Reliable Interoperation between Open Office & MS office by UOML Alex Wang Chair/OASIS UOML TC Chairman / Sursen Co.

3 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Compatibility issues block Open Office Open Offices functions are rich enough for normal users It's difficult to work without MS Office documents Although you can order the whole enterprise to install Open Office, you cant unify the formats used by outside people With its large market share, MS office owns unbeatable market advantage Massachusetts tried to install OpenOffice only, but failed; Instead, they had to support dual standards, and considered using ODF plug-in for MSOffice

4 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Compatibility Solutions 1. Edit the existing contents in the original way Required to purchase the original software Cant guarantee the original layout after modification Not reliable 2. Append new contents upon existing ones The existing contents shouldn't be modified Able to guarantee layout Very reliable Behaves the same way as paper handling, which can be accepted by normal users UOML adopts the 2 nd solution, providing the same compatibility as paper exchange!

5 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Different software cant process the same document. MS-Word cant open MS-Excel file Paper is still the only interoperable platform. A pen can write on any paper A paper can be written by any pen Challenges on Document Interoperability

6 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Current solutions for interoperation MS Office The same format Open Office Web page AutoCAD Application Co. A MS Office Open Office Web page AutoCAD Application Co. B Application Co. C Application Co. D Solution 1 Solution 2 Application Co. A Application Co. B Application Co. C Application Co. D

7 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Standardize Storage formats - not a solution Previous efforts have limited impacts on making document storage format standards Industry practices over the past decade proved its not a solution Simple format, e.g. TXT, cant meet the need of various software For complicated ones, e.g. OpenXML, only a few companies or even one company among hundreds of thousands software companies all over the world, have enough resources and professional technology required to handle it Block innovation Affect performance optimization, portability, and scalability

8 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML SQL vs. DBF DBF was market standard of database storage format Why not continue to improve DBF format? Why SQL? High performance database(Oracle,DB2...) uses very complicated storage format, e.g. it is storage media related Is it possible that every application can read/write this format itself? Few companies are able to parse such complicated format It is certain that the data will be destroyed by bugs of some software when they save data SQL avoids this problem Although to implement the operation is skillful and difficult, a request for the operation is straight forward to any programmer The storage of data is maintained by professional company to ensure the integrity of data

9 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML SQL Structured Data DB2OracleSQL Server Finance system ERP Accounting ……………… … Unstructured Document MS Office Open Office UOML Writer SEP Docbase …… ……………… SQL vs. UOML UOML

10 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML What is UOML? UOML - Unstructured Operation Markup Language. UOML is NOT a document storage format. UOML is the SQL for unstructured information UOML defines an unified operating interface through the abstract description of unstructured documents Based on XML, cross-platform, programming language independent, specific application independent Define general document operating functions

11 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML UOML Helps Interoperation UOML provides the same interoperability as a paper ANY UOML application can open ANY document (including UOML document and non-UOML document) ANY UOML document can be processed by ANY UOML application Three steps to open MS Office documents reliability Use MS Office to open its document Generate a UOML document by UOML Writer Open Office opens a UOML document, appends new content on the previous one

12 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Step 1: Use MS Office to open its document

13 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Step 2: Generate a UOML document by UOML Writer

14 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Step 3: Appends new contents on the previous ones in Open Office

15 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Benefits and shortcomings Reliable The layout is 100% retained Can't modify the existing contents in the original way Can be accepted by most users

16 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Value of UOML Solution Government, Enterprise can install one MS Office in entry, convert all input documents to UOML documents The other hundreds of computers are only required to have Open Office installed, thus get rid of format compatibility problems It works the same way as the tradition paper work, can be accepted by users Open Office can be promoted without format compatible problems

17 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Value of UOML Solution MS Office OpenOffice

18 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML Status of OASIS UOML TC UOML TC was formed in Feb, 2007 Ten TC teleconferences have been held The UOML work draft has been Voted as Committee Draft UOML TC needs your participation! Join UOML TC, enhance UOML for better Open Office support!

19 Reliable Interoperation between OpenOffice & MS office by UOML OASIS UOML TC: open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=uoml UOML Alliance: open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=uomlwww.uoml.org Thanks