Convert text file to HTML or RTF tables with the free AscToTab utility. (original) (raw)

Convert text files to tables with this free utility

AscToTab is free and simple utility that converts plain of delimited text files containing table data into either HTML or RTF (rich text format) tables. The software can also convert files of tab-delimited or comma-separated (.csv) data into tables.

If you want a more general utility to convert text to HTML, look at AscToHTM (5 stars at ZDNet)
For a general utility to convert text to RTF, look at AscToRTF (also 5 stars at ZDNet).

What AscToTab does

For plain text files AscToTab will attempt to :-

• determine how many columns the table has
• determine the default alignment of each column
• determine which rows are header rows
• spot entries that span several columns
• spot entries that span several rows.

You can read more about this in the JafSoft text conversion FAQ, but ignore the bit about detecting tables - that doesn't apply to AscToTab which always assumes the input is a single table.

For tab-delimited or comma-separated files conversion is more straightforward. AscToTab will convert one table row per line, placing each delimited value into the next column.

You can tell the software what type of file you are converting, and whether you want to convert to HTML or RTF tables. HTML tables can optionally be copied to the clipboard, ready for pasting into a HTML source editor.

For all formats a line containing a row of dashes will be taken as signifying the separator between table header and border.

Additionally the user can select (for HTML)

• BORDER, WIDTH etc attributes
• to colour odd and even rows different colours for clarity
• the font to be used
• a CAPTION

Program options can be saved in "policy files" which can be reloaded next time you run the software for your convenience.

Links

• Download latest Windows freeware version (1.05 Mb)
  (if that link doesn't work try http://www.jafsoft.com/download/windows/asctotab.zip)
• look at some some example tables
• Read the on-line AscToTab documentation
• More download details
• list of reciprocal links
• Download a console version (430k) (better suited to batch conversions)

More information

AscToTab has evolved out of AscToHTM and AscToRTF technology, and is now included in those products. Since version v2.3, releases of AscToTab have been synchronized with the matching AscToHTM releases.

The current version is V4.0 and is offered as freeware. New in this version are

• multi-lingual user interface
• improved drag'n'drop support
• support for converting comma-delimited and tab-delimited data files
• support for outputting HTML tables to the clipboard, ready for pasting into a HTML source editor.