• 2 min read
LibreOffice backer says OOXML still locks users into Office
The Document Foundation argues Microsoft’s OOXML formats remain effectively proprietary because only Office reliably renders them.
Image: The Register
The Document Foundation says Microsoft’s widely used Office Open XML (OOXML) formats still trap users in Microsoft Office, despite their status as an ISO standard.
The group’s argument is simple: while files such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx are supposed to be interchangeable across office suites, real-world compatibility is far messier. TDF says the version most people use every day is OOXML Transitional, not the cleaner OOXML Strict variant.
According to TDF, OOXML Strict removed many legacy elements, though “not all,” while Microsoft made OOXML Transitional the default and pushed Strict to the end of the save options list. TDF says that decision matters because the dominant format is the one “that only Microsoft’s own software implements correctly,” while the variant other software could better support is rarely used and has even disappeared from some versions.
“A standard that only one implementation fully supports is, from a functional point of view, a proprietary format with a standardisation certificate.”
TDF also revisits the long-running controversy around OOXML’s standardization, calling it “one of the most contested processes in the history” of the International Organization for Standardization. It argues the specification, which runs to thousands of pages, was written less as an interoperability format than as a record of Microsoft Office behavior, including legacy quirks, undocumented features, and implementation details tied to Microsoft’s code.
That, TDF says, turns document formats into a digital sovereignty issue. An independent document, in its view, should display identically on any system, in any country, regardless of software. It points to the OpenDocument Format, used natively in LibreOffice, and says even font choices can create dependency if a vendor drops support. The article cites the coming end of Microsoft Publisher as one example of how files can be left stranded.
Recommended reading
X Rebuilt Its Android App to Speed Up Releases
TDF acknowledges the practical obstacle: organizations may have thousands or even millions of documents in formats it considers proprietary. PDF/A may work for archiving, but breaking reliance on entrenched tools is harder in day-to-day use.
“When an institution sends a letter formatted with a proprietary font, embedded in a proprietary format, produced by proprietary software, it is not communicating information but perpetuating a dependency.”
The Register said it contacted Microsoft for comment. Aside from acknowledging the question, the company had not responded.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via The Register
