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Microsoft Releases Specs for Binary Formats

Posted by Zonk on from the thanks-for-the-hand-up dept.

skolima writes "In response to requests for even easier access to the Binary Formats, Microsoft has agreed to remove any intermediate steps necessary to get the documentation. They're going to just post it, making it directly available as a download on the Microsoft web site. Microsoft will also make the Binary Formats subject to its Open Specification Promise by February 15, 2008. They're even planning to include an Open Source converter implementation."

18 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. The important stuff by ccguy · · Score: 5, Informative
    The important stuff from the TFA:


    Microsoft agreed to:
    * Initiate a Binary Format-to-ISO/IEC JTC 1 DIS 29500 Translator Project on the open source software development web site SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/ ) (...) The Translator Project will create software tools, plus guidance, showing how a document written using the Binary Formats can be translated to DIS 29500. The Translator will be available under the open source Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) license (...). The Translator Project will start on February 15, 2008.
    * Make it even easier to get access to the Binary Formats documentation by posting it and making it available for a direct download on the Microsoft web site no later than February 15, 2008. The Binary Formats have been under a covenant not to sue and Microsoft will also make them available under its Open Specification Promise (see www.microsoft.com/interop/osp) by the time they are posted.
    1. Re:The important stuff by tritonman · · Score: 5, Funny

      ok, so if it's all binary formats only, does this mean they won't be releasing the specs for the notepad format? I've been waiting for this forever.

    2. Re:The important stuff by MrNemesis · · Score: 5, Funny

      February 15th? Are they merely trying to recruit the programmers who attempted suicide the previous evening on account of not getting lucky?

      "Decoding MS binary formats - it's better than death!" ;)

      --
      Moderation Total: -1 Troll, +3 Goat
    3. Re:The important stuff by Locutus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The new format is one of the MS Office Open XML( MS-OOXML ) formats. And my guess is that this current revelation has been in the plans for some time. After all, patching Microsoft Office and disabling the OPENING of the older file formats is the perfect example of why people need an open file format. People are being shut out from using their older formats. But, out comes Microsoft saying that they'll open up those older formats and release converter code so everyone can convert to MS-OOXML. Yup, sure looks like the has been planned for quite some time.

      But then there is probably a document or two inside Microsoft which shows the many paths to limit and/or destroy ODF support and to gain back any lost market due to MS-OOXML spec acceptance. For over 20 years Microsofts business model has been to beat the competition by attacking their revenue stream(s) by leveraging the 100's of millions of systems sold annually with pre-loaded Windows. Seldom has it ever used superior product attributes to win the market. I see no reason to think some switch has magically been thrown and now Microsoft wants to compete for customers in an open and level playing field. I don't think they would even know how to do this because without a complete management replacement, it's in their blood to go after the business and not the customers. Destroy the business and the customers will go to the shinny light that is Microsoft. IMO.

      Regarding those new formats, there is a nice 6,000 page document that tells you how simple the new formats are so it should be very easy to implement an application which can read and display everything the spec covers. Why would you ever need code from Microsoft to help you access files based on that spec? If they can do it, anybody can. FYI, so far, there is one vendor who has applications with high levels of support of the spec and that is Microsoft.

      Just look at how many apps now have a high level of support for the ODF spec:
      http://opendocumentfellowship.com/applications

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
  2. One month to reconfigure firewalls by ccguy · · Score: 5, Funny
    From the TFA:

    Initiate a (...) Project on the open source software development web site SourceForge The Translator Project will start on February 15, 2008.
    I believe it's quite considerate to give both network teams enough time to unblock each other' IP ranges :-)
    1. Re:One month to reconfigure firewalls by whatever1856 · · Score: 5, Informative

      It relies on Visual studio being present though, Nullsofts nSis (which I use) cares not for such restrictions. no it doesn't. It can be used with VS but you don't have to. When we started using WiX, I just used an XML editor create the files and then ran the WiX compilers and linkers from the command line. It's convenient to use it via Visual Studios, but by no means necessary.

  3. Whoops by ProteusQ · · Score: 5, Funny

    And they will even an Open Source converter implementation.


    Yes, I'm they will!
  4. in other news... by AmaDaden · · Score: 5, Funny

    Satan: Why did it just get so cold in here?

    1. Re:in other news... by Jason+Levine · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't know. I'm too busy dodging those stupid flying pigs. Ack! Another one!

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  5. APRIL FOOL! by MrNemesis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wait, what? Brain not comprehending this. Unless TFA is a complete pack of lies, I'm going to have to give tentative applause. Perhaps the only interesting thing I can think of is that "royalty free" != "we won't sue you into oblivion if we think you're trespassing on our patents". Sorry MS, you taught me to be cynical.

    --
    Moderation Total: -1 Troll, +3 Goat
  6. OSP: Might ba a trap for GPL license software by denis-The-menace · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Disclaimer:IANAL
    The docs are released under MS' own "Open Specification Promise" *cringes*
    http://www.microsoft.com/interop/osp/default.mspx

    If you do a search on GPL you get:

    Q: Is this Promise consistent with open source licensing, namely the GPL? And can anyone implement the specification(s) without any concerns about Microsoft patents?

    A: The Open Specification Promise is a simple and clear way to assure that the broadest audience of developers and customers working with commercial or open source software can implement the covered specification(s). We leave it to those implementing these technologies to understand the legal environments in which they operate. This includes people operating in a GPL environment. Because the General Public License (GPL) is not universally interpreted the same way by everyone, we can't give anyone a legal opinion about how our language relates to the GPL or other OSS licenses, but based on feedback from the open source community we believe that a broad audience of developers can implement the specification(s).

    I don't get warm and fuzzy feelings reading this and I think that's the idea...

    --
    Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
    1. Re:OSP: Might ba a trap for GPL license software by magnus.ahlberg · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Oh, first post on /. and it's actually defending Microsoft. As someone stated above, satan _must_ be freezing.

      Enough of that and to my point:

      I'm quite fond of the GPL and open source licenses in general. But actually, the open source licenses that microsoft has created (Ms-PL and Ms-RL) are a lot less restrictive then the GPL and a great deal easier to read. If Microsoft will use theese licenses then there should be no problem with GPL-compatability as far as I can tell.

      The "disclaimer" in that FAQ is just saying that they wont promise anything, and it is probably the smartest thing to do so that they won't get sued.

  7. I'm definitely trolling this time by jgarra23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...and since this is slashdot, it's not good enough until they've also:

    1. refunded all money earned through use of these formats
    2. allow people to fork them and then demand that their idiot-forks get recombined into the trunk and incorporated into MS Office 09
    3. #2 isn't good enough, Microsoft must even make sure that they are in the next release of OO even though they have nothing to do with that product
    4. Clipart of Steve Ballmer throwing chairs is included
    5. it is released under the GPLv3 license
    6. the EU gets to fine them another trillion euros (with a lower-case e) for every day since 1980 that the formats have not been open
    7. none of the above points matter because Microsoft sucks anyway and no one @ slashdot uses MS Office, they all use OO (yea, right!)

    so go ahead, mod me down you fuckers.

    1. Re:I'm definitely trolling this time by Dareth · · Score: 5, Funny

      MS did the "Profit!" step first at Step 0.

      --

      I only look human.
      My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
  8. Re:carrot by Admiral_Grinder · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure we will find out in a rude way when we bend over to pick up the carrot.

  9. A gift from Microsoft by dtjohnson · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft is releasing the specs for binary document formats. This will help those who want to support and maintain those formats so this is a gift from Microsoft. Fellow residents of Troy, let us be grateful and embrace this great offering.

  10. Re:Woohoo! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    About time. I have for years been giving away all their software for free. ;-)

  11. Re:This has to be good. Right ? by Locutus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "This has to be good. Right ?
    How will this work with specifications that say "render text like Word 98?" Will Microsoft now document how Word 98 renders ?"

    I'm sure there'll be some nice documents to tell you exactly how each of these statements work. You know, things like:
    1)open file
    2)scan for 0x06660666
    3)take the next 128 bytes and pass them to winRulesAll(*DWORD) in /windows/system/explorer.dll
    4)take the resulting array of 8bit vectors and sequentially call winConvertToBlob[0-255](LoByte(DWORD)) in /windows/system/kernel.dll
    5)concatenate the results from those calls and send to sysDecryptWord95Text(URL,*DWORD) in mplayer.dll with URL=http://microsoft.com/secretdoor.asp
    6)replace those 128 bytes with the results from the call or, if failed, render text like Word 95.

    Easy as pie.

    LoB

    --
    "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus