Date:       2002-07-20 17:16:54
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>
>
>>I'm not sure we can't.
>>    
>>
>
>Huh, as non-native speaker I unfortunately have slight problems to understand 
>that, sorry :-(
> 
>
Meaning I'm not sure this is a problem.  Or I think it can be overcome.

>  
>
>>Generally I read sources from other projects where we can't find 
>>anything else (and
>>we can't).  From there we develop tools to dump it out and I read the 
>>hex and play with it until its right.  
>>    
>>
>
>Right, so do we and it's quite tiring...
> 
>
at times.  Most of the time its fun.

>  
>
>>(org.apache.poi.hssf.dev.BiffViewer  and org.apache.poi.dev.POIFSViewer 
>>for Excel and OLE 2 CDF respectively)
>>    
>>
>
>I see. I most of the time just dump OLE streams to a file and read them in the 
>hex editor.
> 
>
yes.  But identify the structures.  Its like learning a new language... 
 Its fun.

>  
>
>>It generally not too hard to do, just tedious at times.  (I gave a talk 
>>on this to our JUG recently and POI committer
>>Marc Johnson and I were the only ones who thought this kind of work was 
>>fun....I guess all the other folks in the
>>room were really sick in the head.)
>>    
>>
>
>Euhm... fun.. what you Java programmers call fun >:->
>Indeeed, it's kind of fun if you decrypted some ugly construction, but I 
>consider it a bit boring to spend hours reading hex dumps.
>  
>
I actually just consider myself a programmer.  I knew (past tense) 
Assembly.  I know C, C++ (but I have a distaste for it),
various forms of basic, PERL, etc etc.  

Yes. This is fun.  Its like discovering an ancient temple and learning 
the language...  You must be crazy not to think its fun! :-)

-Andy

>Thanks again,
>Werner
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>
>  
>



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