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Open XML Translator for Microsoft Word Available
Posted by
Zonk
on Fri Feb 02, 2007 06:06 PM
from the translate-the-night-away dept.
from the translate-the-night-away dept.
narramissic writes "The first phase of a Microsoft-funded project to create software that can convert Microsoft Word documents between Open XML and Open Document Format (ODF) has been completed. As a result, the Open XML Translator is now available for download in version 1.0 from SourceForge.net. A ComputerWorld article details the history of the project, discussing the work of companies like CleverAge and AztecSoft, as well as community efforts to bring this project to realization."
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Aw... (Score:5, Funny)
"It looks like you're trying to convert to a non-Microsoft proprietary format. I can't let you do that, Dave"
Relation to Linux? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Relation to Linux? (Score:5, Informative)
Before installing the add-in, make sure you have one of the followings...
* Microsoft Word XP
* Office Compatibility Pack
*
or
* Microsoft Word 2003
* Office Compatibility Pack
*
or
* Word 2007 with
*
Minimum Software Requirements
To compile the source distribution, you will need Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
Parent
Re:Relation to Linux? (Score:4, Interesting)
Realistically, there's no reason it even needs to be in C# - the various bits of wrapper could be rewritten into other languages, and the main work is done by an XSLT. The OpenDocument Fellowship might include a similar tool in future tool sets, translated to be a bit more native.
Parent
Why is this such a big thing? (Score:2)
Re:Why is this such a big thing? (Score:5, Insightful)
The big difference is which format the documents get stored in. If they're being stored in DOC, then you're still mostly at the mercy of Microsoft; it's easy for someone to open the document in some new version of Word, save it, and silently move it into some new MS-created "binary blob" format, breaking backwards compatibility.
So basically, a converter would let states like Massachusetts start to move away from DOC as the de facto standard format for electronic documents. They'd probably still use it as an editing format, because I don't see them tossing Word for OO.org anytime soon, but it would help get rid of the huge "silos" of DOC stuff that's sitting around, getting silent migrated from one version of Microsoft's formats to the next.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
and, since many large organizations/governments have already switched to ODF, those groups wouldn't really be able to switch back to Microsoft without a conversion tool, preferably built into Office. this could be MS's attempt to get them to switch back.
Re: (Score:2)
IIRC (correct me if i'm wrong), but i think OpenOffice can only handle the word-processor part of Open XML, not the rest of it (spreadsheet, presentation, etc).
OpenOffice.org is a complete office suite, comprising Word Processor (Writer), Presentations (Impress), Spreadsheets (Calc) and Vector Graphics/Diagrams (Draw). The Open Document Format (ODF) is able to encapsulate all these document types.
Whether the Office Open XML (OOXML) to ODF convertor can handle all of these transformations, I don't know. I'm not holding my breath for a complete converter from OOXML to ODF either - 6000+ pages of OOXML spec is going to be hard to read, let alone code all the diff
Re: (Score:2)
Why is this such a big thing considering that OpenOffice has the ability to import from and export to MS Word format?
Some governments have conflicting directives including support for ODF and a contract to buy MS Word. Many tools designed to allow the blind to use computers work only with specific products, like MS Word. As a result, some governments asked for a converter that would move documents back and forth between these formats and for some reason they asked that MS not contribute or control the co
Unfortunately (Score:3, Funny)
Unfortunately, when you run it, it starts off with, "Hi! It looks like you're trying to convert a Microsoft Word Document! Would you like some help?"
A Microsoft converter for a competing product? (Score:5, Interesting)
a question instead of a statement (Score:4, Interesting)
I have a document
I convert it to XML
then what? Is this excellent news in theory, or is there a demand for this?
I honestly don't know, I'm not claiming there isn't. Please tell me.
---
this isn't xml [douginadress.com]
Re:a question instead of a statement (Score:5, Informative)
I convert it to XML
then what?
The latest and greatest(?) versions of the MS Office programs save natively in XML. This converter lets you convert to ODF, which lets you read the files into OpenOffice on any operating system, or any other application that supports ODF. It basically lets you get out from under the MS proprietary format and into an open standard.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Like someone else commented, OpenOffice and already import and export to microsoft word. So is this really a practical utility, or does it just make everybody happy that hates Microsoft but still actually uses them?
---
Open What? [douginadress.com]
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
LordVader717 wrote as part of a post:
The problem is, this is not even viable in a pure MS Word environment. An often-heard complaint is that MS Word documents will look different on different computers, even if both users are using MS W
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I have a document I convert it to XML then what? Is this excellent news in theory, or is there a demand for this? I honestly don't know, I'm not claiming there isn't. Please tell me.
Can some one please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought MS's new format was
Seems the common files are written in C# (Score:2, Interesting)
If you're writing cross platform code at least have the decency to use C, C++ or Java, requiring a CLR is insulting.
Excel and Power Point promised by Nov. 07 (Score:3, Insightful)
WTF?! (Score:3, Funny)
This is not a winning document. Better luck next time.
What's the point? (Score:4, Insightful)
What's the point if the add-in doesn't allow ODF to be set as the default file type, or even used via the Save As menu [robweir.com]?
Hopefully the Word "interop" API actually allows for this sort of thing to be properly integrated.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
MS was very much against this (Score:5, Interesting)
Microsoft is really determined to strangle open formats.
Fugetaboutit (Score:5, Funny)
CIO = "What is this 'ribbon' thing I keep hearing about?"
IT Admin = "Boss, we dont need the ribbon, its just Microsoft hype."
CIO = "Have you seen the ribbon? Bring me the ribbon!"
IT Admin = "Khaaaaaaaannnnn!"
It's XML, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
No document in living history is ever going to be so complicated that it needs to be in a format that's specification is 6,000 pages long. Part of the point about XML was that we should be setting up simple, domain-specific markup languages and extending already existing markup languages. OOXML is bad because it's needlessly complicated and obscure. Having visited the OOXML website, I'm missing a lot of things I expect. First, I'm missing schema. If these guys are serious about XML, where are the XSD/RNG schema? Secondly, where are the cross-platform translators - ie. XSLs? I'm missing some kind of high-level summary of how I'm supposed to parse the XML. If the only way of doing anything with OOXML is a closed, black-box Microsoft converter, then we still haven't really got anywhere.
Well, I'm breaking the cycle. All my documents are going to be either ASCII or a standard, non-obscure XML format like XHTML. Or something home-brewed and simple that can be easily transformed using XSL and XSL-FO. Screw Microsoft's phony attempt at interoperability. The Internet is interoperable by design. (X)HTML is interoperable by design. Let's prove to them that we mean interoperability by sticking to simple, sensible, semantically-based and scalable principles.