Office Binary (doc, xls, ppt) Translator to Open XML

Table of Contents

Overview

The main goal of the Office Binary (doc, xls, ppt) Translator to Open XML project is to create software tools, plus guidance, showing how a document written using the Binary Formats (doc, xls, ppt) can be translated into the Office Open XML format. As a result customers can use these tools to migrate from the binary formats to Office Open XML Format thus enabling them to more easily access their existing content in the new world of XML. The Translator will be available under the open source Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) license, which allows that anyone can use the mapping, submit bugs and feedback, or contribute to the project.

On February 15th 2008, Microsoft has made it even easier to get access to the binary formats documentation from www.microsoft.com/interop/docs/officebinaryformats.mspx

(NEW) A totally revamped and greatly improved version of the binary formats specification has been made available on June 30, 2008. It can be downloaded from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc216514.aspx.

These binary formats have also been made available under the Open Specification Promise (see www.microsoft.com/interop/osp). The Office Open XML file format has been approved as an ISO standard. The pre-ISO version is available from www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-376.htm (The official ISO version is going to be published soon).

We have chosen to use an Open Source development model that allows developers from all around the world to participate and contribute to the project.

High-Level Architecture

An overview on the high-level architecture can be found under Documentation.

M2 Release (NEW)

M2 is now available in the download section on SourceForge.

We have also made available supplementary information (e.g. "How to" Guides and Feature Mappings) and a number of Word test documents for you.

Main Contributors

Roadmap and Timeline

The following milestones are planned in the Office Binary (doc, xls, ppt) Translator to Open XML project

Licensing Model

This project is developed and released under a very liberal BSD-like license: 

* Copyright (c) 2008, DIaLOGIKa
* All rights reserved.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
*     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
*       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
*     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
*       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
*       documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
*     * Neither the name of DIaLOGIKa nor the
*       names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products
*       derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY DIaLOGIKa ''AS IS'' AND ANY
* EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
* WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
* DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL DIaLOGIKa BE LIABLE FOR ANY
* DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
* (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
* LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
* ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
* (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
* SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Project page on SourceForge

SourceForge.net Logo