Convert DOC to TOML
Max file size 100mb.
DOC vs TOML Format Comparison
| Aspect | DOC (Source Format) | TOML (Target Format) |
|---|---|---|
| Format Overview |
DOC
Microsoft Word Binary Document
Binary document format used by Microsoft Word 97-2003. Proprietary format with rich features but closed specification. Uses OLE compound document structure. Still widely used for compatibility with older Office versions and legacy systems. Legacy Format Word 97-2003 |
TOML
Tom's Obvious Minimal Language
Modern configuration file format designed to be easy to read due to obvious semantics. Created by Tom Preston-Werner (GitHub co-founder) in 2013. Supports rich data types, nested structures, and is popular in Rust ecosystem (Cargo.toml) and Python (pyproject.toml). Modern Config Human-Friendly |
| Technical Specifications |
Structure: Binary OLE compound file
Encoding: Binary with embedded metadata Format: Proprietary Microsoft format Compression: Internal compression Extensions: .doc |
Structure: Tables with key-value pairs
Encoding: UTF-8 (required) Format: Open standard (v1.0.0) Compression: None (plain text) Extensions: .toml |
| Syntax Examples |
DOC uses binary format (not human-readable): [Binary Data] D0CF11E0A1B11AE1... (OLE compound document) Not human-readable |
TOML uses intuitive syntax: # Project configuration
[package]
name = "my-project"
version = "1.0.0"
authors = ["John Doe"]
[dependencies]
serde = "1.0"
tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["full"] }
[database]
host = "localhost"
port = 5432
enabled = true
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| Version History |
Introduced: 1997 (Word 97)
Last Version: Word 2003 format Status: Legacy (replaced by DOCX in 2007) Evolution: No longer actively developed |
Introduced: 2013 (Tom Preston-Werner)
Current Version: TOML v1.0.0 (2021) Status: Stable specification Evolution: Growing adoption |
| Software Support |
Microsoft Word: All versions (read/write)
LibreOffice: Full support Google Docs: Full support Other: Most modern word processors |
Rust: toml crate (native Cargo)
Python: tomllib (stdlib 3.11+), toml JavaScript: @iarna/toml, toml-js Editors: VS Code, IntelliJ, Sublime |
Why Convert DOC to TOML?
Converting DOC documents to TOML format is ideal for transforming configuration documentation into modern, machine-readable config files. TOML (Tom's Obvious Minimal Language) is designed to be a minimal configuration file format that's easy to read due to obvious semantics.
TOML has gained significant popularity in modern development workflows. It's the native configuration format for Rust's Cargo package manager (Cargo.toml), Python's modern project configuration (pyproject.toml), and many other tools. Its clean syntax and strong typing make it excellent for project configurations.
Unlike simpler formats like INI, TOML supports rich data types including arrays, inline tables, dates, and nested structures. This makes it suitable for complex configurations while remaining human-readable. The formal specification ensures consistent parsing across different implementations.
Key Benefits of Converting DOC to TOML:
- Modern Standard: Widely adopted in Rust, Python, and modern tools
- Rich Types: Supports strings, integers, floats, booleans, dates, arrays
- Nested Structures: Tables and inline tables for complex configs
- Clear Semantics: Designed to be obvious and unambiguous
- Version Control: Plain text works perfectly with Git
- Formal Spec: Well-defined specification ensures consistency
Practical Examples
Example 1: Project Configuration
Input DOC file (project.doc):
Project Configuration Package Information Name: my-awesome-app Version: 2.1.0 Authors: John Doe, Jane Smith License: MIT Description: An awesome application Dependencies serde: version 1.0 tokio: version 1.0, features full reqwest: version 0.11
Output TOML file (project.toml):
[package]
name = "my-awesome-app"
version = "2.1.0"
authors = ["John Doe", "Jane Smith"]
license = "MIT"
description = "An awesome application"
[dependencies]
serde = "1.0"
tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["full"] }
reqwest = "0.11"
Example 2: Application Settings
Input DOC file (config.doc):
Application Configuration Server Settings Host: 0.0.0.0 Port: 8080 Workers: 4 Debug: false Database Type: postgresql Host: localhost Port: 5432 Name: myapp_production Pool Size: 10
Output TOML file (config.toml):
[server] host = "0.0.0.0" port = 8080 workers = 4 debug = false [database] type = "postgresql" host = "localhost" port = 5432 name = "myapp_production" pool_size = 10
Example 3: Build Configuration
Input DOC file (build.doc):
Build System Configuration Build Settings Target: release Optimization Level: 3 LTO: true Profile Release Debug: false Panic: abort Features Default Features: logging, metrics Optional Features: async, ssl
Output TOML file (build.toml):
[build] target = "release" opt_level = 3 lto = true [profile.release] debug = false panic = "abort" [features] default = ["logging", "metrics"] optional = ["async", "ssl"]
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is TOML?
A: TOML (Tom's Obvious Minimal Language) is a configuration file format created by Tom Preston-Werner in 2013. It's designed to be easy to read and write, with unambiguous semantics. It maps clearly to a hash table and supports rich data types.
Q: How is TOML different from YAML or JSON?
A: TOML is more readable than JSON (allows comments, cleaner syntax) and less error-prone than YAML (no significant whitespace issues). It's specifically designed for configuration files, while JSON is for data exchange and YAML is more general-purpose.
Q: What projects use TOML?
A: TOML is used by Rust's Cargo (Cargo.toml), Python's modern packaging (pyproject.toml), Hugo static site generator, GitHub Actions, Netlify, InfluxDB, and many other tools. It's becoming the standard for project configuration files.
Q: How does the conversion handle complex structures?
A: Document headings become TOML tables [section], nested headings become nested tables [section.subsection], and lists become TOML arrays. Key-value pairs are extracted from document content and formatted appropriately.
Q: Are data types preserved?
A: The converter attempts to detect data types from context. Numbers become integers or floats, "true"/"false" become booleans, and quoted text becomes strings. Dates in ISO format are converted to TOML date types.
Q: Can I edit TOML files after conversion?
A: Absolutely! TOML files are plain text and can be edited with any text editor. Many editors like VS Code, IntelliJ, and Sublime Text have TOML syntax highlighting and validation plugins.
Q: What about multi-line strings?
A: TOML supports multi-line strings using triple quotes ("""). Long text content from DOC files can be converted to multi-line TOML strings, preserving readability for descriptions and documentation fields.