[ILUG] Star Office#

[kevin lyda]

On Thu, Jun 02, 2005 at 04:32:29PM +0100, Braun Brelin wrote:
> I'm not sure that's entirely correct.  The reason that the MS file formats
> aren't transparent is that they encrypt the data.  They also dump their
> runtime data structures into the .doc/xls/etc. file.  If the file is XML,
> even though it's damn hard to understand, some smart person (or some
> person with too much time on his/her hands) should be able to reverse
> engineer things so that a schema or dtd can be published...
> 
> Right?

um, i don't think so.

they're in a format - just not xml.  i want to say ole, but i'm sure
caolan or someone like that can explain more.  and they aren't encrypted.
and bits of memory left in the file are just left over from padding out
structures and the like.

i think on a general level the format is as well documented as xml.  how
to parse ole is understood - it's just what the semantics of various
tags and structures are supposed to mean while reading and which ones to
generate when writing - those aren't as well documented.

oh, and i think some aspects of microsoft's use of xml are patented.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050324233749913

kevin

-- 
kevin lyda ~ dems for torture: salazar(co/10) landrieu(la/08) pryor(ar/08)
kevin at ie.suberic.net ~ nelson(fl/06) nelson(ne/06) lieberman(ct/06) 2/2/04
  Those who refuse to raise their voices against something as clearly evil
  as torture are enablers, if not collaborators.  --Bob Herbert, 2/11/04