Sun Releases ODF Plugin for MS Office 166
extra88 writes "Heise online is reporting that Sun has released their OpenDocument Format (ODF) plug-in for Microsoft Office 2000, XP and 2003. The plug-in allows Microsoft Office (for Windows) users to open ODF files and save their work in ODF formats used by OpenOffice, StarOffice, and other programs. According to the ReadMe, the plug-in adds "ODF Text Document (*.odt)" as a format to Word's Open and Save dialogs and adds Import and Export options to Excel and PowerPoint."
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:1, Informative)
And this is a good thing because often going from OOo to Word I lose formatting and every now and then the whole document gets scrambled.
Friendler package than the (Score:4, Informative)
ODF Converter [sourceforge.net] plugin sets, which are separate downloads for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Just one package from a big, albeit Sun not a too popular name for most users, and no big ugly "Open ODF", "Save ODF" menu entries in Word. For some reason Excel & PowerPoint don't receive as nice integration: it gets an "Import ODF Spreadsheet" menu and new "Import ODF" & "Export ODF" toolbar.
I already have .net 2 installed so not sure if its an additional requirement like the converter suite, there is however no need to install the Microsoft Office Open XML File Format converter pack.
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:3, Informative)
Re:2007? (Score:5, Informative)
The forth item in the list of contributors is thought-provoking.
Re:The Way It Should Be (Score:4, Informative)
I can get my work done without being interrogated if I own the product. I can download updates without downloading ancillary spyware. I don't have to worry if upgrades to my hardware will mean that I am unable to work due to licensing issues. Coming from someone whose efficiency not only translates into money but also increase in leisure time, I cannot image ever using MS products a my primary mission-critical tools.
Re:MOD DOWN (-1 Offtopic) (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:3, Informative)
I get as far as editing bounding boxes with postscript. I think I've changed a few symbols as well.
Does this work like a sig? http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
PDF export function not available yet, apparently (Score:2, Informative)
Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office
This file contains important information about the plugin. Please read this information very carefully before you begin.
This software offered by Sun Microsystems will enhance several versions of Microsoft Office (see System Requirements). The following features will be added:
In Microsoft Word, you can open and save text documents in the OpenDocument format.
In Microsoft Excel, you can import and export spreadsheets in the OpenDocument format.
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can import and export presentations in the OpenDocument format.
You find more information about installation and usage of the plugin in the following paragraphs of this readme file.
For information about the OASIS OpenDocument Format (ODF), see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument [wikipedia.org]
Notes on Installation
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows 98, ME, 2000 (Service Pack 2 or higher), or XP
Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003, or the equivalent standalone version of Word
Pentium compatible PC
256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM recommended)
45 MB available hard disk space
Installing
Installing Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office has no known side effect on an installed version of StarOffice or OpenOffice.org.
You need administrator rights for the installation. The plugin is available to all users on the machine where you install the plugin.
Close all other programs before starting the installation.
Change to the folder with the installation files.
Execute the Setup.exe file, or double-click the *.msi file.
Follow the instructions in the Setup dialog.
Uninstalling
Use the Control Panel to uninstall Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office. Click "Start - Settings - Control Panel", then click "Add or Remove Software". Select "Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office" and click the button to remove the software.
Note: Your documents in ODF format are not affected by uninstalling the plugin. You can install a software like StarOffice or OpenOffice.org to load your ODF files and save them in other formats.
Using the Plugin
Start Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
In Word, the ODF format is available as an additional filter in the file dialog.
An additional toolbar in Excel and PowerPoint shows the icons "Import ODF" and "Export ODF".
Additional menu commands in the File menu are available. The commands are explained in the following sections.
To open an OpenDocument file
In Word, choose File - Open. In the dialog, select the file format "ODF Text Document (*.odt)", then select any file with the extension *.odt.
In Excel, choose File - Import ODF Spreadsheet. In the dialog, select any file with the extension *.ods.
In PowerPoint, choose File - Import ODF Presentation. In the dialog, select any file with the extension *.odp.
To save or export an OpenDocument file
In Word, choose File - Save or File - Save As. In the dialog, select the file format "ODF Text Document (*.odt)", then enter a name for the file.
In Excel, choose File - Export ODF Spreadsheet. In the dialog, enter a name for the file.
In PowerPoint, choose File - Export ODF Presentation. In the dialog, enter a name for the file.
Note: "Saving" versus "exporting": In Word, you can save the current document directly in the OpenDocument format. In Excel and PowerPoint, you can only export to ODF. When you save to ODF, from that moment on you are working on the ODF document. When you export to ODF, a snapshot of the current document is written to an ODF file, but you still work on the same document that you once opened.
To always use the OpenDocument format in Word
If you want to save your text documents always in the OpenDocument format, unless you specify another format,
in Word, choose Tools -