OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) TC

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OpenDocument TC FAQ reworked

  • 1.  OpenDocument TC FAQ reworked

    Posted 12-16-2005 15:30
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    Subject: OpenDocument TC FAQ reworked


    Dear TC members,
    
    in the past few weeks, several questions were asked regarding OpenDocument 
    and the OpenDocument TC. This included questions about the size of the 
    OpenDocument TC and questions how OpenDocument relates to other office file 
    formats. I therefor reworked the TC'S FAQ and added multiple Questions and 
    Answers.
    
    The new FAQ is attached. I've marked new questions with a green background 
    color, and reworked Questions and Answers with a yellow background color.
    
    I've also attached a plain copy of the FAQ below.
    
    Please let me know in the con call on Monday if you agree to the reworked FAQ.
    
    Best regards
    
    Michael
    
    
    
    OpenDocument TC FAQ
    ===================
    
    What is the OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument)?
    
    OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) is a 
    standardized XML-based file format specification suitable for office 
    applications. It covers the features required by text, spreadsheets, charts, 
    and graphical documents.
    
    Who benefits from this work and how?
    
    A vendor and application independent open document format for office 
    applications protects content, whether it is a 800 page airplane 
    specification or a legal contract, from being locked into an application- or 
    vendor-specific file format. Additionally, it lets application users 
    participate in the benefits of XML file formats without having to change 
    their habits and without requiring additional knowledge or education.
    
    There is a TC 45 with a similar charter existing at ECMA. Is this a 
    competitive effort?
    
    No. The OpenDocument TC and the ECMA TC 45 have in common that they define 
    standardized file formats for office applications, but there are differences 
    in the charters of both groups.
    
    The purpose of ECMA TC45 is "to produce a formal standard for office 
    productivity applications that is fully compatible with the Office Open XML 
    Formats, submitted by Microsoft.".
    
    The purpose of the OpenDocument TC is to "create an open, XML-based file 
    format specification for office applications." This means, the file format is 
    not specialized for a certain application, but provides a formal standard for 
    arbitrary office applications. This includes Microsoft Office, but is not 
    limited to it.
    
    How large is the OpenDocument TC?
    
    The OpenDocument TC has 17 founding members (full list). An up-to-date list 
    of TC members is available here. At the time this FAQ was updated 
    (14/12/2005) the TC membership database lists 16 members from 6 organizations 
    and three individual members.
    
    Isn't OpenDocument only the file format of the OpenOffice.org application 
    that has been standardized?
    
    OpenDocument has been developed as an application-independent format by a 
    vendor-neutral OASIS Technical Committee (TC) with the participation of 
    multiple office application vendors. The basis for the OASIS OpenDocument 
    TC's work indeed was the OpenOffice.org XML file format, but even the 
    OpenOffice.org XML file format was developed as an application-independent 
    file format that is not usable by the OpenOffice.org application only.
    
    The OpenOffice.org XML specification went through a one year review phase 
    within the TC, that resulted in about 100 changes to the schema, and a one 
    year phase of additional specification and editorial work. The OpenDocument 
    specification also went through a one month public review phase within the 
    full OASIS membership, which represents over 600 organizations.
    
    Did the OpenDocument TC take the requirements of Microsoft Office users into 
    account?
    
    Several companies that are members in the OpenDocument TC are very much 
    committed to deliver office products that are highly interoperable with 
    Microsoft's office products, especially on the file format level. Some of 
    these companies for instance deliver products that have MS office document 
    filters for ten years now. The membership of these companies in the 
    OpenDocument TC actually ensures that the requirements of MS Office users are 
    considered within OpenDocument.
    
    Is OpenDocument backward compatible with Microsoft Office binary documents?
    
    No. Backward compatibility with binary documents is technical impossible for 
    an XML file format. However, applications may support legacy binary format as 
    well OpenDocument and this way may provide backward compatibility with binary 
    formats for office application users.
    
    Does OpenDocument support "custom schemas"?
    
    There are several usages of the term "custom schema". The term "custom schema 
    support" frequently is used to describe the possibility to interleave an 
    office application schema with XML tags from some other schema. Because this 
    is a feature of XML and XML Namespaces in general, this is supported by 
    OpenDocument. But it is important to distinguish between the OpenDocument 
    format and applications that implement it. No applications at this point 
    exploit this feature, but this is inherently supported by OpenDocument.
    
    Another definition of "custom schema" support is the possibility to include 
    an instance of a non-office-schema into an office document. This feature is 
    provided by OpenDocument due to its partial inclusion of the W3C XForms standard.
    
    Was performance listed as a requirement for the OpenDocument standard?
    
    Although performance is not explicitly listed as a requirement in the 
    OpenDocument TC charter, the ability to provide performant implementations of 
    a file format seems to be self-evident for an open standard.
    
    There are no performance issues known in applications that have their root 
    cause in the OpenDocument standard. In case such issues would be brought to 
    the attention of the TC, the TC would work on a resolution.
    
    OpenDocument is a new standard. How well is it tested?
    
    OpenDocument is well tested. OpenDocument is based on the OpenOffice.org XML 
    file format. OpenOffice XML is the default file format of the OpenOffice.org 
    application since 2001. This includes the word processor, the spreadsheet, 
    and the presentation applications of OpenOffice.org.
    
    Who owns OpenDocument?
    
    OpenDocument is owned by OASIS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the 
    open development of public XML standards. OpenDocument is maintained by an 
    OASIS Technical Committee made up of XML, document manager and office 
    application experts.
    
    Is the OpenDocument effort still open?
    
    Yes. The OpenDocument TC will extend OpenDocument 1.0 to encompass additional 
    areas of applications or users, and also will adapt the specification to 
    recent developments in office applications. OASIS members who are interested 
    in participating in the further development of OpenDocument are encouraged to 
    join the OpenDocument TC. For non-OASIS members, OASIS membership- is 
    available at the following URL:
    
         http://www.oasis-open.org/join/
    
    What is the current state of the specification?
    
    The OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) 1.0 is 
    an approved OASIS standard.
    
    OASIS has submitted the OpenDocument Format OASIS Standard to the ISO/IEC 
    JTC1 (International Organization for Standardization International 
    Electrotechnical Commission's Joint Technical Committee) for further approval 
    as a de jure standard.
    
    Where did OpenDocument come from?
    
    OpenDocument has its roots in the OpenOffice.org XML file format. In December 
    2003, Arbortext, Boeing, Corel, CSW Informatics, Drake Certivo, National 
    Archive of Australia, New York State Office of the Attorney General, Society 
    of Biblical Literature, Sony, Stellent and Sun Microsystems founded the OASIS 
    Open Office XML Format TC to develop a standardized XML-based file format for 
    office applications. The basis for the TC's work was the OpenOffice.org XML 
    file format that had proved its value in real life already. The first 
    committee draft was approved in March 2003, a 2nd one in December 2004. In 
    January 2005, the Open Office XML Format TC renamed itself to OASIS Open 
    Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) to emphasize that the 
    resulting specification is not only suitable for OpenOffice.org, but for 
    arbitrary office applications.
    
    A third committee draft was approved in March 2005. OpenDocument was approved 
    as an OASIS standard in May 2005.
    
    How much will it cost to use OpenDocument?
    
    OpenDocument is royalty-free. It can be used without charge by anyone.
    
    Where do I find the OpenDocument specification and schemas?
    
    The OpenDocument v1.0 specification is available in PDF format at
    
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12572/OpenDocument-v1.0-os.pdf
    
    and in OpenOffice.org XML format at
    
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12573/OpenDocument-v1.0-os.sxw 
    .
    
    The OpenDocument v1.0 Relax-NG schemas are available here:
    
        1. OpenDocument v1.0 Relax-NG Schema (extracted from chapter 1 to 16 of 
    the specification):
     
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12571/OpenDocument-schema-v1.0-os.rng
        2. OpenDocument v1.0 Manifest Relax-NG Schema (extracted from chapter 17 
    of the specification):
     
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12570/OpenDocument-manifest-schema-v1.0-os.rng
        3. OpenDocument v1.0 Strict Relax-NG Schema (extracted from appendix A of 
    the specification):
     
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12569/OpenDocument-strict-schema-v1.0-os.rng
    
    How does this work compare to existing standards at other standards 
    organizations?
    
    There are some standards that cover single features of office applications, 
    like SVG for graphic content or HTML and XSL-FO for text content, but none of 
    these standards covers all features of office applications. The OASIS Open 
    Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) covers the features 
    required by text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents, but also 
    'borrow' from similar, existing standards wherever possible and permitted.
    
    How does this work compare to other office applications schemas?
    
         * OpenDocument was developed in a completely open, publicly visible, 
    vendor-neutral, royalty-free standards process that allows input from the 
    entire user community
         * OpenDocument is one schema for text, spreadsheets, charts, and 
    graphical documents. There are no distinct schemas for the different kind of 
    office applications.
         * OpenDocument is highly interoperable by making use of existing 
    standards like HTML , SVG , XSL , SMIL , XLink , XForms , MathML or Dublin 
    Core wherever possible.
         * OpenDocument has a package concept and can be used as default file 
    format for office applications without disadvantages in file size or integrity.
    
    What kind of applications are covered by the specification?
    
    OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) 1.0 is 
    suitable for text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents. Later 
    versions of the specification will encompass additional areas of applications 
    or users.
    
    I've sometimes read about and OASIS Open Office XML Format TC and an Open 
    Office specification. What is their relation to OpenDocument?
    
    OASIS Open Office and OASIS OpenDocument are the same. The OpenDocument TC 
    was originally named “OASIS Open Office XML Format TC”, but renamed itself to 
    “OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) TC ” in 
    January 2005.
    
    OpenDocument previously was called Open Office. What is the relation to 
    OpenOffice.org?
    
    When the OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) TC 
    was founded, it chose the OpenOffice.org XML file format as the basis for its 
    work, because the OpenOffice.org XML file format had already proven its value 
    in real life. The OpenDocument format therefore is an advancement of the 
    OpenOffice.org XML file format. It us usable and used by OpenOffice.org, but 
    also by other office applications like KOffice.
    
    The OpenDocument TC as an OASIS TC is not part of the OpenOffice.org open 
    source project, and only some of the TC members have a relation to the 
    OpenOffice.org project.
    
    My question isn't listed here: where do I get more information?
    
    If you do not find an answer to your question in this FAQ, please do not 
    hesitate to send it to the TC members using the "Send A Comment" button at 
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=office.
    

    FAQ3.odt



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