Batch File to Convert DOC Files to TXT [closed] - batch-file

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I Have batch code listed in a password protected word file (so no one can edit my code) and i need a .bat file that can convert the code i have listed in there, to a .txt file that i can have it read. If you know a way to make a .bat file that can read a word doc, that would also be appreciated.

Answer 1

Using a (tested) hybrid batchscript (that encapsulates JScript):
#if (0)==(1) REM BatchScript:
:INIT
#ECHO OFF & CLS
SET DOC=C:\Some folder\tst.doc
SET TXT=C:\Some other folder\res.txt
SET PWD=MySecretPass
:MAIN
cscript //NoLogo //E:JScript "%~f0" /inp:"%DOC%" /outp:"%TXT%" /pass:"%PWD%"
notepad "%TXT%"
GOTO ENDBAT
:ENDBAT
ECHO Press any key to exit...&PAUSE>NUL
GOTO :EOF
#end // JScript:
var FSO = WScript.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
, HND = FSO.CreateTextFile(WScript.Arguments.Named('outp'))
, APP = WScript.CreateObject('Word.Application')
, DOC, str
;
APP.Visible=false; //hide word
DOC = APP.Documents // access interface
.Open( WScript.Arguments.Named('inp') //file location
, false //ConfirmConversions
, true //ReadOnly
, false //AddToRecentFiles
, WScript.Arguments.Named('pass') || '' //PasswordDocument
//, //PasswordTemplate
//, //Revert
//, //WritePasswordDocument
//, //WritePasswordTemplate
//, //Format
//, //Encoding
//, //Visible
//, //OpenConflictDocument
//, //OpenAndRepair
//, //DocumentDirection
//, //NoEncodingDialog
);
str=new String(DOC.Content); //grab content
str=str.replace(/\r\n|\r/g,'\r\n')+'\r\n'; //cleanup line-endings
HND.Write( str ); //write the file
HND.Close(); //close file handle
DOC.Close(); //close word doc
APP.quit(0); //don't forget to close word
Save this as a batchscript, replacing the hardcoded inputfile DOC, outputfile TXT and password PWD. See npocmaka's answer to alter this to accepting arguments on the batchscript call.
Instead of running the resulting txt-file through notepad you might want to call the batchscript directly.
Also you might want to delete the extracted batchfile under the :ENDBAT label.
Also, (to keep it simple and to the core) there is no error-checking provided.
Lastly, it requires MS Word (starting at Office 2000) to be installed.
Usage: simply run it however you please.
UPDATE:
After comparing notes and doing tests in the chat, npocmaka and I concluded that if one uses word's SaveAs, the safest bet is using type 2: wdFormatText. More about that in npocmaka's updated answer.
My example (writing a new file using the FileSystemObject) shows a simpler way of post-processing the fetched text and doesn't update word's internal recent file-list (MRU) that otherwise would be updated when word converts saves the file.
Between the both of our answers there is plenty to choose from, so happy mixing!

Answer 2

See this page:
http://www.abisource.com/wiki/AbiCommand
which describes using the command line options available for AbiWord, including
converttotext "file\path\file.doc" "destingation\file.txt"
(http://www.abisource.com/download/index.phtml)
A smaller install would probably be http://wvware.sourceforge.net/#wv, but apparently the developer considers those utilities to be "deprecated" and probably not as reliable as using AbiWord.
This just in: see http://github.com/tobya/DocTo

Answer 3

Here's a script that I've wrote long ago to save doc(x) to txt. And this is a reworked version that accepts a password:
'>nul 2>&1|| #copy /Y %windir%\System32\doskey.exe '.exe >nul
'&&#echo off && cls &&goto :end_vbs
Set WordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
WordApp.Visible = FALSE
'Open doc for reading
Set WordDoc = WordApp.Documents.Open(WScript.Arguments.Item(0),true,true,false,WScript.Arguments.Item(2))
'wdFormatText 2
'wdFormatUnicodeText 7
format = CInt(WScript.Arguments.Item(3) )
WordDoc.SaveAs WScript.Arguments.Item(1) ,format
WordDoc.Close()
WScript.Quit
:end_vbs
'& if "%~1" equ "-help" echo %~n0 word_document destination password [-unuicode]
'& if "%~1" equ "" echo word document not given & exit /b 1
'& if not exist "%~f1" echo word document does not exist & exit /b 2
'& if "%~2" equ "" echo destination not given & exit /b 1
'& set "save_as=%~2"
'& if exist "%~f2" del /s /q "%~f2"
'& if "%~4" equ "-unuicode" ( set "format=7") else ( set "format=2")
'& taskkill /im winword* /f >nul 2>&1
'& cscript /nologo /E:vbscript %~f0 "%~f1" "%save_as%" "%~3" %format%
'& pause
'& del /q /f '.exe
This is a batch/vbscript hybrid and you need to save it as a .bat
Note - will need admin permissions to start "invisible" word application.
An example (if file is saved as doc2txt.bat) (it's better to use full paths):
doc2txt.bat c:\tstpass.docx c:\result\tstpass.txt super_secret_password
doc2txt.bat c:\tstpass.docx c:\result\tstpass.txt super_secret_password -unicode
EDIT jscript/bat hybrid
#if (#x)==(#y) #end /***** jscript comment ******
#echo off
if "%~1" equ "-help" echo %~n0 word_document destination password [-unuicode|-breaks]
if "%~1" equ "" echo %~n0 word_document destination password [-unuicode]
if "%~2" equ "" echo destination not given & exit /b 1
if "%~3" equ "" echo password not given & exit /b 3
if exist "%~f2" del /s /q "%~f2"
if "%~4" equ "-unicode" (
set "format=7"
) else (
if "%~4" equ "-breaks" (
set "format=3"
) else (
set "format=2"
)
)
:: kill winword application to avoid collisions
taskkill /im winword* /f >nul 2>&1
if not exist "%~f1" echo word document does not exist & exit /b 2
cscript //E:JScript //nologo "%~f0" "%~f1" "%~2" %~3 %format%
exit /b 0
***** end comment *********/
var source_file=WScript.Arguments.Item(0);
var destination_file=WScript.Arguments.Item(1);
var confirmConv=false;
var readOnly=true;
var addToRecentFiles=false;
var password=WScript.Arguments.Item(2);
//save format enumaration - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff839952.aspx
// text formats
//wdFormatText 2
//wdFormatUnicodeText 7
//wdFormatTextLineBreaks 3
var encoding=parseInt(WScript.Arguments.Item(3));
var WordApp=new ActiveXObject("Word.Application");
WordApp.Visible = false;
var WordDoc=WordApp.Documents.Open(source_file,confirmConv,readOnly,addToRecentFiles,password);
WordDoc.SaveAs(destination_file,encoding);
WordDoc.Close();
WScript.Quit();
examples:
doc2txtjs.bat "c:\tstpass.docx" "c:\result\tstpass.txt" unhackable_password -breaks
doc2txtjs.bat "c:\tstpass2.docx" "c:\result\tstpass2.txt" unhackable_password -unicode
doc2txtjs.bat "c:\tstpass3.docx" "c:\result\tstpass3.txt" unhackable_password
-breaks/-unicode will save the file respectively with preserved line breaks or in unicode format.You'll need admin permissions again.But as you want to create a bat from doc you dont need to use these additional options.

Answer 4

I figured it out. I made a batch program that creates a temporary VBS file that converts it to a BAT file instead of a TXT. Then I executed the Batch file from the converter. Thanks for all your answers though and I saw some useful ideas. :)