[odf-discuss] OOo OOXML filters

[Carlos Moffat]

On Mon, 2006-12-11 at 20:15 +0100, Sigrid Kronenberger wrote:
> Am Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:00:14 +0000
> schrieb Ian Lynch <ian.lynch at zmsl.com>:
> 
> > On Mon, 2006-12-11 at 13:47 -0500, Carlos Moffat wrote:
> > > On Mon, 2006-12-11 at 18:48 +0000, Ian Lynch wrote:
> > > > This was recently posted by Mathias Baur on the OOo Discuss list.
> > > > 
> > > > "Novell is working on making the XSLT transformation that
> > > > Microsoft has set up as a sourceforge project somewhat usable. We
> > > > haven't seen any results until now but my firm belief is that an
> > > > XSLT transformation can never reach a sufficient quality that
> > > > comes even close to the quality of our current filters for the
> > > > binary MSOffice formats.
> > > > 
> > > > So we already have planned to release our own import(!) filters
> > > > for OOXML and we are already working on them. Having such import
> > > > filters is what users of OOo will demand for just to stay
> > > > interoperable. But OTOH we think that nobody needs export filters
> > > > for these formats. For exchanging documents in a format that
> > > > MSOffice users can read you can use the old binary formats.
> > > > 
> > > > Ciao,
> > > > Mathias
> > > > 
> > > > -- 
> > > > Mathias Bauer (mba) - Project Lead OpenOffice.org Writer"
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Ian
> > > 
> > > This looks like a lot of duplicate work. Could you post the link to
> > > the thread where this discussion is happening?
> > 
> > Its in a thread called  Open Office XML on discuss at openoffice.org
> 
> Link is (for the starting message): 
> http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?listName=discuss&msgNo=58935
> 
> Link to Matthias's post: 
> http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?listName=discuss&msgNo=58957
> 
> HTH
> 

Thanks Sigrid!

I don't quite the logic from "we haven't seen any results until now" to
"[conversion] can never reach a sufficient quality". If not results are
available, how does he know?

I find this whole thing disconcerting. Had not Novell stepped up [1] and
commit to provide OOXML import/export for OO, somebody else would have
to do it, same as they've had to do with the older, binary formats.
People have said that OOXML is a PITA to implement and all that, but if
Novell can pull it off, why not take their code? 

The only reason I've been able to come up with is that supporters of ODF
would not like this, as it would make too easy for people to use OOXML
instead of ODF. However, not having a good OOXML filter (the very best
possible) would only make adoption of OO harder.

Is this a case of conflicting objectives between ODF and OO? 

Cheers,
Carlos


[1] I'm not talking about the whole MS/Novell patent bit of the
agreement.

> Sigrid
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