assets/xml/faq.xml

<faqs
    maintainer="Daniel.Vogelheim@germany.sun.com"
    maintainer-name="dvo" >

 <faq>
  <question>
    Which OpenOffice.org application uses XML-based file formats?
  </question>
  <answer>
    All OpenOffice.org applications use XML-based file formats. All
    applications (except Math) use the same format as defined in our <a
    href="xml_specification_draft.pdf">specification</a>. 
    The Math component uses our package structure and format (see
    below), but uses <a href="http://www.w3.org/Math/">MathML</a>
    inside the package.
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    What are the default file extensions for XML-based documents?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <table summary="OpenOffice.org XML file types">
     <tr> <th>Writer</th> <td>sxw</td> </tr>
     <tr> <th>Calc</th> <td>sxc</td> </tr>
     <tr> <th>Draw</th> <td>sxd</td> </tr>
     <tr> <th>Impress</th> <td>sxi</td> </tr>
     <tr> <th>Math</th> <td>sxm</td> </tr>
     <tr> <th>Writer<br/>global document</th> <td>sxg</td> </tr>
    </table>
    <p>XML is also used in other OpenOffice.org files
    (e.g. configuration) which are not covered in the <tt>xmloff</tt> 
    project.</p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    What is all that binary goo I see in your files?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p>Our documents use packages that contain the XML data alongside
    binary data such as images. The packages use the well known ZIP format. 
    Just open an sxw/sxc/... file with a ZIP-tool of your choice, and 
    you get access to the unadulterated XML.</p>
    <p>The document meta data (in the meta.xml stream) is not
    compressed. This allows for easy searching and extraction of the
    meta data.</p>
    <p> For more information on our packages, see the next question. </p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    What package format do you use, and what do I find inside?    
  </question>
  <answer>

    <p>We use the well-known ZIP file format as a package format. In
    addition, we store an XML-based manifest file that describes the
    package content and may supply additional information about the
    included files (e.g. encryption method). Since we use ZIP, most
    archive programs can already handle our files.</p>

    <p>Inside the package, you generally find several streams that
    make up the full office document. These are: </p>

    <table>
     <tr> 
      <th>meta.xml</th> 
      <td>information about the document (author, time of last save, ...)</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>styles.xml</th>
      <td>styles that are used in the document</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>content.xml</th>
      <td>main document content (text, tables, graphical elements)</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>settings.xml</th>
      <td>document and view settings (such as magnification level and 
          selected printer); these are usually application specific </td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>META-INF/manifest.xml</th>
      <td>provides additional information about the other files (such
      as MIME type or encryption method)</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>Pictures/</th>
      <td>directory containing images (in their native, binary formats)</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>Dialogs/</th>
      <td>directory containing dialogs used by document macros</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>Basic/</th>
      <td>directory containing StarBasic macros</td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <th>Obj.../</th>
      <td>directories containing embedded objects, such as charts;
      each directory contains one such object, stored in its native format.
      For OpenOffice.org objects that is its XML representation, for other
      objects it's usually a binary format.</td>
     </tr>
    </table>

    <p>For more information on why we chose ZIP, please read <a
    href="package.html">package.html</a>. For more information on the
    ZIP format itself, please look <a
    href="http://www.wotsit.org/">here</a>.</p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    How can I put additional information into an XML file?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p><em>Alien</em> attributes, i.e. attributes not defined in the
    OpenOffice.org DTD, will be preserved if they are attached to
    <code>&lt;style:properties&gt;</code> elements in style
    definitions. All other alien content will be discarded by the
    OpenOffice.org import filters.</p>
    <p>Since you can attach styles to arbitrary text ranges, you can
    use this mechanism to attach your information to arbitrary text
    ranges, too.</p>
    <p><strong>Note:</strong> The above mechanism seems to only work
    in Writer. The issue is under investigation.</p>
    <p>It is planned that you can also put additional files with your
    own content into the packages. However, this doesn't work yet.</p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    But I really, really want plain XML. No compression, no binary
    data, no nothing. Just plain XML. Can I have that, please?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p>For purposes of import and export, we provide <a
    href="http://udk.openoffice.org/">UNO</a>-based services that
    allow you to import or export XML data through the SAX
    interface. A documentation of this technique is available <a
    href="filter/">here</a>.</p>
    <p>Also, it is planned to allow plain XML files (without packages)
    to be read and written. However, this is not implemented yet.</p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    Why are so many styles written out?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p>In general, styles that are used in the document or that have been
    modified by the user are written to disk. The former is necessary
    to render the document correctly. The latter is preserved because
    if a user edited those styles, he/she is likely to use them later
    on. Therefore, those styles should not be discarded, even though
    they do not contribute to the document in its current form and
    shape.</p>
    <p>If styles that meet neither of these criteria are written, then
    this is may be considered a bug. The Draw, Impress, and Calc
    applications currently show this behavior. </p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    How are embedded images and binary data handled?
  </question>
  <answer>
    Images and embedded objects are stored in their native formats
    into the ZIP-based package format.
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    Why didn't you use XHTML, XSL-FO, SVG, etc. ?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p>Those formats are not used because they do not have a
    suitable level of presentation for office documents. When we found an
    established format (like the ones mentioned above) contains
    concepts that are used in OpenOffice.org as well, then we
    generally adopted their representation for those concepts in our
    XML format. We hope this will ease transformation between the
    formats.</p>

<!--
    <p>As an example for the unsuitable level of presentation consider
    text fields: A text field contains a string of text that gets
    automatically for this consider text fields: Text fields are
    special regions of text strings that are automatically updated by
    the application. The text fields must be preserved, of course, so
    the application can continue to update them. While the above
    formats easily accomodate the text field output (after all, it's
    just a string of text), they can only be represented by some sort
    of extension to the basic format. Since these sort of issues
    occur quite a lot, it seemed more prudent to create an own format.</p>
-->

  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    Can I write an XML translation from or into  ...?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p>You are absolutely welcome to write transformation from our
    XML-based file format into and from anything you see fit.</p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    I found a bug. What do I do?
  </question>
  <answer>
    <p>Report it using <a
    href="http://www.openoffice.org/issues/enter_bug.cgi">IssueZilla</a>. Try
    to give a detailed description of what went wrong. Don't forget to
    include the document in which the error occurred. (After submission
    of the bug, choose "create attachment".)</p>
    <p><strong>DON'T BE SHY ABOUT REPORTING BUGS!</strong> All of us
    are interested in stable and bug-free applications, and bug
    reports from our users are a very important means towards that
    end. Bug reports help all of us. If you don't report your
    findings, we can't fix them, and so they will cause problems for
    users as well.</p>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    Hey, I like your XML format. How can I help?
  </question>
  <answer>
    There are many things you can do to help.
    <ol>
     <li>You can spread the word, e.g. by telling your friends and
     co-workers about OpenOffice.org.</li>
     <li>You can use the OpenOffice.org applications and report any
     bugs you find.</li>
     <li>You can program transformation from our format into others
     (and vice versa).</li>
     <li>You can implement one of the suggestions on the todo list on our homepage. </li>
    </ol>
  </answer>
 </faq>

 <faq>
  <question>
    But what about ...? And why isn't
    my favorite question in here?
  </question>
  <answer>
    If your question is not answered here, ask it on our mailing
    list. You can view the archives <a
    href="http://xml.openoffice.org/xml-dev/">here</a>. Instructions
    for joining the list are on our <a
    href="http://xml.openoffice.org">project homepage</a>.
  </answer>
 </faq>

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