Convert-to command line parameter

[DataMgr]

Hello, I’m trying to convert a Microsoft Word document to text using the convert-to command-line parameter using LibreOffice 3.4.5, OOO340m1 (Build:1505), on OpenSuse 12.1. I tried these two commands.

soffice --convert-to txt filename.doc

Nothing happened.

soffice --headless --convert-to txt filename.doc

Produced a PDF file.

Why do I need --headless? If this is mandatory, the documentation should state this. Can LibreOffice convert Word Perfect documents?

The format for “convert-to” parameter is:

--convert-to output_file_extension[:output_filter_name] [--outdir output_dir]

What are the valid output_file_extension values? What are the valid output_filter_name values?

For the documentation, the soffice --help showed the --convert-to
parameter. The help->LibreOffice Help does not show this parameter.

Thank you

[jopenid]

Here are a few more pointers for anybody else struggling with this.

This is the general format of convert-to (noting that on windows the parameter is -convert-to not --convert-to):

soffice --headless --convert-to <TargetFileExtension>:<NameOfFilter> file_to_convert.xxx

Use the link above (http://cgit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/core/tree/filter/source/config/fragments/filters) to look for the filter names in the .xcu files.

For example, I wanted to convert to Excel 95 format so I found the MS_Excel_95.xcu filter and inside it has a name:

<node oor:name="MS Excel 95" oor:op="replace">
    ...

I could then try it out:

soffice --headless --convert-to xls:"MS Excel 95" filename.xlsx

(I needed this to get a non-xml version of an excel file)

[the_code]

for me --headless worked only when given after --convert-to.

soffice --convert-to pdf filename.doc  --headless

works while

soffice  --headless --convert-to pdf filename.doc

does not.

[GreyGnome]

Running on CentOS 6.5 with LibreOffice 4.0.4 and logging in only via ssh onto a server with no display whatsoever (ie, serial console), I get an error X11 error: Can't open display: which is what I would expect --headless to prevent. I needed to prefix the command with /usr/bin/xvfb-run. It doesn’t matter where in the command string I put --headless.

[Dor1]

How do you set the range of pages?

[mikekaganski]

Since long time, under Windows correct syntax is also --convert-to (with two dashes).
Headless is now implied for --convert-to, and it’s completely not necessary to use it explicitly here.

[Vikash]

Im getting error while executing command soffice

---

LibreOffice 5.2 - Fatal Error

The application cannot be started.
[context=“user”] caught unexpected com.sun.star.ucb.ContentCreationException: Cannot create folder (invalid path): C:

[cben]

--headless is not strictly mandatory, but you want it.
Without it, the document is still converted (note “convert /…/filename.doc → /…/filename.txt using text” message on stdout) but an empty GUI is also started (and the command blocks until you close the GUI).

More importantly, headless conversion silently does nothing if any LO is already open; see How to NOT connect to a running instance for a solution.

[bosyber]

Thanks, that is a useful caveat about headless conversion only working when no other LOis open, by default. Sure explains why I had trouble before; now I am using the -env trick.

[mikekaganski]

Headless is now implied for --convert-to, and it’s completely not necessary to use it explicitly here.

[tympan]

Having another instance open in a minimized window on another desktop had me baffled for an hour
It really ought to issue a warning to stderr about this.

[vmiklos]

Probably --convert-to should imply --headless, but if you want this, please open a bugreport.

Regarding the filters available, you can poke around at http://cgit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/core/tree/filter/source/config/fragments/filters (sure, a more user-friendly wiki page would be better), for example if you want to convert to odt, try ‘–convert-to odt:writer8’.

[w_whalley]

This syntax worked for LO 3.4.6

soffice --headless --convert-to txt:text file_to_convert.doc

But only if no other instances of LO are open.

[rafik]

On win7, using LO 4.1 I had to do the following (from command line, you probably need to change %f to %%f if running in a cmd script):

set path=%path%;C:\Program Files (x86)\LibreOffice 4\program
for %f in (*.odg) do (
    soffice.exe --headless --convert-to pdf --outdir "C:\tmp" %f
)

Notes:

• it will NOT work if any instance of LO is open!
• outdir IS required
• wildcards for input files are NOT supported (hence the for loop)

[mike_a]

Thank you very much.

Just a few notes for WIN7 x64 LO 4.1.1.2 build ID 7e4286b58adc75a14f6d83f53a03b6c11fa2903

• outdir IS NOT reqired (strange?)
• NOT AT ALL instances of LO are opend, even LO Quick Start

Bear in mind to disable loading LO quick start on operating system startup. Otherwise it will be loaded on first convert and nothing will be coverted after it.

[Kardrik]

Couple of noob questions incoming.

1. that is two separate commands?
2. the first command, that looks like it is telling windows where to look for soffice.exe, or is it also looking for the files you want to convert?
3. Do I need to have command prompt open to the directory the files are in for this to work, I am guessing so.
4. If this is all entered in at the same time, do I need to separate the commands in any way?

[RobertN1]

FWIW:

1. Yes.
2. IMO, setting the path concerns executable files only (but I am not an guru for MS-DOS/Windows shell)
3. Yes (as an implication of 2.)
4. Very probably yes but I can’t tell you how - MS-DOS shell manual should say more. But executing at first the set command and afterwards the for command solves the situation in any case (the path you set is definitely valid at least until the command prompt session terminates). Or you can create a .bat file and separate commands by newline.

[RobertN1]

P.S. In a .bat file (script) you need to change %f to %%f.

[PrgWiz]

For windows machines, I have found that on some files the conversion needs a start /wait. Example

start /wait soffice --headless --convert-to txt file_to_convert.doc

It seems the shell collapses before soffice can complete the conversion is some cases.

[NickP]

Thank you for this - on Windows 7 I was getting unhelpful crash dialogs until I added the “start /wait” to the command. As a note the first quoted parameter for ‘start’ is the window name, so if you try to call the above from a script with a space in the path you may need to do it like: start /wait “” “C:\program files\libreoffice 4\program\soffice”