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Open XML Translator for Microsoft Word Available

Posted by Zonk on from the translate-the-night-away dept.

narramissic writes "The first phase of a Microsoft-funded project to create software that can convert Microsoft Word documents between Open XML and Open Document Format (ODF) has been completed. As a result, the Open XML Translator is now available for download in version 1.0 from SourceForge.net. A ComputerWorld article details the history of the project, discussing the work of companies like CleverAge and AztecSoft, as well as community efforts to bring this project to realization."

2 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. A Microsoft converter for a competing product? by mandelbr0t · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Anyone else feel chills? Remember how good the Import/Export of .WPD files was in Word? I'm guessing that this will be of similar quality. At least it's OSS. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for this to bridge the gap between ODF and OpenXML. Best is to use OpenOffice and save as .DOC if you have to. Here's the Microsoft Press Release about it.

    --
    "Please describe the scientific nature of the 'whammy'" - Agent Scully
  2. MS was very much against this by bendodge · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A while back a state IT Department (I think Massachusetts) decided to only use open-source document formats and talked back and forth with Microsoft. The head of the IT Department (or something similar) privatly asked some of Word's programmers, who said an odf/xml feature would be trivial to add, but MS flatly refused to make a plugin for Office to convert to odf/xml, even though it meant losing the state's patronage.

    Microsoft is really determined to strangle open formats.

    --
    The government can't save you.