>> Well fine, but it ceases to be an ISO OOXML file then if any program puts 
>> in stuff that is not in the spec.
> Isn't that why people don't like the new standard?
> MS put their custom tags into the ISO standard so they can
> avoid rewriting Word to be ISO compliant. It's easier for
> MS just to change the standard. A and B now need to re-implement
> Word just to be ISO compliant,

Well there's a surpise, you invent a new standard to define Word documents 
in an open way, then you complain that to read them completely you need to 
re-implement Word!

> the standard is useless in this
> regard. It doesn't specify a single "best practice" it gloms
> together bits of dissimilar methods into a single standard.

As far as I can see, it simply allows other programs to read and create 
files that are compatible with Word very easily.  I don't think anyone is 
going to attempt to implement every single feature of the real Word.  And I 
guess the reasons that governments want it is so that if MS suddenly decides 
to do something stupid (very unlikely) then other programs will be available 
to easily get the data.

Post a reply to this message