OASIS

calhawk · Newbie Joined: 07 Sep 2005 Posts: 3

I am excited by the opportunities for interoperability provided by the new ODT format, but I'm wondering if I'm missing something. I downloaded the most recent Windows beta of OOo and opened up a DOC file with embedded images, numbered lists and page numbers. That opened fine in OOo, and I proceeded to save it as ODT. I closed and reopened that file just to check it, and it looked fine.

All good, but here comes the disappointing part. I rebooted into Linux (KDE 3.4) and started up KWord, which supposedly also supports the ODT format. I tried to open the file and it was completely screwed up. The images were gone, the margins were totally different, the text was misaligned and the page numbers were gone. It wasn't even close to the original.

I guess my question is: did I do something wrong? My initial hope was that the file would translate flawlessly, since both programs are supposedly using the same open standard. What gives?

Kaaredyret · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:25 am Post subject:

An open file format is only about making data available in an open data format; OpenOffice and KWord are not the same, not at all. They are two different word processors that works entirely different.. same fuel, different engines.

Whatever platform, whatever software you use, I would never recommend anything else than to stick to same version of the software and the same version of the file format.

If I were you I would install OpenOffice.org 2.0 when it is ready. I just is a better suite than KOffice, an open file format doesnt save us from bad programs or bad import filters or incompatibilities between programs.

The programmers of KWord have all the knowledge to make KWord file compatible with OpenOffice, write them an e-mail and ask them to do a better job. Smile

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AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:26 am Post subject:

Which version of KOffice? OpenDocument support first came up in 1.4.0 and was improved in 1.4.1. It's possible there are some bugs in the implementation. If you are using the latest KOffice, then you should file a bug report at http://bugs.kde.org.

AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:30 am Post subject:

calhawk · Newbie Joined: 07 Sep 2005 Posts: 3

Thanks for the many interesting comments.

fedetxf · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:00 am Post subject: KOffice

Just in case this is not as clear as it can be, let me explain why KOffice did not show the document well.

When you read the ODT file, as it is a standard you know how it is formatted and what to expect, but you may not support showing/editing/representing some of the data inside in your application.

I am not familiar with KOffice, but suppose KOffice did not support embeding images inside documents, when they open an ODT containing them they must drop the image or tell the user they can't represent the document because some features are not implemented in KOffice.

But as the ODT is open, as soon as they implement embeded images, they can have that even when the ODT came from a different application.

There's a separation between the information represented in the ODT and the information supported by the application.

Kaaredyret · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:38 am Post subject:

AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:59 am Post subject: