
What is cole?
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cole is a free C OLE library.

cole is distributed under the terms of the `GNU General Public License' (GPL)
to give an impulse to the Free Software. cole distribution license is
compatible with the `Open Source' definition.

Using cole, you can access Microsoft' `Structured Storage' files.
The most popular Microsoft's programs generate `Structured Storage' files,
incluiding the Microsoft' suite for offices. StarDivision' suite (StarOffice)
generate `Structured Storage' files too. FlashPix file format is
`Structured Storage' too.


What is a `Structured Storage' file?
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Inside a `Structured Storage' file there is a filesystem, with directories
and files, which Microsoft calls `containers' and `streams'. Using cole you
can travel through such filesystem and access the files.

cole doesn't know about internal structure of a `stream', it only reads the
raw data. You can use the Microsoft's documentation available at
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/> or the information available at
<http://www.wotsit.org/> to know the binary file format of the streams. If you
know anything in the side of StarDivision email me. FlashPix file format is
well documented.

cole was developed using the information available at
<http://wwwwbs.cs.tu-berlin.de/~schwartz/pmh/guide.html> and the OLE::Storage
Perl module from the same site, and no information from any other source
(incluiding Microsoft) has been used.


Compile
*******

See the file `INSTALL' to know how to compile and install cole (a standard
`configure' script is provided).


Documentation
*************

The documentation is autogenerated from the source code, and it can be found in
the directory `doc/cole-manual' of the source code.


	The current maintainer.
	(see the file `AUTHORS')

