55 lines
1.8 KiB
Plaintext
55 lines
1.8 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
What is cole?
|
|
*************
|
|
|
|
cole is a free C OLE library.
|
|
|
|
cole is distributed under the terms of the `GNU General Public License' (GPL)
|
|
to give an impulse to the Free Software. cole distribution license is
|
|
compatible with the `Open Source' definition.
|
|
|
|
Using cole, you can access Microsoft' `Structured Storage' files.
|
|
The most popular Microsoft's programs generate `Structured Storage' files,
|
|
incluiding the Microsoft' suite for offices. StarDivision' suite (StarOffice)
|
|
generate `Structured Storage' files too. FlashPix file format is
|
|
`Structured Storage' too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is a `Structured Storage' file?
|
|
************************************
|
|
|
|
Inside a `Structured Storage' file there is a filesystem, with directories
|
|
and files, which Microsoft calls `containers' and `streams'. Using cole you
|
|
can travel through such filesystem and access the files.
|
|
|
|
cole doesn't know about internal structure of a `stream', it only reads the
|
|
raw data. You can use the Microsoft's documentation available at
|
|
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/> or the information available at
|
|
<http://www.wotsit.org/> to know the binary file format of the streams. If you
|
|
know anything in the side of StarDivision email me. FlashPix file format is
|
|
well documented.
|
|
|
|
cole was developed using the information available at
|
|
<http://wwwwbs.cs.tu-berlin.de/~schwartz/pmh/guide.html> and the OLE::Storage
|
|
Perl module from the same site, and no information from any other source
|
|
(incluiding Microsoft) has been used.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compile
|
|
*******
|
|
|
|
See the file `INSTALL' to know how to compile and install cole (a standard
|
|
`configure' script is provided).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Documentation
|
|
*************
|
|
|
|
The documentation is autogenerated from the source code, and it can be found in
|
|
the directory `doc/cole-manual' of the source code.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The current maintainer.
|
|
(see the file `AUTHORS')
|
|
|