odt -> zip -> odt

oren222 · General User Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 5

Hi all,

I am trying to create an odt file manually (not with open office). I tried the following:

1. I created an original odt file (test.odt) in openoffice (so I will have a "template").
2. Then I took this file and rename it as a zip file (test.zip).
3. I uncompressed the zip file to a folder.
4. I made a minor change to the content.xml
5. I zipped it (using winzip 10)
6. Renamed it back to test.odt

Unfortunately, I was unable to open the new test.odt file I got. It didn't work even if I skipped step 4 (meaning I didn't change anything in the file).
Could someone please help me to understand what do I do wrong?
I think somehow when I zip it with the winzip it uses different compression than the openoffice uses and that's why it doesn't recognize the file.

thanx for you help,
Oren

Sirmatto · General User Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 35

I'm pretty sure WinZip 10 uses a new, convoluted compression algorithm by default. See if there's a way to use the original zip algorithm when you compress it. But WinZip isn't that great to begin with. I'd recommend either WinRAR or 7-Zip (my personal favorite AND open source).

Kaaredyret · Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 6:47 am Post subject:

I think WinZip 10 introduced a new ZIP algorithm that is not totally compatible with old zip formats. Try using some other program, or look in WinZips options if there is a classic mode, compatibility mode, whatever.
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9point9 · Moderator Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 3875 Location: UK

Winzip does use it's own Winzip 10 format sometimes. You can get it to do a proper ZIP file too, you just have to set the compression method before hand. I'd agree with others on using 7-zip. So far I haven't found anything that can ZIP smaller than it.

Winzip 10's new format often gives a smaller file size but is not as good as the 7z format that 7-zip supports.

In my experience, it is best when extracting, modifying and compressing OpenDocument files to script it. Manually doing it takes so much longer. How you can script it does depend upon your OS and what compression programs you are using. A command line version of 7-zip, p7zip is available.
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Angel Blue01 · Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 10:02 am Post subject:

WinZip 10 does have its own format but its not selected by default if you use the add file command.
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oren222 · General User Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 5

Thanks for your help guys.
Actually my problem was that I compressed the whole folder and not only the content of it so the path was wrong.
I was trying to do it from my MFC project. So I looked for classes that I can use to zip files.
The classes I found keep the whole path in the zip file so let's say I did the following:
1. I created test.odt file with OpenOffice.
2. I renamed it to test.zip and uncompressed it to c:\test\
3. I zip it again with a zip class I got from Codeproject.com

The result is a zip file that contains the files in test folder in the zip file. Somehow it keeps the full path. I need of course the files that in the folder test to be in the zip. Does anyone have experience with a zip class and can help me with that?

Thanks in advance,
Oren

g10 · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:35 pm Post subject: odt => zip => odt

I'm also having trouble re-zipping.

I create a simple "Hello world" file.
Unzip it. Make NO change. Re-zip (with 7-Zip).
When attempting to open, Writer asks for character encoding.
Most answers I supply produce seemingly random characters, blank pages, or cause a crash.

Questions:
Why would it even be asking, isn't the encoding carried somewhere in the pakage?
What is the default decoding?

9point9 · Moderator Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 3875 Location: UK

You wouldn't seem to have a standard ZIP file if it's doing that. Make sure it is a ZIP file, not 7z.
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hol.sten · Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:13 pm Post subject: Re: odt => zip => odt

dagwieers

You have to make sure when creating your ZIP file, that the mimetype file is the very first file of your archive (and that it is added uncompressed, which would be ok since it's too small to be compressed anyway).

On Linux you can verify that you did it correctly, by using the file command on your newly created ZIP file.

oshliaer · Newbie Joined: 09 Mar 2012 Posts: 1

http://www.jejik.com/articles/2010/03/how_to_correctly_create_odf_documents_using_zip/