ODT or DOCX?

[laxmanb]

If you had a office suite that could save in both OpenDocument and OpenXML formats equally well, which one would you want to be the default?

I'd go for OXML as it'd make interoperability easier.

[tamoneya]

ODT all the way. I have worked with the OOXML plugin in Open Office so i can save as ODT, DOC, DOCX. Out of the three I choose to save ODT. Can we make this a poll

[Buffalo Soldier]

ODT all the way :D

Even our (Malaysia) government is making this push now.

http://www.oscc.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=189&Itemid=128

[FuturePilot]

ODT. If we keep using MS formats we won't get anywhere.

[piousp]

There is just no reason to use OXML. Interoperability easier? I dont think so. OXML violates other ISO standars. Sure, lets have a second standard for making one thing that we already HAVE a standard for. And lets make it imcopatible with other standards too, just for the fun of it! And finally, lets make sure that NO ONE have implemment it (yet).

As you can see, ODT IS TH WAY.

Also, check this site out (http://www.noooxml.org/)

[tamoneya]

There is just no reason to use OXML. Interoperability easier? I dont think so. OXML violates other ISO standars. Sure, lets have a second standard for making one thing that we already HAVE a standard for. And lets make it imcopatible with other standards too, just for the fun of it! And finally, lets make sure that NO ONE have implemment it (yet).

As you can see, ODT IS TH WAY.

I definately agree. Just so that everybody else knows, Office 2007 doesnt even correctly implement OOXML so technically you cant save anything as OOXML even if you tried.

[piousp]

Also, taken from noooxml:


1. There is already a standard ISO26300 named Open Document Format (ODF): a dual standard adds costs, uncertainty and confusion to industry, government and citizens;
2. There is no provable implementation of the OOXML specification: Microsoft Office 2007 produces a special version of OOXML, not a file format which complies with the OOXML specification;
3. There is information missing from the specification document, for example how to do a autoSpaceLikeWord95 or useWord97LineBreakRules;
4. More than 10% of the examples mentioned in the proposed standard do not validate as XML;
5. There is no guarantee that anybody can write software that fully or partially implements the OOXML specification without being liable to patent lawsuits or patent license fees by Microsoft;
6. This format conflicts with existing ISO standards, such as ISO 8601 (Representation of dates and times), ISO 639 (Codes for the Representation of Names and Languages) or ISO/IEC 10118-3 (cryptographic hash);
7. There is a bug in the spreadsheet file format which forbids any date before the year 1900: such bugs affect the OOXML specification as well as software applications like Microsoft Excel 2000, XP, 2003 and 2007.
8. This standard proposal was not created by bringing together the experience and expertise of all interested parties (such as the producers, sellers, buyers, users and regulators), but by Microsoft alone.

Back to original post:

Even if you could have an Office Suite that could write a 100% perfect OOXML, why would you do that anyways? I mean, OOXML is just plain broken as an standard.

[akiratheoni]

The fact that OOXML references to some proprietary software in the first place makes me wonder why it was approved in the first place. ODT all the way.

[-grubby]

I sense a strong bias in the non-Microsoft format...

[sujoy]

i use ODT for all my personal documents and for work i use doc. No OOXML for me.

[akiratheoni]

I sense a strong bias in the non-Microsoft format...

Really? I didn't notice. After all, this is the Ubuntu forums... I don't think there would be a bias in a forum like this.

[LaRoza]

I sense a strong bias in the non-Microsoft format...

You learned well young Skywalker...

The Force will be with you...always.

[reyfer]

If you had a office suite that could save in both OpenDocument and OpenXML formats equally well, which one would you want to be the default?

I'd go for OXML as it'd make interoperability easier.

You know that OpenOffice, that uses ODF, can also be used in Windows, Mac and SOLARIS?.....interoperability!!!!

[gsmanners]

Even Microsoft cannot implement OOXML. It is utterly pointless, and only a complete failure of an PHB would even suggest using it.

[SupaSonic]

Well the poll says it all

[insane_alien]

all my internal documents are .odt.

if i need interoperability with someone who can't open .odt(number are small for this) then i will export to pdf for them.

[ad_267]

At home I only use odt. At university most of the computers have Office 2007 but some have SunOffice so I use that if I can however I usually end up having to save a copy as .doc if I want to work on something which is really annoying. If I have to submit an electronic copy of something I submit a pdf.

Why did Microsoft have to have their own file format when there is already ODT? They obviously just want to lock people into using their products and have absolutely no intention of supporting open formats.

[Arathorn]

I have OpenOffice.org Portable (http://portableapps.com/news/2008-04-15_-_openoffice.org_portable_2.4) on my USB drive for use at the university, so for myself I use .odf. When I need to share something with someone else I export to PDF or save to .doc. Why would I send it in a format even few people with Microsoft products (earlier MS Office versions) can open?

[Znort_Ubern00b]

Well its ODT for me too...

AS has been said at the moment even MS Office 2007 is incompatible with OOXML.

My main reasons are:
1 the difference in file size when saving .docx and .odt. nearly 100kb difference for a small document
2 the fact that .docx contains a binary file within its formatting and is unable to be sent to or from my works email address as it gets quarantined due to possibility of a virus being contained within it...WOW another way for MS products to infect systems...

[ad_267]

I have OpenOffice.org Portable (http://portableapps.com/news/2008-04-15_-_openoffice.org_portable_2.4) on my USB drive for use at the university, so for myself I use .odf. When I need to share something with someone else I export to PDF or save to .doc. Why would I send it in a format even few people with Microsoft products (earlier MS Office versions) can open?

Thanks I didn't know about that. I'll be using that from now on.

[kirios]

Maybe we should ask the Gnome Foundation.

[ad_267]

Maybe we should ask the Gnome Foundation.

They said this:
http://www.gnome.org/press/releases/ecma-tc45-statement.html


The GNOME Foundation is a member of the ODF Alliance, and along with our contributors in the GNOME community, we are passionate supporters of open standards in general. We believe that ODF delivers the best opportunity for industry and government to collaborate on an open document standard, to drive unprecedented innovation, productivity and public transparency.


While Microsoft should be applauded for releasing information about the Office document formats, their manoeuvres around the standards process demonstrate that they are not pursuing standardisation as a platform for innovation for the entire industry. Indeed, Microsoft continues to behave in the abusive manner of an unreformed, convicted monopolist with no passion for true industry collaboration in the interests of users.

[kirios]

They said this:
http://www.gnome.org/press/releases/ecma-tc45-statement.html
And someone else said this:
http://dot.kde.org/1194021253 (http://dot.kde.org/1194021253)

If OfficeOpen XML becomes an ISO standard, we will, in all likely hood, still not spend time on supporting it.
Another link:
http://www.linux.com/feature/123597 (http://www.linux.com/feature/123597)

[aaaantoine]

(Speaking only for Writer...)

I save my personal stuff in ODT, as that is the most compatible with OpenOffice.

I save my distributable stuff either in DOC or in PDF, depending on the preference of the recipient. Considering PDF is an open format, I can expect its contents not to get warped in the conversion. But if something needs to be edited, I save it in doc, and then verify with a VM copy of Word that the document appears the way I intended.

Never DOCX. I don't want to encourage the adoption of such a gray standard.

Though, with the help of OpenOffice.org and a plugin I found, I was able to convert a document from DOCX to DOC. That was neat.

If Microsoft Word ever supports ODT out of the box (does it?), I'll start distributing ODT files to help encourage their use.

[eboyer93]

Microsoft Office 2007 now lets you save to ODF formats with Service Pack 2 installed.

I think this a smart thing for Microsoft to do. Hopefully Microsoft will support it in all future Office applications.

[eboyer93]

I would like to change my mind, I think Microsoft should adopt ODF because it is good standard and at least now you can save to the ODF formats with Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2.

[eboyer93]

When I open a docx file saved with office 2007 and then open it with OpenOffice.org 3 it doesn't look right. Why is that if it is a standard?

Also I find it funny that docx files are over twice the size of odt files.

[Wiebelhaus]

You did not provide a "Neither" Option , I'll only use ODF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ODF) , period.

[eboyer93]

From now on I will only use one Microsoft Office Open XML format and that is the one for presentations because odp does not support Microsoft's new word art that I like. Also any other Microsoft format for the other Office applications other than word, and excel.

Also Sun has a plug in for earlier versions of Microsoft Office to read and write ODF formats.

[Mr. Picklesworth]

word art

!!!!!!
Hab SoSlI' Quch!

(I've given up on English in advance of the inevitable person saying "could care less," because it happens with every thread like this).

[CJ Master]

!!!!!!
Hab SoSlI' Quch!

(I've given up on English in advance of the inevitable person saying "could care less," because it happens with every thread like this).

Klingon.

...I'm such a big nerd for recognising that...

[Corelogik]

Klingon.

...I'm such a big nerd for recognising that...

That makes two of us.

[gn2]

In the intervening year between post 24 and 25 I doubt the general concensus of opinion of UF members will have changed much.

[lisati]

Suggestion: as far as is possible, a .TXT file, plain ASCII, with little or no concern about various UTF coding schemes. But then again, some bright spark might step in and want EBCDIC or BCL.

[hessiess]

Personally I use LaTeX for formatting all of my written work, but if i *HAD* to use some visual too for whatever reason I would definatly use ODT.