160k views
4 votes
Explain why opening a non-ASCII file (e.g. a Word document) in a text editor results in a different display than when the same document is opened in its intended application

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

Opening a non-ASCII file in a text editor results in a different display because text editors cannot interpret complex formatting, which word processors are designed to handle. The quality of typesetting by word processors is improving and now beginning to approach what professional typesetters can achieve.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you open a non-ASCII file, such as a Microsoft Word document, in a text editor, the display is different because text editors interpret files as plain text, consisting of ASCII or Unicode characters. Word documents, however, contain complex formatting, metadata, and may include objects like images or tables that are not plain text. Word processors like Microsoft Word understand this complex formatting and can typeset text and display the document with all its intended formatting, something that standard text editors cannot do. The quality of typesetting in word processors has evolved, and while early versions could not match the expertise of professional typesetters, they are making significant strides in approaching that level of quality.

User Yan King Yin
by
7.7k points