Open Document Format published

The Open Document Format (ODF) has finally been publishedas an official standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). What does this mean?

ODF is an XML-based file format that saves text, spreadsheets, databases, presentations (think PowerPoint or Keynote) and the like to a standard, open format that can be implemented by anyone who wishes to, free of charge. The importance of XML is that, by and large, XML-based files are more or less human readable. I've never tried to read a raw ODF file, but the fact that ODF is now an open published standard, it means that anytime in the future anyone who knows how to read a published standard will be able to develop a reader for ODF files.

I have no illusions that ODF will be the downfall of the "Great Satan" - of course it won't. A great many people use and value Microsoft Office and will continue to use it for many years to come. However, as it currently stands, Microsoft Office file formats are proprietary and not open. Applications such as OpenOffice.org have reverse engineered various forms of Office file formats but Microsoft could break that functionality quite easily in future releases. Having an international, open, published standard means that documents can be archived in ODF format today and still be read 20, 30 or 50 years in the future (assuming the media they are archived on is still readable). If Microsoft disappeared off the face of the Earth five years from now, the ability to read those office formats would diminish over time.

Theoretically.

I'm also aware that Microsoft has submitted their Office XML standard for publication/standardisation. ODF has simply got there first. Hopefully Microsoft will support ODF as well as their own file formats in future releases of Office.

Found via ArsTechnica [permalink]