[ILUG] word processors

[David Neary]

nils Olofsson wrote:
> just a thought!. 
> Why is it that all of the open source word processors use different file
> formats,IE not a standard way to save docs,They might all use XML as
> their file format but the  different way the files are stored makes them
> incompatible with each other.

I agree wholeheartedly. I think the standardisation should be
around .sxw, which is half the size of a .doc for the equivalent
document, and a third the size of the old .sdw. I think at least
that kword and abiword should support that format, and eventually
use it as their default. I think it'll be great when we get some
kind of consolidation in the unix/linux world. And on document
formats is a good place to start.

> The standard in windoze world is the .doc format

Only because Microsoft destroyed the opposition to the extent
that MS Office is the only office package that has a user base
worth talking about, it has to be said. But MS are good for
setting standards, it's true :)

> so if i wrote this in abi word i would be able to open this in kword,
> openoffice without having to worry about re saving it in a format that
> can be under stood by all before i can use it with another word
> processor.  

Yes. I think so too. Caolan - have you done anything on the .sxw
format, or do you know whose involved? Would Sun consider putting
people on kword and/or abiword to standardise it as *the*
document format for Unix? Where are the .sxw docs? 

Apparently .sxw and .sdw are supported partially by Abiword
1.0.0. I have no idea about Kword - the last time I wanted to use
it I had major problems with fonts (kword doesn't embed font
information when exporting, it just gets the fonts from the
Xserver, and tough diddy if you don't have them on the other
side).

Cheers,
Dave.

-- 
       David Neary,
    Marseille, France
  E-Mail: bolsh at gimp.org