[odf-discuss] Mass may endorse OXML.

[Daniel Carrera]

marbux wrote:
> What do you think the section 1.5 foreign elements and attributes are 
> for, Daniel? And why does the spec say, "[c]onforming applications that 
> read and write documents // may preserve foreign elements and 
> attributes" if -- as you say -- it's unfeasible to do so?

There is a difference between "applications are _allowed_ to preserve 
foreign elements" and "it is always feasible to preserve foreign 
elements". For example, Bob Office can insert its own elements that no 
other application in the world can understand, and Bob Office is allowed 
to preserve those elements. That is as it should be, and it doesn't mean 
that Alice Office will necessarily be able to preserve Bob's elements. 
Why should it?

Patrick, myself and others have given examples of how it is not always 
possible to preserve foreign elements. You need to understand the 
difference between "it is sometimes possible, and so it is permitted" 
(e.g. reading your own foreign elements) and "it is always possible, and 
so it should be mandatory".

Tell you what. I can give you an ODF file with custom elements, known 
only by me. I'll ask you to do some modifications and you have to do it 
while preserving my foreign elements.

Daniel.