Open Document Format Turns 20
' The Open Document Format reached its 20th anniversary on May 1, marking two decades since OASIS approved the XML-based standard originally developed by Sun Microsystems from StarOffice code. Even as the format has seen adoption by several governments including the UK, India, and Brazil, plus organizations like NATO, Microsoft Office's proprietary formats remain the de facto standard. Microsoft countered ODF by developing Office Open XML, eventually getting it standardized through Ecma International. "ODF is much more than a technical specification: it is a symbol of freedom of choice, support for interoperability and protection of users from the commercial strategies of Big Tech," said Eliane Domingos, Chair of the Document Foundation, which oversees LibreOffice -- a fork created after Oracle acquired Sun.' -- source: https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/05/06/0050212 Cheers, Peter
On Wed, 7 May 2025 09:31:34 +1200, Peter Reutemann quoted:
' ... Microsoft Office's proprietary formats remain the de facto standard.'
Ah, but which *version* of Microsoft Office’s proprietary formats are the actual “de facto standard”? Consider that the spec, ISO 29500, contains both “transitional” and “strict” options. Here we are, about 20 years later, and hardly anyone uses the “strict” version, for fear of breaking compatibility with Microsoft Office. <https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000400.shtml> By comparison, ODF (ISO 26300) is a model of simplicity and clarity. And much easier to maintain compatibility with.
participants (2)
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro -
Peter Reutemann