Editing Rich Text Format (section)

==Common uses and interoperability==
Most word processing software support either RTF format importing and exporting for some RTF specification or direct editing, which makes it a "common" format between otherwise incompatible word processing software and operating systems. Most applications that read RTF files silently ignore unknown RTF control words.<ref name="ted-rtf" /> These factors contribute to its [[interoperability]], though it is still dependent on the specific RTF version in use.<ref name="e-gov-uk" /> There are several consciously designed or accidentally born RTF dialects.<ref name="ted-rtf">{{cite web |url=http://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/editors/ted/TedDocument-en_US.html |title=Ted, an easy rich text processor |author=Mark de Does |date=2009-10-23 |access-date=2010-03-13}}</ref>

RTF is the internal markup language used by Microsoft Word.<ref name="rtf-pocket-guide">{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/product-description/0596004753/ref=dp_proddesc_0/277-8520360-9056562?ie=UTF8&n=266239&s=books |title=RTF Pocket Guide |author=Sean M. Burke |website=Amazon UK |date=July 2003 |access-date=2010-03-13}}</ref> Since 1987, RTF files have been able to be transferred back and forth between many old and new computer systems (and now over the Internet), despite differences between operating systems and their versions. This makes it a useful format for basic formatted text documents such as instruction manuals, résumés, letters, and modest information documents. These documents, at minimum, support bold, italic and underline text formatting.  Also typically supported are left-, center- and right-aligned text, font specification and document margins.

Font and margin defaults, style presets and other functions vary according to program defaults.  There may also be incompatibilities between different RTF versions, e.g. between RTF 1.0 1987 and later specifications, or between RTF 1.0–1.4 and RTF 1.5+ in use of Unicode characters.<ref name="wordperfect-dos">{{cite web |url=http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/wordtowpdos.html |title=How to Import Microsoft Word Files into WordPerfect for DOS |access-date=2010-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abiword.org/help/en-US/info/infoformats.html |title=Abiword Help&nbsp;– File Formats |access-date=2010-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mackichan.com/index.html?techtalk/v30/30ts79.htm~mainFrame |title=Opening Rich Text Format (RTF) files  |access-date=2010-03-13}}</ref>  And though RTF supports metadata like title and author, not all implementations support this. Nevertheless, the RTF format is consistent enough to be considered highly portable and acceptable for [[cross-platform]] use.

===Objects===
Microsoft Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) objects and Macintosh Edition Manager subscriber objects allow embedding of other files inside the RTF, such as tables or charts from spreadsheet application. However, since these objects are not widely supported in programs for viewing or editing RTF files, they also limit RTF's interoperability.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linux.com/news/foss-word-processors-compared-ooo-writer-abiword-and-kword/ |title=FOSS word processors compared: OOo Writer, AbiWord, and KWord |first= Bruce |last= Byfield |website=Linux.com |publisher=The Linux Foundation |date= 2005-08-23 |access-date= 2020-09-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.linux.com/news/sharing-files-between-openofficeorg-and-microsoft-office/ |title= Sharing files between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office |first= Bruce |last= Byfield |website=Linux.com |publisher=The Linux Foundation |date= 2005-07-28 |access-date= 2020-09-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.linux.com/news/softmaker-office-2008-focuses-compatibility-microsoft-office/ |title= SoftMaker Office 2008 focuses on compatibility with Microsoft Office |first= Mayank |last= Sharma |website=Linux.com |publisher=The Linux Foundation |date= 2008-11-20 |access-date= 2020-09-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linux.com/news/softmaker-office-2006-beta-not-killer-app/ |title=SoftMaker Office 2006 beta: Not a killer app |first= Bruce |last= Byfield |website=Linux.com |publisher=The Linux Foundation |date=2006-11-21 |access-date=2020-09-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url= http://pacsec.jp/psj06/psj06lagadec-e.pdf |title= OpenOffice / OpenDocument and Microsoft Office 2007 / Open XML security |first= Philippe |last= Lagadec |date= 2006-11-30 |journal= PacSec 2006 Conference |access-date= 2020-09-29}}</ref> If software that understands a particular OLE object is not available, the object is displayed using a picture of the object which is embedded along with it.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | url= https://groups.google.com/g/microsoft.public.win32.programmer.ole/c/SgmIED_cH98/m/DN2IhbB9rScJ |title= RE: OLE object – bitmap representation? |first= Rhett |last=Gong |newsgroup=microsoft.public.win32.programmer.ole |message-id= iZFkEiesFHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl |date= 2005-09-05 |access-date=2020-09-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://support.microsoft.com/kb/123151 |title= ACC: Why OLE Objects Cause Databases to Grow |website=Microsoft |date= 2007-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215071449/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/123151 |archive-date= 2008-02-15}}</ref>

===Pictures===
RTF supports inclusion of JPEG, PNG, Enhanced Metafile (EMF), [[Windows Metafile]] (WMF), Apple PICT, Windows device-dependent bitmap, Windows device-independent bitmap and OS/2 Metafile picture types in hexadecimal (the default) or binary format in a RTF file. Not all of these picture types are supported in all RTF readers, however. When a RTF document is opened in software that does not support the picture type of an inserted picture, the picture is not displayed. RTF writers usually either convert an inserted picture in an unsupported picture type to one in a supported picture type, or do not include picture at all.

For better compatibility with Microsoft products, some RTF writers include the same picture in two different picture types in one RTF file: one supported picture type to display, and one uncompressed WMF copy of the original picture to improve compatibility with some Microsoft applications like [[Wordpad]].<ref name="support.microsoft.com">{{cite web |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224663/en-us |title=Document file size increases with EMF, PNG, GIF, or JPEG graphics in Word |access-date=2011-03-01}}</ref>

This method increases the RTF file size dramatically. The RTF specification does not require this method, and several implementations do not include the WMF copy (e.g. [[Abiword]] or [[Ted (word processor)|Ted]]).

For Microsoft Word, it is also possible to set a specific registry value ("ExportPictureWithMetafile=0") to prevent Word from saving the WMF copy.<ref name="support.microsoft.com"/>

===Fonts===
RTF supports [[font embedding|embedding of fonts]] used in the document, but this feature is not widely supported in software implementations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/275953 |title=Embedded fonts are not displayed as expected in the documents that are saved as RTF in Word |publisher=Microsoft Corporation |date=2007-02-20 |access-date=2010-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://list.unm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0504d&L=rtf-l&T=0&F=&S=&P=60 |title=Embedding fonts in RTF file |date=2005-04-23 |access-date=2010-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=20370 |title=OpenOffice.org Issue&nbsp;– MS Interoperability: embedd fonts into the document |access-date=2010-03-17}}</ref>

RTF also supports generic font family names used for [[font substitution]]: ''roman'' ([[serif]]), ''Swiss'' ([[sans-serif]]), ''modern'' ([[monospaced font|monospace]]), ''script'', ''decorative'' and ''technical''.<ref name="rtf10-txt" /> This feature is not widely supported either.

===Annotations===
Since RTF 1.0, the RTF specification has supported document annotations/comments.<ref name="rtf10-txt" /> The RTF 1.7 specification defined some new features for annotations, including the date stamp (there was previously only "time stamp") and parents of annotations.<ref name="rtf17" /> When a RTF document with annotations is opened in an application that does not support RTF annotations, the annotations are not shown. Similarly, when a document with annotations is saved as RTF in an application that does not support RTF annotations, the annotations are not preserved in the RTF file. Some implementations, like Abiword (since version 2.8) and IBM Lotus Symphony (up to version 1.3), may hide annotations by default or require some user action to display them.

The RTF specification also supports footnotes, which are widely supported in RTF implementations (e.g. in [[OpenOffice.org]], Abiword, [[KWord]], Ted, but not in Wordpad). Endnotes are implemented as a variation on footnotes, so applications that support footnotes but not endnotes will render an endnote as a footnote.

Microsoft products do not support comments within footers, footnotes or headers. Similarly, Microsoft products do not support footnotes in headers, footers, or comments. Inserting a comment or a footnote in one of these disallowed contexts may result in a corrupted document.<ref name="rtf191" />

===Drawing objects===
The RTF 1.2 specification defined use of drawing objects, known as shapes, such as rectangles, ellipses, lines, arrows and polygons. The RTF 1.5 specification introduced many new control words for drawing objects.<ref name="rtf15" />

However, many RTF implementations, such as [[Apache OpenOffice]], do not support drawing objects<ref>{{cite web |url=https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=3790 |title=Issue 3790&nbsp;– RTF: Import Word 97–2000 RTF for Drawing Objects (Shapes) |work=Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla|publisher=Apache Software Foundation|access-date=2014-10-27}}</ref> (though they are supported in [[LibreOffice]] 4.0 on<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/4.0|title=LibreOffice 4.0 Release Notes|publisher=The Document Foundation|access-date=2014-10-27}}</ref>) or Abiword.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abisource.com/mailinglists/abiword-user/2006/Mar/0048.html |title=Re: Drawing inside Abiword |date=2006-03-15 |access-date=2011-05-21}}</ref> Applications which do not support RTF drawing objects do not display or save the shapes. Some implementations will also not display any text inside drawing objects.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=67774 |title=OOoForum.org&nbsp;– Problem opening RTF file in Writer |access-date=2011-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928093755/http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=67774 |archive-date=2011-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://openoffice.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=113308 |title=OpenOffice.org Bugzilla – Bug 113308&nbsp;– Vertical text in border |access-date=2011-05-19}}</ref>

===Security concerns===
Unlike Microsoft Word's DOC format, as well as the newer [[Office Open XML]] and [[OpenDocument]] formats, RTF does not support [[Macro (computer science)|macro]]s. For this reason, RTF was often recommended over those formats when the spread of computer viruses through macros was a concern. However, having the .RTF extension does not guarantee a safe file, since Microsoft Word will open standard DOC files renamed with an RTF extension and run any contained macros as usual. Manual examination of a file in a plain text editor such as [[Notepad (Windows)|Notepad]], or use of the [[file (command)|<code>file</code> command]] in a [[UNIX]]-like systems, is required to determine whether or not a suspect file is really RTF.<ref name="seniortechcenter"/><ref name="SANSavoidmacro">{{cite web|url=http://www.sans.org/security-resources/macro.php |title=Avoiding Macro Viruses |access-date=2015-06-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610065538/http://www.sans.org/security-resources/macro.php |archive-date=June 10, 2011 }}</ref> Enabling Word's "Confirm file format conversion on open" option can also assist by warning a document being opened is in a format that does not match the format implied by the file's extension, and giving the option to abort opening that file. One exploit attacking a vulnerability was patched in Microsoft Word in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/09/08/anatomy-of-a-malicious-email-recent-word-hole/ |title=Anatomy of a malicious email: Crooks exploiting recent Word hole – Naked Security |newspaper=Sophos Web site |date=8 September 2015  |author=Paul Ducklin |access-date= 16 February 2016}}</ref>

Since 2014 there have been malware RTF files embedding [[OpenXML]] exploits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.malwaretracker.com/2014/05/cryptam-document-analysis-openxml.html |title=malware tracker blog: Cryptam Document Analysis + OpenXML embedded in RTF |newspaper=Blog.malwaretracker.com |access-date= 16 February 2016}}</ref>