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OOXML is a powerful example of the shift towards XML-based file formats, as well as open standards for data integration and interoperability. The immense popularity of the Microsoft Office suite assures the OOXML specification a large and growing rate of adoption for years to come. Now officially titled as ISO/IEC DIS 29500, OOXML has benefited greatly from the extensive documentation, review, and ratification of the technology, industry, and government representatives that made up the Ecma technical committee (TC45) that submitted it for ISO consideration. OOXML is an XML-based file format consisting of three different primary vocabularies, which correspond to document formats found in the most common business applications.
- WordprocessingML or WordML – for word processor-style documents
- SpreadsheetML – for spreadsheet data
- PresentationML – for slide-based presentations
WordML markup structure shown in XMLSpy
Supporting markup vocabularies are also included to further describe document make up. These include: DrawingML, VML (for vector graphics), as well as languages for expressing math, metadata, custom XML, and bibliographical content.
The OOXML vocabularies are defined by a family of XML Schemas. These schemas also contain concise packaging information that describes the underlying structure of the directories that make up archived OOXML documents. An OOXML document is represented by a collection of “parts”, the majority of these being XML documents, that are contained in a “package” or zip archive. Each vocabulary is characterized by a unique set of parts that define document properties, and also include any embedded assets, such as images. 
This separation of content and presentation is one of the basic principles that drives the interoperability and reusability of XML. With the move to an XML-based file format, OOXML has given conformant applications all of the advantages that the XML standard has to offer. Furthermore, as an open specification, it exposes itself to developers for application integration and customization. - Interoperability
OOXML conforms to the open XML standards of the W3C, making it inherently platform and operating system independent. Additional interoperability features include acceptance of any type of media or multimedia format, and font substitution allowances. - Internationalization
OOXML includes extensive support for internationalization, including a wide variety of world languages, many of which conform to a non-Latin alphabet. Other features include open text orientation and text flow, number representation, and a number of different accepted date/time formats. In addition, because of its XML make up, OOXML includes built-in support for Unicode, an industry standard for identifying unique character sets across different systems. - Compactness
According to the Ecma, OpenXML’s packaging and compression requirements, as well as the basic structure of the parts of the file format, cause OOXML files to be, on average, 25%-75% smaller than their binary predecessors. This results in significant speed increases in all handling and parsing operations, while also vastly reducing document storage requirements. - Modularity
The separation of content and presentation leads to a modular architecture, where document information is expressed and stored in multiple different parts. This means that resources can be manipulated incrementally at a variety of different levels without jeopardizing the integrity of the document as a whole. For example, images can be replaced, styles and fonts redefined, without any effect on the text part of the package. - Integration with Business Data
OpenXML allows for a large amount of customization within business applications with the addition of custom XML Schemas. The addition of proprietary schemas can increase business productivity through allowing for greater efficiency in documentation workflows and processes. For example, classes of documents can be assigned data structure definitions, giving content authors a standardized format to work with. - Low Barrier to Developer Adoption
OOXML allows a certain amount of flexibility in its conformance requirements, meaning that developers can create applications that adhere to a small part of the specification relevant to its specific purpose. The fact that OOXML is based on established standards like XML and ZIP makes its conceptual technology easy for developers to comprehend, and often tools can be extended to meet the basic specification requirements. - High Fidelity Migration
OOXML was designed with full backward compatibility with all of the features in the Microsoft Office 97-2003 binary formats, allowing users to maintain the full functionality of their legacy documents. - Room for Innovation
OOXML, like the XML standard it is based on, is extendable, and is designed to encourage developers to build on its foundations with new features and applications that improve its functionality and interoperability.
Altova has been a proponent of OOXML since its development stages, and as such, has been an early adopter of the specification. Broad support for OOXML appears in XMLSpy®, MapForce®, StyleVision®, and DiffDog®. - XMLSpy – XMLSpy provides powerful support for accessing, editing, transforming, and querying XML data saved in Microsoft® Office 2007 documents and other zipped files. For more information, see the XMLSpy OOXML page.
- MapForce – MapForce is Altova’s graphical data mapping tool. Support for OOXML in Excel 2007 allows you to map, transform, and instantly convert between any combination of Excel 2007 data and XML, databases, flat files, EDI, and Web services. For more information, see the MapForce OOXML page.
- StyleVision – StyleVision, Altova’s graphical stylesheet designer simultaneously generates output in HTML, RTF, PDF, OOXML, and an Authentic® electronic form based on a single stylesheet design. For more information, see the StyleVision OOXML page.
- DiffDog – DiffDog includes enhanced support for recognizing and reconciling differences in OOXML and other ZIP archives. For more information, see the DiffDog OOXML page.
Download a free trial of the MissionKit to take advantage of Altova's OOXML support today!
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