Microsoft opening Word/Excel file formats

This has been announced before (or at least rumored) at /. Basically it doesn't mean it's entirely open.

<document type="excel">shDAdfkDFDAij3245hasf23F5djk53C453hlasdijfujhnfuA53hawDeiuof5hk4cn3uiwheF336brfukheD</document>
 
MikeXpop said:
This has been announced before (or at least rumored) at /. Basically it doesn't mean it's entirely open.

<document type="excel">shDAdfkDFDAij3245hasf23F5djk53C453hlasdijfujhnfuA53hawDeiuof5hk4cn3uiwheF336brfukheD</document>
Click to expand...


This seems to be such a simplistic assumption. IS this really what MS is doing?
 
ccuilla said:
This seems to be such a simplistic assumption. IS this really what MS is doing?
Click to expand...
No, but it's a quick example of what they *could* do. I was just saying XML != open
 
Well, that's only for those special XML MS Office 2003 standards. Older standards have long been 'remade' by other companies and even open source software (OpenOffice.org). So, for the rumoured Apple Office thingie, this means more compatibility opportunities.
 
I've always wondered about MS' move to XML and how they would handle working with an open format. Will be interesting to see Apple's take on this for future products.
 
MikeXpop said:
This has been announced before (or at least rumored) at /. Basically it doesn't mean it's entirely open.

<document type="excel">shDAdfkDFDAij3245hasf23F5djk53C453hlasdijfujhnfuA53hawDeiuof5hk4cn3uiwheF336brfukheD</document>
Click to expand...
Earlier reports (rumors?) were that the new M$ formats are a combination of XML and proprietary binary formats. If I understand schemas correctly, opening the schemas will open only the propriety XML and not the formats for embedded binary objects.
 
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