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Microsoft ODF Plug-In Nears Completion

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

October 13, 2006, 2:40 PM

Microsoft is close to releasing a plug-in for its Microsoft Word application that will be able to open files saved in the OpenDocument Format, the company has indicated. While initially the program will not be able to save files, such functionality will be added later this year.

The plug-in is on track for an October 23 release, the company has said.

Microsoft first indicated it would support ODF in July of this year. The move was an abrupt about-face for Microsoft, who had been pushing its Open XML format as a superior alternative. However, increasing support for ODF has forced the company to provide a solution for customers.

Microsoft tapped France-based partner Clever Age to create the OpenDocument tools, along with independent software vendors Aztecsoft in India and Dialogika in Germany. The translation software will be made available to older versions of Microsoft Office as well through a compatibility pack that adds support for Open XML.

Users wishing to add the functionality will not find it included within Office 2007; rather, they will have to download it from the Office Web site. Microsoft will still set its own Open XML format as the default. The company is also continuing its work towards standardizing the technology.

Open XML has been submitted to both the ISO and ECMA standardization bodies. A final draft was sent to ECMA Monday, and is expected to be approved by the end of the year. A vote from ISO could come sometime in 2007, as an approval by ECMA would put the format on a "fast track" process.

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By zridling

edited Oct 17, 2006 - 4:20 AM

"...Users wishing to add the functionality will not find it included within Office 2007; rather, they will have to download it from the Office Web site."

Ironically, the decision not to include ODF support inside of 2007 is the same stubborness that has brought great legal woe and financial sorrow upon Microsoft over the past ten years. No matter if ISO certifies Open XML, ODF is the first universal standard, and will stay that way for decades. The sooner Microsoft decides to fully convert Open XML to ODF and vice versa, the less pain they will experience. Mark my words.

Score: 0

By twosheds

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 2:29 PM

On another post, someone outlined the procedure you have to go through to use this plug-in; it had so many stages and pop-up windows, I can't see it appealing to many. And once saved, can it be associated with Word so that Word opens it with a double-click? If not, this is a very obscure deployment of ODF in Office, and in any practical sense unworkable.

Score: 0

By GBH

posted Oct 16, 2006 - 2:32 AM

"can it be associated with Word so that Word opens it with a double-click?"

That would be file associations as handled by windows.

the answer is yes.

Score: 0

By Floodland

posted Oct 13, 2006 - 9:27 PM

I'm glad to read this! One good new feature for Office 2007!

Score: 0

By Desides

posted Oct 13, 2006 - 10:26 PM

One that you have to download, thus limiting the format's acceptance while allowing Microsoft to claim they support it.

Score: 0

By Floodland

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 2:29 AM

You are right, but having to download a plugin still is much better that give no support at all. I think we can't expect from Microsoft to do everything right, but this time they did something good.
It is also a sign that OpenOffice is growing, which is also pretty good.
Almost every Betanews regular reader know that I don't like Microsoft (at all), but a good action/decision deserve to be recognized.

Score: 0

By smarterthanyou

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 3:50 AM

Why can't everyone just use Microsoft's Open XML format? That would be a lot easier than taking extra time to go to a website to download a plugin.

Score: 0

By Desides

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 6:35 AM

Because there's a greater chance that, many years from now, Microsoft formats will not be around, while open formats will either be around or will be able to be converted into whatever format is popular at the time.

An example of where this might be necessary: government record-keeping.

Score: 0

By flake

edited Oct 16, 2006 - 2:55 PM

Except that the MS OpenXML formats are on track to be an ISO standard. Even now they are in ECMA and the full specs can be freely downloade--for free--by anyone. In addition, just like SUN's patented ODF format, MS has filed a promise not to sue for anyone implementing the standard in any software.

I've been screaming these facts into the wind for months now and why people keep spreading this FUD about the MS format is beyond me! :/

Score: 0

By smarterthanyou

posted Oct 16, 2006 - 5:22 AM

Microsoft says their Open XML format is an open format. This means that Open XML could likely find its way into OpenOffice like other MS formats have. It also means that OpenOffice documents could easily be converted to the Open XML format. If Open XML makes its way into OpenOffice like all of the other Microsoft formats have then you can use OpenOffice to convert documents to Open XML if Microsoft were to suddenly disappear several years from now.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 12:12 AM

Think about it. People that encounter the situation where they need to open an ODF file, should be smart enough to install a plugin.

Score: 0

By Desides

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 1:57 AM

I'm sure they will be, but that isn't the point.

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 9:40 AM

So you would prefer that they include it natively so that someone can sue them for antitrust violation and be forced to remove it, right?

Score: 0

By Desides

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 6:26 PM

Including ODF support is an anti-trust violation? On what grouds?

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 11:55 PM

I didn't say I believed it or agreed, I implied it would be bound to happen... although less for ODF as it would be for PDF.

The point is people complain for sake of complaining about something... shut up and be glad it will be available.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 16, 2006 - 9:42 PM

*STANDING OVATION*

Thank you. You hit the nail on the head.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 12:11 PM

Name one case where they have been sued for being *compatible*.

Lets see it.

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Oct 14, 2006 - 11:56 PM

Adobe, PDF... no lawsuit filed, but only because MS decided to make it a download instead.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Oct 16, 2006 - 6:59 AM

again,

"Name one case where they have been sued for being *compatible*.

Lets see it."

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 16, 2006 - 9:44 PM

They would have been sued with 100% certainty if they didn't remove it. Do you honestly disagree?

Score: 0

By flake

posted Oct 16, 2006 - 2:54 PM

Did you read about the the "save to PDF" feature in Office 12 and why it was removed?

Score: 0

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