WD: Difference Between RTF and RFT File Formats

ID: Q22137

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.x, 2.x, 6.x
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 3.x, 4.0, 5.x, 6.x
Microsoft Word for MS-DOS, versions 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, 6.0

SUMMARY

The following article discusses the differences between Rich Text Format (RTF) and Revisable-Form Text Document Content Architecture (RFT-DCA).

MORE INFORMATION

Two file formats with similar abbreviations (RFT and RTF) are commonly confused. The difference between these two formats is described as follows:

RFT-DCA (commonly referred to as RFT) represents IBM Corporation's Revisable-Form Text Document Content Architecture format. This format was developed by IBM for transfer of documents between its word- processing systems and other systems.
RTF represents Microsoft Corporation's Rich Text Format. The Rich Text Format standard is a method of encoding formatted text and graphics for easy transfer between MS-DOS, Windows, OS/2, and Apple Macintosh applications.

REFERENCES

For more information about RFT-DCA, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q96119
   TITLE     : History of WinWord File Converters Categorized by Word 
               Release

   ARTICLE ID: Q119889
   TITLE     : Word for the Macintosh: History of External File Converters

   ARTICLE ID: Q136385
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in Word and Office 95

   ARTICLE ID: Q125219
   TITLE     : RFT-DCA Converter Enhancements in Word 6.0c for Windows

   ARTICLE ID: Q119461
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in Word 6 for the Macintosh

   ARTICLE ID: Q104949
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in WinWord 6.0 / 6.0a / 6.0c

   ARTICLE ID: Q78039
   TITLE     : Word: Works and DCA-RTF Converters Not Installed in Word
               5.0

   ARTICLE ID: Q36443
   TITLE     : Installing the RFT-DCA Converter in MacWord 5.0, 5.1, and 
               5.1a

   ARTICLE ID: Q174813
   TITLE     : WD: Third-Party Conversion Solutions

For more information about obtaining the RTF specification, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q86999
   TITLE     : WD: Rich Text Format (RTF) Specification 1.5 Appnote 
               (GC0165)

   ARTICLE ID: Q111716
   TITLE     : How to Obtain the WinWord Converter SDK (GC1039)

   ARTICLE ID: Q164472
   TITLE     : WD97: GC1282: Rich Text Format Addendum (Spec. for Word 97)

Additional query words: rftdca dcarft rft/dca dca/rft dca-rft rft dca rich-text

Keywords          : kbinterop 
Version           : MACINTOSH:3.x,4.0,5.x,6.x; WINDOWS:1.x,2.x,6.x
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: February 2, 1999