[Openstandaarden] Advantages of the StarOffice/OpenOffice.org open XML file format

[Mattias Campe]

Uit de OOo-announce mailinglijst, een opsomming van de voordelen om te 
kiezen voor het StarOffice/OOo open XML bestandsformaat. Deze lijst kan 
wellicht ooit nog eens van pas komen.

* open

   - 500-page specification document available at
     http://xml.openoffice.org

   - no undocumented proprietary elements (no lock-in)

   - basis for OASIS Open Office XML Format standardization effort

   - leverages established standards like Dublin Core, XSL-FO, XLink,
     SVG and HTML

   - file format allows to add features to the productivity applications
     without having to break the file format compatibility


* universal, multi-purpose file format

   - XML file format is default file format
     (users don't have to choose to save to XML)

   - all applications use the same XML file format
     (word processor, spreadsheet AND presentation)

   - files include the full document information
     (content, meta data, macros AND formatting information)

   - not limited for usage with specific business applications


* small file size

   - ZIP compression
     (native support for ZIP format in tools like Perl, Ant and most
     operating systems, e.g. Windows XP, Linux, Solaris)

   - images included as native files instead of Base64 encoded ASCII data


* separation of content/data and formatting information

   - separate XML files for content, meta data, styles and macros
     in XML file

   - content file includes assigned style names but no style details


* full XML support in all "editions"

   - same XML file format for free OpenOffice.org office suite
     and commercial StarOffice product

   - platform independent XML file format (Windows, Linux, Solaris)


* XSLT based XML filter tool for standards based interoperability

   - allows import and export of 3rd party file formats using
     XSL transformations (e.g. Office 2003 XML file formats)

* 3rd party support

   - future versions of KOffice will use the OASIS XML file format
     as the default file format

   - the cross-industry OASIS technical committee members are
     defining the future of the OASIS XML file format
     (not just one single vendor)