converting files....

[Gaylan Carl]

i don't usually work with macs, but my social studies teacher thinks i can help him (i hate being a geek when the teachers know!)

anyways...on to the point...

he has tests/papers on his mac, and he wants to know if i can port them over to a pc program, does anybody know if i can get a program that will do this? (i will be back tomorrow with the exact program he uses to store/edit/create his files)

Thanks,

Gaylan Carl

[Buzz]

What application were the files created in?

Most software now days is cross platform. What that means is if you create a file in Word on the Mac then Word on the PC can see it and use it.

The main thing one must be certain to do is save the Mac file with the appropriate suffix on the file. .doc (that's DOT doc) needs to be on the end of a Word file for the PC to see it properly.

If you tell me what the files were created in I can give you the suffix most likely.

There are a few Mac Only applications that take special consideration when crossing platforms, again I may be able to help if you post what software on the mac is being used.

[Gaylan Carl]

well, there's claris works 4.0, and quisitor 2.0, that's what he's using for it

thanks!

[Buzz]

hmmmm...... I've never even heard of quisitor so I really can't offer much advice. The key thing would be finding a format that both applications support. For ClarisWorks you should be able to export or save as a Word file, add the .doc suffix to the file name and if Quisitor supports Word, you should be set.

[Steven.Bentley]

I've not heard of it either, which is probably a good thing meaning that it probably doesn't use a proprietry format. Hopefully you'll be dealing with simple ASCII files or .csv if it's spreadsheet type data.

[Gaylan Carl]

ok, just found out he's using 2 more programs: microtest version 4.0.5, and prentice hall customtest 3.1.0

also, i figured out how to do it in quisitor, it has an option to save as ascii, also, in claris works i can do (basically) the same thing....thanks!(also, the other two that i just found out about, they have a proprietary file format, so...i don't know...)

Thanks for all your help!

[Steven.Bentley]

The two test programs ought to have an option to let you export data in a standard format (say .csv) I would have thought, to be any use at all you would want an option to be able to dump the data it produces into a gradbook spreadsheet or other record keeping system.

[Gaylan Carl]

now, one last hurdle, got everything converted, but how do i move? i can't use floppy because when i insert it in the pc it says "this disk is not formatted, would you like to format now" is there some utility/program that i can use on the pc-side to get rid of that dialog, or could i hook it up through cat-5 (ethernet) or serial or direct connection somehow..???

Thanks,

Gaylan Carl

[Buzz]

Use a PC formatted floppy. The mac will read it fine.
Just format the floppy on the PC then take the floppy to the Mac and put the files on it.

The PC can't see mac formatted floppies without extra software but the Mac has the built in ability to use PC formatted floppes.

You could do the ethernet network, but if this is just a one time thing the floppy would be faster.

[Gaylan Carl]

he has about 500 megs of tests though!

that's a lot of floppies!

[Buzz]

Well then, uh, yeah, the networking would be best.

I only said floppies because you said you were using floppies.

[Gaylan Carl]

would i be able to just use standard ethernet or what for that?

the mac and pc both have internet access...through the school's network...i guess i could use that...will i need to adjust anything?

[Steven.Bentley]

If there's a directory on a server that you see from both machines then that's by far the best option, copy the stuff to that directory, then copy it down from the other machine.

If not then the MacOS from v8 (I think) onwards has a basic webserver built in (and OSX has Apache but that's a different matter). IF the guys who run your network are agreeable to this then you can turn on the Mac's web sharing and use a browser on the PC to go to the Mac by typing in http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (the IP address of the Mac) and downloading the files. But clear that with the network admins first ;)

[Gaylan Carl]

is there a way that i could just direct link, as in nic card to nic card? because the network admin isn't exactly the nicest guy when it comes to me....(would wonder why! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: )

[Buzz]

Well I can't say directly for the PC but from the Mac, Yes. All you need is a crossover ethernet cable. I assume it's as easy on the PC. I'm really, really, really unfamiliar with networking PCs though.