Re: How is the ~$... file created when you open a document used?


"Doug Bruening" <Doug
Bruening@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:FA098C53-5E63-48C3-8586-ED5CBC2111E9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>I am teaching a Word Processing class and my students
>would like some more
> information about the ~$... file that gets
> temporarily created whenever you
> open a document. I understand that Word opens a
> "copy" of the file and you
> don't access the actual document until you save it.
> The ~$... file is
> unreadable through Word and I'd like some more
> information about what how the
> file is organized and specifically how Word uses it.
> My assumption is that
> it is a delta file showing the changes you've made
> against the original. Any
> info I can pass on the my class would be appreciated.

I can't help a lot, but I think you have the basics
down. You CAN open them with Word, but as you've seen
it's not readable. . You'd need a Hex editor to look
into them because they contain a lot of control codes
and other code that isn't text.

Basically, and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm
too far into left field, they are "scratch" areas for
Word to use. They might contain groups of commands
you've given, a programmatical index of the document
for navigation by Word (not you), and several other
things like that. They may also be snippets of code if
you will, or instructions for various things, even
pre-fetched things so Word can be ready to do something
without having to get it from the hard drive, things
like that.

Somewhere there is a good description of those files,
but as usual I can't find them! I don't think you need
that much depth though, for the audience you have.
It's kind of like, when you didn't have to show your
work on an exam, you scratched it all out on the back
of the paper anyway, to be sure you got the answer
right. Well, that's sort of what Word's doing <g>.

HTH,

Pop



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