ODF vs. OOXML: What’s the difference?
Charmagne Munoz Feria
Just because a few countries in Asia have jumped onto the OOXML bandwagon does not mean that joining them is a good idea.
The Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century brought about mass production, increased productivity and gas powered vehicles. One century later, this is also blamed for the the marked increase in the emission of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) . Today, we realize that economic progress hardly makes up for the damage we caused our environment.
Years ago, the cigarette smoking culture pervaded society. Decades later, it is widely recognized as the number one cause of lung cancer. For many, this discovery was too late.
What lesson have we learned from these? Just because it’s popular does not mean it’s right.
Windows is still the most widely used operating system in this country and Microsoft Office is the most popular office suite. Almost everybody knows what .doc, .xls., .ppt stand for but how many people have heard of .odt , .ods, and. odi ?
How about ODF and OOXML? What’s the difference?
First, it must be made clear that both OpenDocument Format ("ODF") and Office Open XML ("OOXML") are XML-based formats. As many critics point out, the main difference is in the level of "openness". Openness is important because an open, XML-based standard for displaying and storing data files allows many possibilities in terms of data storage and document exchange among office applications (wordprocessing, spreadsheet, presentations, etc. ).
Below are some of the differences:
ODF is developed and maintained by several organizations and individuals using and open process that protects against control by a single entity. OOXML is owned, maintained an controlled by a single organization- Microsoft. Thus, it is less open in its development and maintenance, despite being submitted to a formal standards body.
ODF is an ISO approved standard (ODF, ISO/IEC 26300, full name: OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications) file format for electronic office documents, while OOXML failed to be recognized as an ISO standard, mainly because it overlaps the OpenDocument format .
ODF is an openly available standard, published fully in a document that is freely available and easy to comprehend. This openness and availability is evidenced by the huge number of competing applications that use ODF. In contrast, OOXML is not legally and practically as easy to implement due to its complexity, extraordinary length, technical omissions, and dependence on a single vendor.
ODF is the only format that are not restricted by intellectual property rights (IPR) , as certified by the Software Freedom Law Center. On the other hand, many elements designed into the OOXML formats but left undefined in the OOXML specification require behaviors upon document files that only Microsoft Office applications can provide. This means that data is inaccessible on applications other than Microsoft Office or those supporting OOXML.
Overall, ODF is revealed as sufficiently open while OOXML shows relative weakness that have been the cause for concern in adoption as a global standard.
The Philippines votes "no"
OOXML lost its initial bid for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification, after failing to secure enough votes from participating countries in September.
The Philippines was one of the countries which voted "no" , with clarifications on the use of OOXML. The panel consisted of representatives from the DTI’s Bureau of Products and Standards and the National Computer Center. Personally, I agree with this decision.
As a result of this decision, Microsoft and industry body Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) have teamed up to drive the adoption of Office Open XML in the Philippines. I trust that the panel will continue to make the right decision despite lobbying pressures as they get these much needed clarifications.
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