[odf-discuss] Private deal to approve OOXML? More evidence surfaces

[marbux]

On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 2:30 AM, Lars Noodén <lars at umich.edu> wrote:
> marbux wrote:
>  > Microsoft did put out an Office 2007 Compatibility Pack that retrofits
>  > Office 2000, XP, and 2003 with OOXML support....
>
>  '.docx' or actual, bona fide OOXML / DIS-29500.  I suspect that it is
>  more marketing support that it provides than anything else.
>
I just haven't seen any qualitative analysis. But there is an overview
of the techniques they used to create the compatibility pack here.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/rick_schaut/archive/2006/12/07/open-xml-converters-for-mac-office.aspx>.
Basically they excised the Office 2007 native file support APIs with
the OOXML support, modularized it with a wrapper that supplies the
equivalent APIs, then backported the module to the earlier Office
versions and across platforms to Office for the Mac 2008. This should
make it easier for them to port any changes required by ISO/IEC:29500
the same way.

But at least the Mac port is missing some functionality. E.g., no VBA
or Sharepoint support in Office 2008. And you'd have to strongly
suspect that any new features in Office 2007 that require metadata in
the file formats isn't supported in the ports.

>  So any regulations or guidelines requiring standards automatically
>  exclude MSO 2007 and anything else that cannot use ODF.
>

Until Microsoft retrofits its software to write to something they can
claim is ISO/IEC:29500. On the other hand, I think it would be pretty
crazy or ignorant for anyone to switch to OOXML before that work is
done. Microsoft hasn't made any announcement I'm aware of that they
will provide the ability to convert from the original MOOXML to
something more like ISO/IEC:29500. They may well do so, but that
assurance doesn't seem to be out there. I also have not seen any
report that they will backport that support to the earlier Office
versions and to Office 2008 for the Mac.