.RTF File Format – Fields, notes and bookmarks

Fields

<field>     = '{' \field <fieldmod>? <fieldinst> <fieldrslt> '}'
<fieldmod>  = \flddirty? & \fldedit? & \fldlock? & \fldpriv?
<fieldinst> = '{\*' \fldinst <para>+ <fldalt>? '}'
<fldalt>    = \fldalt
<fieldrslt> = '{' \fldrslt <para>+ '}'

Backslashes inside instructions are doubled, as in all RTF text: the Word switch \* MERGEFORMAT is written \\* MERGEFORMAT. Examples from the specification:

{\field {\*\fldinst AUTHOR \\*MERGEFORMAT   }{\fldrslt Joe Smith}}\par\pard
{\field{\*\fldinst time \\@ "h:mm AM/PM"}{\fldrslt 8:12 AM}}
{\field{\*\fldinst NOTEREF _RefNumber } {\fldrslt 1}}
{\field{\*\fldinst NOTEREF _RefNumber \fldalt } {\fldrslt I}}

The last two refer to a footnote and to an endnote.

Form fields

A form field is a FORMTEXT, FORMCHECKBOX or FORMDROPDOWN field whose instructions also hold a {\*\formfield …} group, and a bookmark with the field’s name round it.

{\field{\*\fldinst {\*\bkmkstart Text1} FORMTEXT {{\*\datafield
00000000000000000554657874310008476565207768697a0000000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt Default
Result}}{\*\bkmkend Text1}

In this example from the specification, the data field contains the name Text1 (05 then 54 65 78 74 31) and the default text Gee whiz (08 then 47 65 65 20 77 68 69 7a).

Footnotes and endnotes

<foot> = '{' \footnote <para>+ '}'

Microsoft programs do not support footnotes inside headers, footers or comments; they often corrupt the document. Placement and numbering are document properties.

\ftnbj\ftnrestart \sectd \linemod0\linex0\endnhere \pard\plain
\ri1170 \fs20 {\pu6 Mead's landmark study has been amply annotated.\chftn
{\footnote \pard\plain \s246 \fs20 {\up6\chftn }See Sahlins, Bateson, and
Geertz for a complete bibliography.}
It was her work in America during the Second World War, however, that forms
the basis for the paper. As others have noted, \chftn
{\footnote \pard\plain \s246 \fs20 {\up6\chftn}
A complete bibliography will be found at the end of this chapter.}
this period was a turning point for Margaret Mead.}
\par

The example is the specification’s; \pu6 in its second line is printed so, and is not a defined word.

Comments (annotations)

A comment has two destinations with no group round them: the author’s initials and the comment text, anchored to the character before them. If the comment covers a range, the range is marked with \atrfstart and \atrfend. Comments inside headers, footers or footnotes are not supported.

<annot>     = <annotid> <atnauthor> <atntime>? \chatn <atnicn>? <annotdef>
<annotid>   = '{\*' \atnid #PCDATA '}'
<atnauthor> = '{\*' \atnauthor #PCDATA '}'
<annotdef>  = '{\*' \annotation <atnref> <para>+ '}'
<atnref>    = '{\*' \atnref N '}'
<atntime>   = '{\*' \atntime <time> '}'
<atnicn>    = '{\*' \atnicn <pict> '}'
<atrfstart> = '{\*' \atrfstart N '}'
<atrfend>   = '{\*' \atrfend N '}'

An example of a paradigm might be Newtonian physics or
Darwinian biology.{\v\fs16 {\atnid bz}\chatn{\*\annotation
\pard\plain \s224 \fs20 {\field{\fldinst page \\#'"Page:
'#'\line'"}{\fldrslt}}{\fs16 \chatn }
How about some examples that deal with social science?
That's what this paper is about.}}

Bookmarks

<book>      = <bookstart> | <bookend>
<bookstart> = '{\*' \bkmkstart (\bkmkcolf? & \bkmkcoll?) #PCDATA '}'
<bookend>   = '{\*' \bkmkend #PCDATA '}'

{\*\bkmkstart paradigm} Kuhn calls such a presupposed structure a paradigm.{\*\bkmkend paradigm}
{\*\bkmkstart\bkmkcolf2\bkmkcoll5 Table1}

The second puts the bookmark Table1 on columns 2 to 5 of a table. A bookmark name with characters outside the code page is written in \upr.

Index entries

<idx>   = '{' \xe (\xef? & \bxe? & \ixe?) <entry> (<txe> | <rxe>)? '}'
<entry> = (<char>+ <yxe>?) | ('{' <char>+ <yxe>? '}')
<yxe>   = \yxe <char>+ #PCDATA
<txe>   = '{' \txe <char>+ #PCDATA '}'
<rxe>   = '{' \rxe #PCDATA '}'

Text of an entry that is not hidden with \v also appears in the document, and so does \txe text. A colon control symbol, \:, separates an entry from its sub-entry.

{\xe {\v Animals\:Dogs}}{\xe {\v Cats}{\txe See Animals}}

Table of contents entries

<toc> = '{' \tc | \tcn (\tcf? & \tcl?) <char>+ '}'

{\tc\tcl2 {\v Background}}