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OpenDocument evolved from the XML specification for the OpenOffice.org office suite, a forerunner to LibreOffice. The OpenOffice developers wanted a free and open office format that could compete with Microsoft’s file formats. Since then, OpenDocument has become popular throughout the world as a free alternative for storing and transmitting document data.
Legal issues, and competition from other tools, eventually caused Microsoft to bring more openness to their once-hidden formats. The Microsoft Office Open XML format (OOXML or MOX) is open enough to see and write programs with, but Microsoft continues to maintain some control over the standard.
OpenDocument, on the other hand, is independent of LibreOffice or any other software project. The open standard process means that OpenDocument is now supported by dozens of other office tools in addition to LibreOffice.
What Is It?
A document format describes the structure for data saved in a document file. The data inside a modern office doc consists of much more than letters and numbers. The document must store information on fonts, character tags, paragraph tags, and pagination, as well as headers and footers, footnotes, tables of contents, and revision tracking. The format also records information on document encryption, digital signatures, and macros. In addition, the format must be resilient, because each file will be read and edited multiple times by different applications, including applications that were not involved in creating it. At the end of the process, the file must preserve its integrity and characteristics, and – most importantly – guarantee that contents are preserved independently from the application.
OpenDocument is not a single format but a collection of formats for the various file types needed in an office productivity suite. See Table 1 for a list of OpenDocument file types and file extensions.
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