OpenDoc in Microsoft Office a Reality

[Aloone_Jonez]

The OpenDocument Foundation has developed a plug-in for Microsoft Office that would provide transparent compatibility with ODF, allowing users to open and save like any other office document.

The group has apparently been working on the plug-in for quite some time, however only publicly acknowledged it after the state of Massachusetts put out a request on Wednesday.

The request asked for information on a plug-in that would "allow Microsoft Office to easily open, render, and save to ODF files, and also allow translation of documents between Microsoft's binary (.doc, .xls, .ppt) or XML formats and ODF."

According to the OpenDocument Foundation, the plug-in would work for any version of Office from Office 97. Testing of the plugin has been completed by the group and no issues have arisen.

The group is now in the process of submitting the plug-in to the state through the proper channels, it told Groklaw in an interview Thursday.

While some may find the organization's moves as somewhat contradictory to its stated premise, OpenDocument Foundation's Gary Edwards does not.

This isn't about Windows, Edwards told Groklaw. "It's about people, business units, existing workflows and business processes, and vested legacy information systems begging to be connected, coordinated, and re-engineered to reach new levels of productivity and service."

"It's also about the extraordinary value of ODF and it's importance to the next generation of collaborative computing," he continued.

It is not clear if the group plans to make the plug-in publicly available.

http://www.betanews.com/article/OpenDoc_in_Microsoft_Office_a_Reality/1146845623

This is good news as far as I'm concerned, anything that loosens peoples dependance on MS Office formats has to be good.

[inane]

It's an AWESOME step!!!

[Pathos]

The only way open office has a chance is if the format is accepted by commercial enterprises. If this plugin means that MS office and open office can be run simultaneously with no problems with no loss through format changes then businesses may start leaning towards the free option.

[Refalm]

Too bad they haven't released this yet. I'm hoping to test this on Office 2003 (gotta love VMWare).

[H_TeXMeX_H]

As always they do things only when they are forced to and at the very last minute.

[mobrien_12]

As always they do things only when they are forced to and at the very last minute.

Who is "they?"  

MS has nothing to do with this and is still fighting to lock people into their proprietary format.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Ohhh ... oops I thought M$ came up with the plug-in ... well M$ should have made themselves compatible not the OpenDocument Foundation making M$'s software compatible for them. That sounds kinda strange though why would the OpenDocument Foundation make a plug-in for an M$ product ? Isn't that M$'s job ... won't M$ complain ?

[mobrien_12]

Ohhh ... oops I thought M$ came up with the plug-in ... well M$ should have made themselves compatible not the OpenDocument Foundation making M$'s software compatible for them. That sounds kinda strange though why would the OpenDocument Foundation make a plug-in for an M$ product ? Isn't that M$'s job ... won't M$ complain ?

Yeah, it is the job of Microsoft to supply the compatability their customers are asking for.  

I think OD Foundation did this for three reasons.  

One... MS has been trying very very hard to paint ODF as an OpenOffice-only thing. If you have been following the Massachussets mess, you will see them make blatent statements about this.  

MS doesn't want to talk about ODF vs their proprietary format.  They would rather talk about MS Office vs. OpenOffice.  It's not a real argument.  They could put ODF capability in their office suite very easily.  They just won't.  

By making this plugin, ODF has absolute proof that this "argument" is complete and utter bull.  "What do you mean ODF is only for OpenOffice?  Its an open specification that anybody can use.  It even works for MS Office97 or later with our plugin!"

Two... it will make it easier for people to transition their files to ODF.  

Three... it gives MS the finger.

MS can't complain.  They put VBA capability in their Office programs solely for the purpose of letting people develop plugins and macros and extensions in general, and placed no restrictions on them.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Well that's good then, I only hope that people will actually realize that the OD format is different from the M$ formats and that M$ is not the one who came up with it, and why the ODF came up with it. I personally think, this is hoping for too much.