= unoconv(1)
Dag Wieers <dag@wieers.com>
v0.3, 31 august 2007


== NAME
unoconv - convert any document from and to any OpenOffice supported format


== SYNOPSIS
'unoconv' [options] file [file2 ..]

'unoconv' --listener [--server SRV] [--port PRT] [--connections CON]


== DESCRIPTION
unoconv is a command line utility that can convert any file format that
OpenOffice can import, to any file format that OpenOffice is capable of
exporting.

unoconv uses the OpenOffice's UNO bindings for non-interactive conversion
of documents and therefor needs an OpenOffice instance to communicate with.
Therefore if it cannot find one, it will start its own instance for temporary
usage. If desired, one can start a ``listener'' instance to use for subsequent
connections or even for remote connections.


== OPTIONS
-c, --connection::
    UNO connection string to be used by the client to connect to an
    OpenOffice instance, or used by the listener to make OpenOffice
    listen.
+
    Default connection string is "socket,host=localhost,port=2002;urp;StarOffice.ComponentContext"

-d, --doctype::
    Specify the OpenOffice document type of the backend format. Possible
    document types are: 'document', 'graphics', 'presentation',
    'spreadsheet'.
+
    Default document type is 'document'.

-f, --format::
    Specify the output format for the document. You can get a list of
    possible output formats per document type by using the +--list+ option.
+
    Default document type is 'pdf'.

-l, --listener::
    Start unoconv as listener for unoconv clients to connect to.

-p, --port::
    Port to listen on (as listener) or to connect to (as client).
+
    Default port is '2002'.

-s, --server::
    Server (address) to listen on (as listener) or to connect to (as client).
+
    Default server is 'localhost'.

--show::
    List the possible output formats to be used with +-f+.

--stdout::
    Print converted output file to stdout.

-v, --verbose::
    Be more and more and more verbose.


== ARGUMENTS
You can provide one or more *files* as arguments to convert each of them to
the specified *output format*.


== EXAMPLES
You can use unoconv in standalone mode, this means that in absence of an
OpenOffice listener, it will starts its own:

    unoconv -f pdf some-document.odt


One can use unoconv as a listener (by default localhost:2002) to let other
unoconv instances connect to it:

    unoconv --listener &
    unoconv -f pdf some-document.odt
    unoconv -f doc other-document.odt
    unoconv -f jpg some-image.png
    unoconv -f xsl some-spreadsheet.csv
    kill -15 %-


This also works on a remote host:

    unoconv --listener --server 1.2.3.4 --port 4567


and then connect another system to convert documents:

    unoconv --server 1.2.3.4 --port 4567


== BUGS
unoconv uses the UNO bindings to connect to OpenOffice, in absence of a usable
socket, it will start its own OpenOffice instance with the correct parameters.
However, OpenOffice requires a working +DISPLAY+ (even with +-headless+
option) and therefor you cannot run it in a true console, you need X.

[NOTE]
Please see the TODO file for known bugs and future plans.


== SEE ALSO
	convert(1), file(1), odt2txt


== REFERENCES
unoconv is very useful together with the following tools:

Asciidoc::
    http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/

docbook2odf::
    http://open.comsultia.com/docbook2odf/


== AUTHOR
Written by Dag Wieers, <mailto:dag@wieers.com[]>


== RESOURCES
Main web site: http://dag.wieers.com/home-made/unoconv/[]


== COPYING
Copyright \(C) 2007 Dag Wieers. Free use of this software is granted under the
terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

// vim: set syntax=asciidoc