Note:The information provided on this page is related to the OpenOffice.org XML file format used by OpenOffice.org 1.0 only. Please visit the OASIS OpenDocument Technical Committee web pages for information regarding the OASIS OpenDocument file format used by OpenOffice.org 2.0.
Our mission is to create an open and ubiquitous XML-based file format for office documents and to provide an open reference implementation for this format.
XML file formats allow users to regain ownership to his/her own data, by allowing access and manipulation of office documents by arbitrary tools which support the file format. To make such capability ubiquitous, we believe it is necessary to standardize file formats. Thus, we have contributed the OpenOffice.org XML File Format to OASIS. The further development of the format now takes place in the OASIS OpenDocument Technical Committee.
The definition of the XML File Format has been developed through OpenOffice.org. The resulting reference material, such as the specification and DTD may be downloaded here:
OpenOffice.org XML File Format Specification | ||
Document | Summary | Format |
---|---|---|
XML File Format Specification | This documents defines the XML file format used OpenOffice.org. It serves as reference for the format. | PDF, ca. 1.5MB |
XML File Format DTD | The document type definition provides a handy reference against which all OpenOffice.org XML files can be validated against. | text, ca. 200KB |
Some supplementary information and resources on the OpenOffice.org XML File Format are available as well:
General Information on the Format | ||
Document | Summary | Format |
---|---|---|
xmloff FAQ | The FAQ list some frequently asked question, together with answers from the xmloff development team. | HTML |
XML Advantages | This page explains our motivation for using an XML based file format. It lists advantages of our new file format, and discusses how these will benefit different groups of users. | HTML |
Package Format Rationale | This document explains the rationale behind the ZIP-based package format. The decision was made after an elaborate discussion on the XML dev mailing list, whose archive can be consulted for additional detail. | HTML |
XML-based filters | Filters and transformations making use of the OpenDocument or OpenOffice.org XML File Formats. |
HTML |
Uses and Applications | Information on how to make use of the OASIS OpenDocument and OpenOffice.org XML File Format outside of the OpenOffice.org application. |
HTML |
Resources | Books, articles, reports and research documents covering the OpenDocument and OpenOffice.org XML file formats. |
HTML |