Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

The goal of converting files is to create a document in WordPerfect that looks and functions as it did in Microsoft Word. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to create an identical document. The purpose of this section is to identify inconsistencies that may occur when opening Microsoft Word files in WordPerfect or when saving WordPerfect documents as Microsoft Word files.


Opening filter: Notes for fonts and font styles

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

WordPerfect lets you open Microsoft Word files, but certain Microsoft Word fonts and font styles are not supported or display differently in WordPerfect.

Microsoft Word feature
WordPerfect equivalent
When open in WordPerfect
All caps
Not available
Small caps is applied.
Animated text
Not available
The text is lost.
Background Color
 
WordPerfect uses only the background color when using patterns. A shading value will be applied only to the foreground color; WordPerfect does not mix the foreground and background colors like Microsoft Word.
Borders Colors
Available
Auto color is converted to black. Color borders currently do not convert.
Borders Paragraph
Not available
 
Borders Shadow
Available
Shadow borders can have minor variances in the direction of their shadow.
Double Strikethrough
Not available
It is converted to single strikeout.
Font colors
Available
WordPerfect supports full RGB colors while Microsoft Word offers 16 colors. WordPerfect uses a color distance formula to map its colors to the 16 colors available in Microsoft Word. Any color with high RGB is mapped to white.
Font sizes
Available
The sizes are rounded to the nearest point size allowed. This is because WordPerfect has font sizes in increments of one tenth, but Microsoft Word uses half points.
Foreground Color
 
WordPerfect uses only the background color when using patterns. A shading value will be applied only to the foreground color, and WordPerfect does not mix the foreground and background colors like Microsoft Word.
Text borders, box shadows, and 3D custom
Not available
They are converted to single underline for individual words.
Underline
Not all available
Double wavy underline converts to single wavy underline.

Bold wavy underline converts to single solid underline.

Dashed underline converts to single solid underline.

Opening filter: Notes for paragraph formatting

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

WordPerfect lets you open Microsoft Word files, but certain Microsoft Word paragraph formatting options are not supported or display differently in WordPerfect.

Microsoft Word feature
WordPerfect equivalent
When open in WordPerfect
All alignment option
Not available
 
Bullets Number position
Not available
A default position is applied.
Don’t hyphenate
Not available
Full justification is applied.
Indent First-line
Available
The first-line indent is applied and the rest of the paragraph is unaffected.

If, however, you specify a first-line indent in Microsoft Word and then apply a few indents before typing text, the whole paragraph is indented.
Line numbering — Suppress
Not available
The line numbers are not suppressed. Instead, the line numbering continues.
Paragraph numbers
 
WordPerfect replaces AUTONUM, AUTONUMGL, and AUTONUMOUT with Paragraph Numbering if all heading levels in the Microsoft Word document are Arabic, followed by a period, with the previous level attached (i.e., 1.1, 1.2 etc.).
Tabs
Available
If there is a space for the default tab sets between the last defined tab stop and the right margin, WordPerfect defines them in the tab definition.

Opening filter: Notes for page formatting

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

WordPerfect lets you open Microsoft Word files, but certain Microsoft Word page formatting options are not supported or display differently in WordPerfect.

Microsoft Word feature
WordPerfect equivalent
When open in WordPerfect
Art borders
Not available
The border is lost.
Gutter bindings
Available
You can change the gutter binding only once at the beginning of a document. Multiple changes to the gutter binding are not supported.
Footnotes/Endnotes – Symbols
Available, but not converted to WordPerfect
A symbol used as a footnote reference in a Microsoft Word document is not imported into the WordPerfect document.
Header position/Top margin
Available
WordPerfect positions Microsoft Word footers at the bottom margin. This causes the last line of text to start at a position that is not the specified bottom margin. WordPerfect adds a tab between the number and the text in the footer.
Paper source
Available, but not converted to WordPerfect
The paper source is lost.
Sections
Not available
WordPerfect converts a section break to an equivalent break. For example, a new page in Microsoft Word becomes a page break in WordPerfect.

Opening filter: Notes for custom formatting

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

WordPerfect lets you open Microsoft Word files, but certain Microsoft Word custom formatting options are not supported or display differently in WordPerfect:

Microsoft Word feature
WordPerfect equivalent
When open in WordPerfect
AutoShape
Not available
The AutoShapes are converted to Shapes.
Bullets
 
When you convert a Microsoft Word document to WordPerfect, WordPerfect places the bullet character in a style and inserts a tab after the character to give the proper effect.
Cross-references
Available, but not converted to WordPerfect
The cross-references are converted as text. You need to insert cross-references in WordPerfect.
Drawing canvas
Not available
 
Footnotes Numbering in sections
Not available
 
Frames Horizontal alignment relative to character
Not available
A paragraph anchor is applied to the box. The box displays as it would in Microsoft Word.
Frames Vertical alignment to line
Not available
The box position and size are retained.
Frames Vertical alignment absolute position
Not available
The box position and size are retained.
Frames Book layout
Not available
The box position and size are retained.
Frames Through text wrapping option
Not available
The Through wrapping option is converted to Contour.
Frames Distance from text
Not available
 
Hidden text
Available, but n
ot converted to WordPerfect
Hidden text converted to comments. A comment code is displayed in Reveal codes.
Language
Language identification is the same in Microsoft Word and WordPerfect.
If a language match is not available in WordPerfect, WordPerfect converts the language to English or tries to get the closest match.
Macros
Available, but not converted to WordPerfect
Microsoft Word macros are not supported by WordPerfect. You can, however, open documents that contain macros. They display as hyperlinks in the WordPerfect document.
Picture/Objects Wrapping picture in a frame
Not available
The wrapping that is supported is the same as it is for text boxes. For advanced wrapping, Microsoft Word uses Microsoft Office shapes, which WordPerfect does not support.
SmartArt graphics
Not available
 
Styles Enter key inserts style function
Not available
 
Table of authorities
Available
WordPerfect does not convert page number positions and page number formats for tables of authorities. You can use the dash to show consecutive pages.
Table of figures
Not available
 
Templates
Not available
Microsoft Word templates are not supported by WordPerfect.
Text boxes
Available
The following information is lost or may convert incorrectly when you convert Microsoft Word text boxes: some text wrapping information; properties, such as box stays on page and vertical positioning of text; nested text boxes; linked text boxes.

Opening filter: Notes for field commands

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

The following table contains field commands for Microsoft Word and explains how they are converted in WordPerfect.

Import to WordPerfect
From Microsoft Word
Notes
Advance
ADVANCE field
 
 
ASK field
WordPerfect does not convert the ASK field.
 
AUTHOR field
WordPerfect does not convert the AUTHOR field to results text.
Display Paragraph Number
AUTONUM field
WordPerfect replaces AUTONUM with paragraph numbering if all heading levels in the Microsoft Word document are Arabic, followed by a period, with the previous level attached (for example, 1.1, 1.2, and so on).
Display Paragraph Number
AUTONUMLGL field
WordPerfect replaces AUTONUMLGL with paragraph numbering if all heading levels in the Microsoft Word document are Arabic, followed by a period, with the previous level attached (for example, 1.1, 1.2, and so on).
Display Paragraph Number
AUTONUMOUT field
WordPerfect uses default paragraph numbering to convert AUTONUMOUT from Microsoft Word documents.
 
AUTOTEXT field
WordPerfect does not convert the AUTOTEXT field.
Barcode
BARCODE field
 
 
COMMENTS field
WordPerfect does not convert comments.
 
COMPARE field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
CREATEDATE
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
DATABASE field
WordPerfect does not convert the DATABASE field.
Date
DATE field
Microsoft Word 97 does not support the following date and time field options: capitalized weekday; capitalized weekday abbreviation; capitalized month; capitalized month abbreviation; Roman numbers for year; lead space; zero for months/days/hours/minutes/seconds; “p” and “P” abbreviation for P.M.; “a” and “A” abbreviation for A.M.
 
DOCPROPERTY field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
EDITTIME field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
FILENAME field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
FILESIZE field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
FILL-IN field
WordPerfect does not convert the FILL-IN field.
Object box
EQ field
 
Hypertext
GOTO BUTTON field
 
 
IF field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
Graphics box
IMPORT field
The box contains graphics on a disk.
Graphics box
INCLUDEPICTURE field
Box contains a graphic or a graphic on disk, depending whether the graphic in the INCLUDEPICTURE command is present in the document.
 
INCLUDETEXT field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
Index definition
INDEX field
 
 
INFO field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
KEYWORDS field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
LASTSAVEDBY field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
Object box
LINK field
 
Hypertext
MACROBUTTON field
WordPerfect creates a hypertext link when you convert a Microsoft Word file with MACROBUTTON. Since the macro name is a Microsoft Word macro, it cannot be used in WordPerfect.
 
MERGEFIELD field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
MERGEREC field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
MERGESEQ field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
NEXT field
WordPerfect does not convert the NEXT field.
 
NEXTIF field
WordPerfect does not convert the NEXTIF field.
 
NOTEREF field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
NUMCHARS field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
NUMPAGES field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
NUMWORDS field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
Page number
PAGE field
 
 
PAGEREF field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
PRINT field
WordPerfect does not convert the PRINT field.
 
PRINTDATE field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
PRIVATE field
WordPerfect does not convert the PRIVATE field.
 
QUOTE field
WordPerfect does not convert the QUOTE field.
 
REF field
WordPerfect does not convert the REF field.
 
RD field
WordPerfect does not convert the RD field.
 
REVNUM field
WordPerfect does not convert the REVNUM field.
 
SAVEDATE field
WordPerfect does not convert the SAVEDATE field.
 
SECTION field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
SECTIONPAGES field
WordPerfect does not convert the SECTIONPAGES field.
 
SEQ field
WordPerfect does not convert the SEQ field.
 
SET field
WordPerfect does not convert the SET field.
 
SKIPIF field
WordPerfect does not convert the SKIPIF field.
 
STYLEREF field
WordPerfect does not convert the STYLEREF field.
 
SUBJECT field
WordPerfect does not convert the SUBJECT field.
Table of authorities entry
TA field
 
Table of contents or list entry
TC field
 
Define table of authorities
TOA field
 
Define table of contents
TOC field
 
 
TEMPLATE field
WordPerfect does not convert the TEMPLATE field.
Date/time command
TIME field
 
 
TITLE field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
USERADDRESS field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
USERINITIAL field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
 
USERNAME field
WordPerfect converts only the results.
Index entry
XE field
 

Saving filter: Notes for fonts and font styles

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

You can save WordPerfect documents as Microsoft Word files, but certain WordPerfect font and font styles are not supported or display differently in Microsoft Word.

WordPerfect feature
Microsoft Word equivalent
When open in Microsoft Word
Hidden text
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The hidden text displays as regular text.
Redlining
Not available
Redlining is used only in Revision mode.
Underlining Formats
Not all formats are available
The following WordPerfect underlining formats are not supported in Microsoft Word: text and spaces, text only, and text and tabs.

Saving filter: Notes for paragraph formatting

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

You can save WordPerfect documents as Microsoft Word files, but certain WordPerfect paragraph features are not supported or display differently in Microsoft Word.

Word
Perfect feature
Microsoft Word equivalent
When saved in Microsoft Word
Conditional end of page
Not available
 
Indents First-line
Available
 
Indents Hanging
Available
WordPerfect uses the Left margin adjustment command and the First line indent command to create the Hanging indent command. A tab definition will also be generated with a tab set at the location of the left indent. As in Microsoft Word, a tab between the first line indent and the left indent will stop at the left indent location.
Justification All justification
Not available
 
Keeping text together/Block protect
WordPerfect has the option to keep the text together at text level, while Microsoft Word can only keep text together at paragraph level.

WordPerfect places the block protect around the current paragraph and the next paragraph.
If you do not have the Keep lines together option enabled, the text may break in a different location when saved to Microsoft Word.
Line numbering Starting line number
Not available
The starting line number does not change, even if you specified one in WordPerfect.
Line spacing
WordPerfect treats line height and line spacing as two separate issues, while Microsoft Word treats them both as line spacing.
Only the line spacing is applied.
Multilevel numbering
Available
WordPerfect converts Level 9 to Level 8. The outline definition cannot contain the following characters in text before or text after: A, al, I, X, or x 1.

WordPerfect places the font and font size commands before and after the display paragraph number commands to imitate the display in Microsoft Word.
Outlines
Available
The outline definition cannot contain the following characters in text before or text after: A, al, I, X, or x 1.
Shading
Available
The patterns in Microsoft Word and the patterns in WordPerfect are not the same, though the patterns in WordPerfect convert to a Microsoft Word pattern that is similar in style.
Tabs
Available
The left and right margin adjustments in WordPerfect are translated to indents in Microsoft Word.

Saving filter: Notes for page formatting

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

You can save WordPerfect documents as Microsoft Word files, but certain WordPerfect page features are not supported or display differently in Microsoft Word.

WordPerfect feature
Microsoft Word equivalent
When saved in Microsoft Word
Column shading
Not available
Column shading is converted to paragraph shading.
Conditional end of page
Not available
 
Paper source
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The paper source is lost when saving as Microsoft Word.
Shading
Available
WordPerfect has page, column, and paragraph shading, while Microsoft Word has only paragraph shading.

Paragraph, column, and page shading are exported as paragraph shading.

Saving filter: Notes for formatting features

WordPerfect Office btnbacktotopproc Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect

You can save WordPerfect documents as Microsoft Word files, but certain WordPerfect formatting features are not supported or display differently in Microsoft Word.

WordPerfect feature
Microsoft Word equivalent
When saved in Microsoft Word
Bookmarks
Available, but not all converted to Microsoft Word
The bookmarks are converted, but only the Go to feature is preserved. Because you cannot nest or overlap bookmarks, a bookmark may not span all the text with which it is associated.
Boxes/
Frames Color borders
Not available
Color borders are not converted.
Boxes/Frames Text wrapping
Available
Text that wraps around a box is converted to wrap around the larger side. When you position a box in the center of a column and there is sufficient room between the box and both margins, you can set the text wrapping to both sides.
Boxes/Frames Text wrapping
Available
If you disable the Box changes text line height option in WordPerfect, which adjusts the line height to match the height of the box, the setting cannot be reproduced when you save as Microsoft Word.
Boxes/Frames Attach to character
Not available
If you specified options to adjust the box position when attaching to a character in WordPerfect, other text wrapping options are applied when you save to Microsoft Word.
Boxes/Frames Attach to paragraph
Not available
If you disable the Box not limited by table cell option in WordPerfect, which allows the box to change independently of any other cells in a table, the setting cannot be reproduced when you export to Microsoft Word.
Boxes/Frames Attach to page
Not available
If you enable the Box stays on page option in WordPerfect, which keeps a box where you placed it on a page, the setting cannot be reproduced when you export to Microsoft Word. If you applied the Across columns setting, it cannot be reproduced when you export to Microsoft Word.
Boxes/Frames Sizes
Not available
If you specify that the box width and height are Full in WordPerfect, this sizes the box to the full page width and height. The setting cannot be reproduced when you export to Microsoft Word.

If you export a box that has this setting applied to it, the box size will reflect the size of the page in WordPerfect. If you change the page size in Microsoft Word, the size of the box does not change.
Boxes/Frames Sizes
Not available
If you add a box to a subdocument such as a header, footer, footnote, endnote, watermark, or comment, and specify that the box width and height are Full in WordPerfect, the box size matches the size of the subdocument. If you export a box to Microsoft Word that has this setting applied to it, the box size may not reflect the size of the subdocument.
Boxes/Frames Text boxes
Microsoft Word frames support most of the functionality of text boxes but only two types of text wrapping.
Text boxes are converted to frames.
Cross-references
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The WordPerfect cross-references are not converted.
Document summary
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The WordPerfect document summary for manager, company, or category is not converted.
Endnotes/Footnotes Sections
Available
Microsoft Word does not allow two different sections to display footnotes on the same page. Microsoft Word breaks the page at the second section; however, it does not insert a hard page break. When you export, you must break sections when you change margins, disable columns, or alter headers and footers.
Footnotes/Endnotes Separator lines
Not available
Continuation messages and separator lines cannot be converted.
Footnotes/Endnotes Numbering
Available
Microsoft Word supports only automatically running numbers (except for sections); therefore, when the WordPerfect document is exported, the footnotes have continuous numbering. The only way to export manual numbering from WordPerfect to Microsoft Word is to set manual numbering from the beginning. Therefore, for the numbering to restart in WordPerfect, you should not manually specify the footnote numbering.
Footnotes/Endnotes Number formats
In Microsoft Word, you can’t mix numeric formats other than character formats.
If the WordPerfect document contains multiple numeric formats, only one format is applied.
Footnotes/Endnotes Styles
Not all options are available
If you edit a footnote/endnote style in a WordPerfect document and export it to Microsoft Word, the text displays as Normal text in Microsoft Word. This occurs because Microsoft Word does not support all of the style properties available in WordPerfect.
Footnotes/Endnotes Spacing
Not all options are available
Microsoft Word does not allow you to specify spacing for footnotes and endnotes.
Graphics styles
Not all options are available
The graphics style is converted as a part of the graphic.
Index
Not all options are available
Index entries may display as table of contents markers.
Lists
Not all options are available
WordPerfect supports the following page number positions in lists: No numbering, Text[SPACE]#, and Text[TAB]#. All other positions are converted to the Microsoft Word default Text[DOTTEDTAB]#, which is converted to Text[TAB]#. WordPerfect does not convert page number formats because Microsoft Word does not support such formats for lists. List box captions are not exported to Microsoft Word.
Routing slips
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
WordPerfect does not convert routing slips.
Shapes
Available
All shapes are converted to pictures.
Styles
Not all styles are available
Features that cannot be expressed in a Microsoft Word style are applied directly to the document whenever the style is used.
Symbols/Form fields Check box
Available
An empty check box is converted to a box character, and a checked box to an enabled box character.
Symbols/Special characters
Available
WordPerfect symbols are exported using a font, character combination. To see the symbol in Microsoft Word, the WordPerfect font must be installed.
Tables Color
Available
If the converted foreground and background are the same, and the original WordPerfect foreground and background colors are not, WordPerfect exports the background color as Automatic.
Tables Formulas
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The formulas are not converted. The formula result is displayed in a cell as text.
Tables Lines of text per row
Not available
 
Tables Number formats
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The number formats are not converted.
Tables Sizes
Available
If a table’s columns do not fit in the page margins, the tables are adjusted. However, the original column widths are exported. In Microsoft Word, the tables reach beyond the page margins.
Table of authorities
Available
The table of authorities is converted with the page numbers and is right justified with dot leaders.
Table of contents
Available
The table of contents text is inserted in the TC field command as hidden text. Because the text is hidden, you must display hidden text before generating a new table of contents; if you don’t, these entries won’t not be placed in the table of contents.
Table of contents Page number position
Available, but not converted to Microsoft Word
The page number position in tables of contents is not converted in Microsoft Word. WordPerfect lets you specify page number positions for each level. Microsoft Word lets you specify one definition for the entire table of contents.

Reference: Moving between Microsoft Word and WordPerfect