WordPerfect file viewer on Android

  • Replies:6
Hein Mönnig
  • Forum posts: 2

May 29, 2016, 11:27:21 AM via Website

WordPerfect viewer/editor on Android? For long-time WordPerfect users, it has been virtually impossible to read or write WPD files on an Android device. The only official option, thus far, has been the official and commercial Corel WPD viewer, but the user reviews have been mixed, to say the least.
This problem has prompted me to research and experiment, based on the fact that a free Windows MS Office-compatible suite like Libre Office [or Open Office, or Apache Office] has, for some time, had the ability to open WordPerfect files seamlessly [and save them, sometimes]. I formatted and saved a few basic WPD files, simply renamed the file extension to .ODT, and opened them in Libre Office – virtually perfectly [only experiencing importing issues with some complex tables]. Apart from that, formatting features like different fonts, graphics boxes, numbered outlining? No problem.
Then I proceeded to Android: I copied these test WPD files [simply renamed as ODT files, not exported as Open Office files, remember] to my device/cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive. I installed a number of Open Office/ODT compatible office apps, and tried to open the "new" ODT files.
The best result so far [only been testing for the last 2 days] has come from OOReader [free via the Google Play store]. Opening a disguised WPD file as an ODT file takes a few seconds to convert, and – success! Almost every file I've tossed at OOReader has imported successfully, with WP formatting and graphics intact.
Interestingly, the official Libre Office viewer app [also the beta one] chokes on these FrankenFiles, as well as most other allegedly ODT-compatible office viewers and editors.
And so my 48-hour conclusion and advice are this: If you're a die-hard WPD user and would like to access your files on an Android device, follow these kludgy and hack-ey steps: (1) upload your WPD file AS IS to your device or the cloud; (2) install OOReader on your device; (3) when you need to do so, simply rename the WPD file to an ODT extension, and import into OOReader.
Savvy users might even write a batch script or CMD file beforehand which automatically renames or mirrors important WPD files as ODT files in one's PC Dropbox folder, which will save precious seconds when accessing that beautiful WPD data...
When (if) I find an app which can then also correctly and perfectly edit and save these hacked WPD-as-ODT files, a follow-up report will, well, follow.
Date: 28 May 2016 / Hein / heinmg at gmail dot com

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pentel
  • Forum posts: 251

May 29, 2016, 7:46:53 PM via Website

Another simple solution is to convert all your WordPerfect files to Microsoft Word.

You can open WordPerfect file in Microsoft Word and save the file as a Microsoft Word file.

Why hang on to an ancient document format when the world has moved on to Microsoft Word? The WordPerfect file cannot be shared with the world. This would be like hanging on to the Nokia phone when the world has moved on to Android.

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Omar Mohamud
  • Forum posts: 1

Nov 3, 2016, 6:28:01 PM via Website

Just want to go out of my way (rarely do for these type of things) to tell you how well your trick worked. I changed the "WPD" file extension to "OTD" and imported it to ooreader and it opens up perfectly fine and from there you can save it as a pdf thru any pdf viewer. Thanks!

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Hein Mönnig
  • Forum posts: 2

Jan 6, 2017, 5:37:16 PM via Website

Dear Omar - great to hear it worked well for you! People who have not been exposed to WordPerfect's continuing greatness are totally missing unique benefits like Reveal Codes, am I right? And re. the .ODT extension: it even accurately imports features like tables, graphics, footers, etc. Excellent!

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Edgar Casani
  • Forum posts: 3

May 12, 2019, 2:46:57 AM via Website

hola me gustaria saber como funciona este foro

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Edgar Casani
  • Forum posts: 3

May 12, 2019, 2:48:00 AM via Website

creo que esa, no es una respuesta acertada, es como decir por que comer carne como la prehistoria, si ahora existe concentrado proteico.

I think that is not an accurate answer, it is like saying why eat meat like prehistory, if there is now a protein concentrate.

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Edgar Casani
  • Forum posts: 3

May 12, 2019, 3:09:45 AM via Website

Si uno continua usando este programa del word perfect 6.0 o cualquier versión, es por la versatilidad de sus comandos y el uso rápido de la visualización de sus archivos, solo usando los dedos de las manos, sin usar el ratón, muy aparte de que una pagina en el formato DOCS es prácticamente como de una de texto, no pesa absolutamente nada; yo tengo libros enteros casi bibliotecas enteras y trabajos de años, que no exceden n de medio Gb con eso te digo todo; ahora este tipo de programa, al parecer su adaptación casi natural es el android; por algo muy esencial en un teléfono inteligente no existe ni puedes usar un ratón y es justamente como funciona el word perfect sin ratón; en cambio en el words de windows, todo su funcionamiento prácticamente es con el uso del ratón; por lo que todas las APS de word se estas adaptando sin uso del ratón.

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