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Microsoft Word provides file format converters that enable Word to open documents that were created in older versions of WordPerfect. If your document was created in a version of WordPerfect that is later than 6.x, save it in an older WordPerfect format before you open it in Word.
Note Word does not provide a converter for saving a Word document as a WordPerfect file. However, you may be able to open your Word document directly in WordPerfect. For more information, consult your WordPerfect documentation.
To open a WordPerfect file, do the following:
- On the File menu, click Open.
- In the Files of type list, click either WordPerfect 5.x or WordPerfect 6.x.
If you don't see either of these options in the list
Install the file format converters as follows:
- Exit all programs.
- Do one of the following:
- If you are using Microsoft Windows 2000, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.
- If you are using Microsoft Windows XP, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.
- In the Currently installed programs list, click either Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office Word 2003 (depending on whether you installed Word as part of Office or as an individual program), and then click Change.
The Configuration Wizard opens.
- On the Maintenance Mode Options page, click Add or Remove Features, and then click Next.
If you installed Word as part of Office, then on the Custom Setup page, select the Choose advanced customization of applications check box, and then click Next.
- On the Advanced Customization page, click the plus sign (+) next to Office Shared Features.
- Click the plus sign (+) next to Converters and Filters, and then click the plus sign (+) next to Text Converters.
- Click the arrow next to either WordPerfect 5.x Converter or WordPerfect 6.x Converter, and then click Run from My Computer.
The file format converter is installed.
- In the File name box, enter the name of the file that you want, and then click Open.
Converting from WordPerfect 5.0, 5.1, and 5.2
You can use the WordPerfect 5.x converter to open WordPerfect 5.x documents in Office Word 2003. You cannot save an Office Word 2003 document in WordPerfect 5.x format.
Note When you convert a document from WordPerfect 5.x to Office Word 2003, you can use the Font Substitution button on the Compatibility tab of the Options dialog box to choose the fonts to use.
Supported features when converting from WordPerfect 5.x to Office Word 2003
Character formatting
Paragraph formatting
Alignment
Supported.
First-line indents
Supported.
Page break before
Not supported.
Space before/after paragraphs
Not supported.
Tab leaders
Supported. The dot, minus sign, and underscore tab leaders convert to the same in Word. All other WordPerfect tab leaders convert to dot leaders in Word.
Leading/baselines, lines/baselines
Not supported.
[Center]/[Flsh Rgt] codes
Supported. Center and Flush Right codes convert to center-aligned and right-aligned tab stops.
Widow control
Supported.
Section formatting
Margins
Supported. Word margins are measured from the paper's edge to the body text; WordPerfect margins are measured from the edge to the header. The conversion adjusts the margins as needed to preserve the page layout. If you experience problems with margins (for example, if they are set outside the printable range in Word), click Page Setup (File menu), click the Margins tab, select the options that you want, and then click OK. If margins need to be adjusted, Word prompts you to fix them.
Newspaper columns
Supported.
Parallel columns
Supported. Parallel columns convert to tables. If a parallel column layout contains a page-anchored box, the entire parallel column layout converts to newspaper columns.
Tables
Tables
Supported. Vertical merging of cells is not converted.
Table formulas/math
Not supported.
Decimal table cell alignment
Supported. Decimal table cell alignment is converted to right paragraph alignment.
Document formatting
Default tab stops
Supported.
Footnotes
Supported.
Gutter margins, paper size
Supported.
Other features
Comments
Not supported.
Outlining/paragraph numbers/Office Word 2003 lists
Supported. WordPerfect paragraph numbers convert to Word sequence fields by default.
Print merge commands
Supported. Word automatically converts WordPerfect secondary files to Word data source document format. Conditional print merge constructs and macros are lost when converting to Word.
Date/time stamps
Supported. Default formats only.
Subdocuments (INCLUDE field)
Supported.
Equations
Not supported.
Extended characters
Supported. Not all extended characters are converted.
Text boxes/lines
Supported. Some text boxes and lines convert to Word drawing layer objects. Drawing layer objects are visible only in print layout view (Print Layout view: A view of a document or other object as it will appear when you print it. For example, items such as headers, footnotes, columns, and text boxes appear in their actual positions.), in print preview (print preview: A view of a document as it will appear when you print it.), and when printed. Drawing layer objects do not appear in normal view (normal view: A view that shows text formatting and a simplified page layout. Normal view is convenient for most editing and formatting tasks.).
Line draw
Supported. WordPerfect line draw characters are converted; however, the Word line spacing causes gaps to appear between the line draw characters on successive lines. To correct this problem for printing, set the line spacing to the exact current font size in points. Click Paragraph on the Format menu to change the line spacing.
Macros
Not supported.
PRIVATE field codes
Supported. PRIVATE fields are inserted by the converter to preserve the information that is needed to accurately save the file back to WordPerfect format. These fields should not be edited and have no effect on the document.
Styles
Supported. Styles that contain paragraph formatting codes convert to paragraph styles. WordPerfect styles that contain only character formatting convert to character styles in Word. Text that is contained in a style is converted as normal text.
Other features, such as tables and graphics, are retained in documents but are not given Word styles.
Converting from WordPerfect 6.x for Windows or DOS
You can use the WordPerfect 6.x converter to open WordPerfect 6.x documents in Office Word 2003. You cannot save an Office Word 2003 document in WordPerfect 6.x format.
Note If you are having trouble with the layout of a document that you are converting from WordPerfect 6.x to Office Word 2003, try the following: Reopen the document in WordPerfect 6.x, press CTRL+END or scroll to the end of the document, and save the document again in WordPerfect 6.x format before opening it in Office Word 2003.
Supported features when converting from WordPerfect 6.x to Office Word 2003
Character formatting
Paragraph formatting
[Center]/[Flsh Rgt] codes
Supported. Center and Flush Right codes convert to center-aligned and right-aligned tabs.
Back tabs
Supported. Back tabs that are preceded by text are not converted.
Default tabs
Supported. Trailing default tabs at the ends of lines are not converted.
Tab leaders
Supported. Dot, minus sign, and underscore tab leaders are converted to the same tab leaders in Word. All other tab leaders become dot leaders in Word.
Keep Text Together properties
Supported.
Leading adjustment between lines/baselines
Not supported.
Paragraph margins
Supported. Paragraph margins are converted to left and right paragraph indents in Word.
Spacing between paragraphs
Supported. Spacing between paragraphs becomes the Spacing After paragraph format in Word.
Styles
Supported. Styles that contain paragraph formatting codes convert to paragraph styles. WordPerfect styles that contain only character formatting convert to character styles in Word. Text that is contained in a style is converted as normal text.
Section formatting
Margins
Supported. WordPerfect margins are measured from the top and bottom edge of the page to the top of the header and bottom of the footer, respectively. Word margins are measured from the paper's edge to the body text. The conversion adjusts the margins to preserve the page layout. If the margins do not convert correctly, click Page Setup on the File menu, click the Margins tab, select the options that you want, and then click OK.
Parallel columns
Supported. Parallel columns convert to tables.
Tables
Table vertical cell merge and cell alignment
Supported.
Document settings
Footnotes
Supported. Custom footnote marks are converted to automatically numbered marks. If the numbering format of the notes is changed in a document, the notes that are numbered with the new format are converted as custom notes.
Other features
Comments
Supported. Word does not retain comments in headers, footers, footnotes, and endnotes.
Outlining/paragraph numbers/counters
Supported. All are converted to numbers in Word.
Master documents and subdocuments
Supported.
Equations
Supported. Equations are converted as editable equation objects. Equation fields are not converted.
Text boxes/lines
Supported. Some text boxes and lines convert to Word drawing layer objects. Drawing layer objects are visible only in print layout view (Print Layout view: A view of a document or other object as it will appear when you print it. For example, items such as headers, footnotes, columns, and text boxes appear in their actual positions.), print preview (print preview: A view of a document as it will appear when you print it.), and when printed.
Graphics boxes that are anchored to a page or paragraph, have wrap-around text, and are located in tables, parallel columns, or headers/footers are converted to boxes with wrap through in Word. In most cases, these boxes become drawing layer objects in Word.
Graphics lines become solid lines. Text that is tight-wrapped around a graphic becomes square-wrapped.
Macros
Not supported.
Advance
Supported. Advance codes are converted to ADVANCE fields in Word. Advance codes that move the text upward on a page cannot be fully emulated in Word.
Bookmarks
Supported.
Borders and fill (for column and page)
Not supported.
Captions
Not supported.
Chapter and volume numbers
Not supported.
Cross-references and hypertext links
Not supported. They are retained as plain text in Word.
Drop caps
Not supported.
Indexes and lists
Not supported. Indexes and lists are retained as plain text in Word.
Insert Filename
Supported.
Labels and bar codes
Not supported. Text of labels is retained in Word.
Line numbers
Not supported.
Merge codes
Not supported. Merge constructs and macros are lost when converting to Word.
Page features (center page, page binding, and subdivide pages)
Supported. Center page and page binding are supported.
Watermarks
Supported.
WordPerfect characters
Supported. If the WordPerfect fonts that contain the characters are available on the system, all the characters are converted. If one or more of these fonts are not available, some characters may not be converted.
Tools and Tips
WordPerfect Help and navigation keys
WordPerfect Help
You can use the WordPerfect Help feature to receive instructions or demonstrations for Word procedures when you press the equivalent WordPerfect keyboard shortcut. For example, to learn more about printing in Word, press SHIFT+F7.
WordPerfect navigation keys
You can use the WordPerfect Navigation feature in Word to change the function of certain keys to WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS equivalents. For example, to position the insertion point to the left side of the screen, press HOME+LEFT ARROW.
Turn on or off WordPerfect Help or navigation keys
- On the Help menu, click WordPerfect Help.
- Click Options.
- Select the options that you want.
WordPerfect keyboard shortcut equivalents
To print this topic, press CTRL+P.
| WordPerfect command |
WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS keyboard shortcut |
Microsoft Word keyboard shortcut |
| Align Center |
SHIFT+F6, SHIFT+F8, 1, 3, 2 |
CTRL+E to center text in a paragraph |
| Bold |
F6,
CTRL+F8, 2, 1 |
CTRL+B |
| Font |
CTRL+F8 |
CTRL+D |
| Block |
ALT+F4 |
SHIFT+ arrow key |
| Comment |
CTRL+F5, 4, 2 |
ALT+CTRL+M |
| Date Code |
SHIFT+F5, 2 |
ALT+SHIFT+D |
| Reveal Codes |
ALT+F3 |
SHIFT+F1, click |
| Delete Word |
CTRL+BACKSPACE |
CTRL+BACKSPACE
CTRL+DELETE
|
| Delete to End of Line |
CTRL+END |
SHIFT+END, DELETE |
| Delete to End of Page |
CTRL+PAGE DOWN |
SHIFT+DOWN ARROW (to end of page), DELETE |
| Delete to Left Word Boundary |
HOME+BACKSPACE |
CTRL+BACKSPACE |
| Delete to Right Word Boundary |
HOME+DELETE |
CTRL+DELETE |
| Delete Block |
ALT+F4+DELETE |
F8, arrow key, DELETE |
| Double Underline |
CTRL+F8, 2, 3 |
CTRL+SHIFT+D |
| Endnote |
CTRL+F7, 2, 1 |
ALT+CTRL+D |
| Exit |
F7 |
ALT+F4 |
| Flush Right |
ALT+F6 |
Right TAB to right align text on a single line
CTRL+R to right align text in a paragraph
|
| Footnote |
CTRL+F7, 1, 1 |
ALT+CTRL+F |
| Help |
F3 |
F1 |
| Indent |
F4 |
CTRL+M |
| Italic |
CTRL+F8, 2, 4 |
CTRL+I |
| Justify Center |
SHIFT+F8, 1, 3, 2 |
CTRL+E |
| Justify Full |
SHIFT+F8, 1, 3, 4 |
CTRL+J |
| Justify Left |
SHIFT+F8, 1, 3, 1 |
CTRL+L |
| Justify Right |
SHIFT+F8, 1, 3, 3 |
CTRL+R |
| Margin Release |
SHIFT+TAB |
CTRL+T (hanging indent) |
| Mark Index Entry |
ALT+F5, 3 |
ALT+SHIFT+X |
| Mark Table of Authorities Entry |
ALT+F5, 4 |
ALT+SHIFT+I |
| Mark Table of Contents Entry |
ALT+F5, 5, 1 |
ALT+SHIFT+O |
| Print |
SHIFT+F7 |
CTRL+P |
| Replace |
ALT+F2 |
CTRL+H |
| Retrieve File |
SHIFT+F10 |
CTRL+O (Open command) |
| Save |
F10 |
CTRL+S |
| Save As |
CTRL+F5, 3 |
F12 |
| Search (backward) |
SHIFT+F2 |
CTRL+F |
| Search (forward) |
F2 |
CTRL+F |
| Small Caps |
CTRL+F8, 2, 7 |
CTRL+SHIFT+K |
| Spell |
CTRL+F2 |
F7 |
| Subscript |
CTRL+F8, 1, 2 |
CTRL+EQUAL SIGN |
| Superscript |
CTRL+F8, 1, 1 |
CTRL+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN |
| Switch Document |
SHIFT+F3 |
CTRL+F6 |
| Thesaurus |
ALT+F1 |
SHIFT+F7 |
| Underline |
F8,
CTRL+F8, 2, 2 |
CTRL+U |
| Undo |
F1 |
CTRL+Z |
| View Document |
SHIFT+F7, 6 |
CTRL+F2 (Print Preview command) |
Tips for finding or using WordPerfect features in Word
Block text
The equivalent of blocking text in WordPerfect is selecting text in Word. If you prefer to be prompted before deleting, use the WordPerfect navigation keys.
Protect blocks of text
To control how the text flows or stays together in Word, use the commands on the Line and Page Breaks tab of the Paragraph dialog box (Format menu, Paragraph command).
Customize how Word handles converted documents
You can customize how Word handles converted documents by using the options on the Compatibility tab of the Options dialog box (Tools menu, Options command).
Convert specialized WordPerfect fonts
The Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit includes specialized fonts to improve the conversion of characters — such as graphics that were created with line draw or equations — so that they appear and print more smoothly in Microsoft Word.
Generate tables of contents, indexes, and tables of authorities
Click where you want to insert these items, and then use the Index and Tables command (point to Reference on the Insert menu).
Use legal features
Word provides features that might be helpful for legal documents. Two examples are the Pleading Wizard and support of automatic numbering in paragraph text.
For more information about legal features, search on the keyword legal in Word Help.
Use graphics features similar to line draw
Word can convert text-based line draw characters from WordPerfect to a TrueType Linedraw font in a Word document. Word also provides rich graphics features, including 3-D shapes, page borders, document backgrounds, textured fills, and graphical text.
Use formulas and math
You can work with formulas in tables by clicking in a table and then using the Formula command (Table menu).
You can create equations by using the Field command (Insert menu) or by using Equation Editor (Insert menu, Object command, Microsoft Equation 3.0).
Create various types of indents (similar to using the F4 command)
In Word, you can create indents in which all lines in a paragraph are indented to the right or to the left. You can also create indents in which the first line is indented more or less than the lines below it. For more information, search on the keyword indenting in Word Help.
Create form letters or use merge codes
Open the Mail Merge task pane (Tools menu, Letters and Mailings command, Mail Merge) to create form letters, mailing labels, and envelopes by using information that you supply or create. Your data can come from WordPerfect, Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook Personal Address Books, and other sources, as well as tab-delimited text, and you can use conditional queries to merge the data.
Insert charts
You can use Microsoft Graph or Microsoft Excel to insert charts. You can use chart data from a Word table, a datasheet in Microsoft Graph, or a worksheet in Microsoft Excel.
Redline text
You can select the Strikethrough check box in the Font dialog box (Format menu, Font command, Font tab) to apply a similar effect to selected text. Several other text effects, such as shadow, emboss, engrave, and animated text, are also available in this dialog box.
