DEMO console versions of JafSoft converters

JafSoft text converters offer some of the most powerful and accurate text conversion tools available anywhere. Users who register the software not only get the Windows program, but will also get access to a console version of the software.

In addition to downloading 30-day trials of the Windows programs, you can download from this page DEMO copies of the console versions. This are provided to allow you to evaluate how well the console versions of the software can be integrated with your existing systems. For testing the conversions themselves we still recommend you download the (larger) Windows versions.

These console versions generally modify the output slightly to encourage you to purchase the software (see limitations of these demos below)

Downloading the DEMO console versions

Program	Program name	Download link
AscToHTM Text-to-HTML converter	a2hcons	Console DEMO (433Kb)
AscToRTF Text-to-RTF converter	a2rcons	Console DEMO (377Kb)
AscToTab Text-to-table (HTML or RTF)	a2tcons	Full(+) console version (422Kb)
Detagger HTML-to-text converter	h2acons	Console DEMO (287Kb)

(+) Note, as AscToTab is freeware, there are no limits inside the console version of AscToTab. It is, in fact, identical to the full version.

Advantages of the console versions

The console versions can be run from the command line, or from inside a batch command file. This allows them to be seamlessly integrated into your batch and automated procedures. Unlike the Windows version no windows appear, and you can direct the output messages to a file, or discard them completely.

You can access most of the options available in the Windows version by supplying a policy file on the command line.

Running the console versions, and using their command line options

You can run the console version from the command line as follows

c:> <program> <input filespec> [/out=<output filespec>] [<policy file>] [<other qualifiers>]

where

<program>	This is the name of the executable. It varies from converter to converter.
<input filespec>	Files to be converted. Wildcards can be used but the demo version will only converts the first few files. There is no such limit in the full version.
<output filespec>	The output file location. If omitted the output files will be put in the same directory and with the same name as the input file, but with the extension different. Partial filespecs are allowed. For example you might only want to specify the output directory
<policy file>	An options file. It must have the extension .pol for it to be recognised. Usually you would create a "policy file" by selecting options in the Windows version and saving them to file. (see policy files)
<other qualifiers>	See program qualifiers

For Detagger (out HTML-to-text converter) the program is called h2acons and so example commands might be

h2acons myfile.html

• will create myfile.txt in the current directory

h2acons my*.html /out=c:\temp\

• will convert all my*.html files, creating my*.txt output files in the c:\temp directory

h2acons my*.html /out=c:\temp\ options.pol

• as before, but this time applying the options in options.pol to the conversion.
  

Program qualifiers

Most of the console programs support a number of command line qualifiers. The actual qualifiers supported varies from program to program. You can get a list of the supported qualifiers by using the command

c:> <program> /help

for example for AscToHTM's console program a2hcons the command

c:> a2hcons /help

gives the following output

        Command is:  AscToHTM filespec1 filespec2 [policy_file.pol] [/qualifiers]

        Recognised qualifiers include
           /COMMA               Input file is a comma-delimited table
           /CONSOLE             Write HTML output to console
           /CONTENTS            Generate contents list (if possible)
           /DOS                 Generate DOS compatible 8.3 names
           /FRAMES              Generate HTML output in FRAMES
           /HELP                Display this useful list of commands ("/?" also works)
           /HTML                Source file is HTML (as opposed to text)
           /INDEX[=filename]    Generate a directory index of all files converted
           /LOG[=filename]      Generate a .log file
           /LIST[=filename]     Generate .lis and .lis1 diagnostic files
           /OUTPUT[=filespec]   Filespec for output file(s)
           /SILENT              Suppress all output messages (except these :-)
           /SIMPLE              Treat file as structure-free "simple" file
           /TABLE               Input file is plain text table
           /TABBED              Input file is tab-delimited table
        Qualifiers are case insensitive and may be reduced to shortest unique
        name (e.g. "/lo" for "/log")

Policy files

All of the JafSoft converters support the use of Policy files. These are text files that contain the options you've selected for a conversion. From the Windows version of the software you can select the option you want, and then save these selections to a policy file.

Once that it done, you can re-load the policy file next time you want the same combination of options to be applied. The Console versions of the software can accept the name of a policy file on the command line, and then use the options listed in that file during the conversion.

Policy files are simply text files with the extension ".pol". You can edit these files in a text editor if you are careful.

You can read more about policy files in the The Policy Manual on-line. Be aware that not all policies listed there apply to all converters. Check your software's documentation for details if in doubt.

Limitations of these demos

To allow you to fully test integrating console versions into your procedure there is no time limit on these versions, unlike the 30-day limit of the Windows version. However, to encourage you to register, these versions have a number of limits, and modify the output in a number of ways so that you can still evaluate it, but will need to purchase to get the full functionality.

The limitations vary from program to program as appropriate. Limits include :-

• wildcard limit. No more than 10 files can be converted with a single wildcard operation. Messages will be displayed for all the unconverted files, allowing you to see that the wildcard has been properly expanded.
  
  
• Watermarking. Depending on the converter a header and footer is added to each output file. For RTF output an actual watermark is added
  
  
• Changed case. Some of the text will be converted to UPPER or lower case. This will either be the occasional WORD or the occasional LINE OF INPUT TEXT.

Note, none of these limits apply if you purchase the full version.

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