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."
Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Funny)
--
Solar power that is easy to use: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Insightful)
It means that we won't have to pander to Word users any more, because they can be on an equal footing when it comes to document format support. This is much more important than getting rid of Word entirely.
Anyway, I'd rather have a third party implement the ODF support for office. I don't trust MS to go against their embrace and extend instinct, and I'd rather have Office support ODF, rather than ODF plus some closed extensions and minus some slightly esoteric, but standard, features.
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Funny)
--
Solar power with no installation fee: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Interesting)
LaTeX is great if you accept one of the nice provided layouts (LaTeX calls them "document styles": article, book, letter, etc), and focus only on the content. Or, if you want to tweak these layout just a bit, or make even your own.
Maybe TeX can be useful if you want to make your own layout that has nothing to do with the LaTeX style, but I never had the guts to try to learn pure TeX. (LaTeX is easier than HTML).
Once I was making a Perl script to create sokoban sheets using LaTeX, and my friend told me it would be easier in Postscrip. I was skeptic at first, but let him show how Postscript works, and I was very pleased with it.
Re: (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-users -selling-solar.html [blogspot.com]
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You should choose the system that fits your needs the best, and that you can w
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
--
Solar power for cheapskates like me: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
--
Solar power with all new components: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Microsoft wants to sue over 'interoperability' with windows environments, just as their sales decline. One financial report indicates M$ inflated sales figures for last year, by selling off assets. The i
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
It means that we won't have to pander to Word users any more, because they can be on an equal footing when it comes to document format support. This is much more important than getting rid of Word entirely.
Sure, and now I have a fine response to anybody who sends me a doc file: Go here [sun.com], download that [sun.com], install, resave and resend. Thankyou.
Sun: if you are interested in distributing this plugin as widely as possible you will fix your web site silliness and just provide a simple url to the install file, you can save the license dance for install time.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
--jeffk++
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:MOD DOWN (-1 Offtopic) (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Fixed that for you...
Re:Doing MS's job for them (Score:5, Funny)
The Way It Should Be (Score:2, Insightful)
Rather than complain about MS alternative to open docs, respond with a plug in that will allow MS users to choose.
This is the way to do it.
I'm sorry, OpenOffice guys, but compared to MS Office, your product is so 1995.
What the OSS groups need to do is embrace and extend and borgify MS until all the MS tools are extensions of the movement.
Re:The Way It Should Be (Score:5, Insightful)
Aside sharepoint extensions, the insidious smart tag, terrible GUI changes and the removal of Mr. Paperclip, how has the core of MS Office changed since Office 97?
What the OSS groups need to do is embrace and extend and borgify MS until all the MS tools are extensions of the movement.Why the need? Adding tools that enable interoperability makes sense, so Sun did this one right. Extending Office? Why sell more product for MS, and why develop for MS when they'll take my extension, reimplement it as a new feature in the next version and put me out of business? I think you misunderstand OpenOffice: it's not about competing with Office on features. It's about getting things done.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
The core? That would require adding real value to a system. Microsoft's strategy has always been to rearrange some menu items and add unwanted useless features like Word's "reading view" and call it an "Upgrade".
And I think things will eventually come full circle. Office 2012, the return of Clippy (and this time...it's personal).
Re: (Score:2)
Well, to be honest, watching Microsoft squirm a little doesn't hurt either.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's a tabbed toolbar with the glassy look applied. It is predated by Corel's adaptive toolbars (Better idea anyway, one strip stays the same the other changes based on context - not sure if it was in WP Office, but the Draw products use it) and is a tremendous waste on 1280x800 laptop screens as it takes nearly 1/4th of the screen for GUI chrome. Most users at our company
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
When did 1995 (Score:2)
You misunderstand (Score:2)
Parent poster meant we should extend the functionality of Office so that it is capable of interoperating with OSS, in the way that Sun did with its tool. If MS puts out a product, we should predicate any proprietary functionality w
Re:The Way It Should Be (Score:4, Insightful)
Then, for Office 2003, they got even more daring, and changed it to grey ! Ooooh! So retro and cool! Now for Office 2007, they've changed the menus to tabs, and made the interface blue! (Which, by now, is more retro than grey!)
Hmmmmmm. My sarcasm detector seems to be broken. I don't know how that could have happened.....
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I can't wait for 5 years from now, when OpenOffice is "so 2000". After all, that's what my office is set on (and fixed to, thanks to some legacy apps).
Just starting to take off? (Score:2)
MSWord was already the market leader in 1995. WordPerfect corporation had already given up on WordPerfect, selling it to Novell in 1994 who turned around and sold it to Corel about a year and a half later.
Some of us had already been doing GUI-based word processing for a decade by that time.
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: (Score:3, Insightful)
Besides which, the GP's comment about "so '95" is pretty funny, considering h
Re: (Score:2)
It installs like Acrobat in that it appears as a printer that you simply print to to create your PDF files. This lets you make PDFs of anything you can print.
I haven't encountered anything it doesn't do a decent job with.
Unlike Acrobat, you can't edit/merge your PDFs, but since it's free and makes PDF files, it's already doing a lot.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Funny you should say that, thats what I was saying.
The sound of jets whizzing over your head must really bug you.
Re: (Score:2)
You're still driving a '62 Plymouth Valiant, complete with sagging headliner, right?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, I ride a 1994 Moto Guzzi SPIII. The engine is a basic upgrade of their original pushrod twin from the late sixties, but it works. It puts out 70hp on the crankshaft, has enough power to smoothly merge on the motorway, and an amazingly broad powerband that gives me plenty of power in the entire 3000-7000rpm range, so I almost never have to shift, except in city traffic. And the engine is so simple that even if I were to let my dealer do all the service on it, I still am much cheaper off had I bough
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And, you point out a problem that is going to take this off topic, but I'm up for the challenge.
M A R K E T I N G
When it comes to getting the word out, OSS projects really hurt themselves.
Marketing in OSS falls into some basic categories:
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
This does mean that such OSS products aren't going to be replacing their proprietary counterparts quickly. But that isn't failure. People are continually making be
Will MS Object? (Score:3, Insightful)
I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to object to this.
I can think of several 'problems' they might bring up...
copyrightsecurity
warranty
There might not be a real reason for them to object, but they don't like other people improving their stuff. I think it is somesort of perceived self interest.
What other objections might they raise?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I can't tell if it is open source (Score:2)
--
Opening our Solar Power source to all: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re: (Score:2)
The plug-in includes some code that inserts the file format as an option in the "File Open/Save" dialog and in the rest of the file handling for MS Office so that the ODF formats appear as natural parts of Office (rather than in the un-natural way that the plug-in on SourceForge that MS sponsor tries to work). I gather that the developers are not sure if they can open that small piece of source code so the package as a whole is not under an open source license yet. The rest of the plug-in (the vast majority
Re: (Score:2)
--
Get solar power with no permit hassles: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re: (Score:2)
--
Solar power with no rate increases: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-user
Re: (Score:2)
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: (Score:2)
What's the big benefit of being randomly angry with randomly selected organizations based on 'net advocacy? Can't we all just get along?
2007? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I suspect for ODF the Office 97 users are out of luck.
Re:2007? (Score:5, Informative)
The forth item in the list of contributors is thought-provoking.
Re: (Score:2)
http://odf-converter.sourceforge.net/features.html [sourceforge.net]
Saving to file is an inherently lossy process and conversion from one lossy format to another rarely leads to equivalent results.
I'm willing to bet Sun's plugin is better than the converter for the simple reason that Sun's plugin has access to the internal datastructures of the word document, i.e. it has access to the information before the lossy conversion happened.
Wake me... (Score:2)
MS plugin only supports MS Office 2003 and 2007 (Score:2)
I do get that their business is to sell new software but when it comes to things like this, having them skip much of the existing market should be a red flag to customers. The flag reads, Microsoft w
What I REALLY need is .DOCX plugin for OpenOffice! (Score:2)
The office where I work recently switched (for whatever bizarre reason) to MS-Office 2007 on all the Windows computers and instantly Microsoft's new proprietary
We have some "public" SunRay terminals where employees from other locations can check their e-mail using Mozilla and OpenOffice, and overnight this swi
Re:What I REALLY need is .DOCX plugin for OpenOffi (Score:2)
Then you force them to face the problem they are causing. If they persist, start sending them documents in .odt/.ods format to let them know what it is like.
Im gonna wait for the bofh. (Score:3, Funny)
Boss comes running over: "what is and ODF? do I open it in photoshop?"
me: "no, its a document format, you have do download a plugin from sun that works with microsoft word"
Boss wanders off for 10 minutes, comes back and says "ok, i downloaded the plugin but it wont let me install it cause i dont have permissions".
I wander back to the bosses desk to find he's gone to son.com and downloaded 15 different forms of virus, 2 pieces of spyware, a keylogger and his bank is ringing him on the mobile about a "$100,000 debt that just rang up on his bank account".
I can't wait for the bofh to do a bit on this
Now I love Sun (Score:3, Interesting)
Where is the PDF function? (Score:2)
Defaults Matter Most (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't know how Word is configured, but I hope you can tell it what the default format for Save should be. At least then, an organization can pre-configure PCs for its employees to save in ODF, and start a reasonable migration to ODF. Telling users "by the way, every time you save you have to select ODF, company policy" will NOT work.
Think of the Chairs! (Score:2)
Improved security? Consider also portableapps.com (Score:2)
But that same client sometimes has ultra sensitive documents and they still use the same thing. Some people do save in password encyrpted zip files.
Now if the Save as ODF plugin provides a really secure encryption m
Re:Improved security? Consider also portableapps.c (Score:2)
If it 'musnt be changed' then print the damn thing to a PDF. Dials the changability to damn near zero, and the portability almost as high as it can go.
Ought to last them until the Web is invented (Score:2)
ODF documents, where are you? (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Export, Save as, or Default? (Score:2)
Can anyone elaborate?
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 - Options. Click the Save tab, then select the OpenDocument format as standard format.
If you want to start Word when you double-click an *.odt file in Explorer, change the default file format as in the step above, or
right-click an *.odt file in Explorer, choose "Open with...", select "Microsoft Office Word", and mark "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".
Word converter warnings
Word shows a warning when using file formats that are foreign to Word. This warning unfortunately cannot be disabled and should be ignored.
Word XP and Word 2003 show an additional warning about security of 3rd party converters. This warning can be disabled in Word 2003 SP1 and Word XP by setting a registry key.
Registry entry for Word 2003 SP1:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\ Word\Options]
"DoNotConfirmConverterSecurity"=dword:00000001
See also http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837011/ [microsoft.com]
Registry entry for Word XP:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\ Word\Options]
"DoNotConfirmConverterSecurity"=dword:00000001
See also http://support.microsoft.com/kb/840662/ [microsoft.com]
Taskbar Icon
A new icon is visible in the notification area of the Windows taskbar. Right-click the icon for a context menu.
The context menu offers the following commands:
About - shows some information about the plugin.
Check for Updates - connects to the Internet (using the Windows proxy settings) and checks for an update of the plugin.
Exit - removes the background task from memory and hides the icon.
Support and Feedback
Product support for end users for the Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office is limited to a feedback alias. Please email your comments or feedback about the product to ODF-Plugin-feedback@sun.com. We appreciate feedback or questions about the plugin but cannot guarantee a response to every email.
For organizations and businesses that require enterprise level support for the ODF Plugin, Sun offers backline support and indemnification to organizations that are deploying the Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office in volume.
To contact a Sun sales representative please call
1-800-555-9SUN (US)
1-650-960-1300 (International)
You can also go to http://www.sun.com/contact/index.jsp?tab=1 [sun.com] to get contact information for Sun sales.
We hope you enjoy using the new Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office.
Legal Disclaimers
Copyright © 2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara, California 95054. USA. All rights reserved.
U.S. Government Rights - Commercial software. Government users are subject to the Sun Microsystems, Inc. standard license agreement and applicable provisions of the FAR and its supplements.
Use is subject to license terms.
This distribution may include materials developed by third parties.
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo and StarOffice are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
Re:An excuse... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:An excuse... (Score:5, Insightful)
Open Source is wonderful, but in my opinion its open standards that are absolutely vital.
*As much as I like any office software, I'm a LaTeX and Matlab guy if I can help it.
So? (Score:5, Insightful)
So? ODF isn't about killing Microsoft Office. It's about establishing an Open standard for documents that ANY word processor can support.
The reason that Microsoft is fighting this so much is that once their document lock-in is gone, anyone can use any word processor that suits them.
If Microsoft Word is the best ever word processor in your opinion, then why should you NOT have the choice to use it when working on documents? As long as the file can be edited by whomever you send it to on the word processor that they have chosen.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
If anything, this is a good thing for OO as well as MS Office users.
Re:An excuse... (Score:4, Interesting)
What makes a superior file format? One that I don't need a word processor to access my document.
Can you do that with any Microsoft format? NO! ODF is a zip file with stuff in it. I do not even need a word processor to access that document. That makes a superior file format not Microsoft's "oh your client/staff/boss/lecturer/AnyoneNotYou needs office 2007 to view that file" format.
Finally there is a format solution available to all who can now use whatever word processor they want.
Screw you and your pimping of Microsoft's lock in.
Re: (Score:2)
---John Holmes...
Re: (Score:2)
The real question I have here is can Office be set up to save in ODF format by default?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)