OpenFormula and Macro Languages (was RE: [tdf-discuss] ignore m$ legacy?)

With OpenFormula now supported in LibreOffice, I suspect that will be the basis for 
interoperability among ODF 1.2 producers and consumers.  Microsoft participated in the 
stabilization of OpenFormula on the OASIS ODF Technical Committee and it will be interesting to see 
how that emerges in future support of ODF in Microsoft Office.  I believe Gnumeric is already lined 
up, or it shortly will be.

I just saw mention of the possibility of supporting OpenFormula as part of the ODF Toolkit in 
conjunction with it being proposed as an Apache incubator project.  That could be a great basis for 
a reference implementation and also a way of assessing conformance and interoperability.

There have been no proposals for a macro language at the ODF TC, whether for Spreadsheets or any of 
the other formats.  One problem is to figure out what would be the API between a macro language and 
a Document Object Model that is at an appropriate ODF level of abstraction.  It is an interesting 
challenge.  I have no idea where such a proposal will come from.

 - Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: e-letter [mailto:inpost@gmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 07:33
To: discuss@documentfoundation.org
Subject: Re: [tdf-discuss] ignore m$ legacy?

On 21/07/2011, Dennis E. Hamilton <dennis.hamilton@acm.org> wrote:
[ ... ]
> (ODF 1.2 is a different story but I don't know the current status of
> OpenFormula in LibreOffice and I have not seen anything on Microsoft plans
> in this area.  I have seen a statement that Microsoft wants to present its
> ODF plans for the next release of Office at an April 2012 Plugfest in
> Brussels.)

Thanks for your mention of open formula; a quick search revealed new
knowledge as I wasn't aware such an initiative was in place.

Is it viable to develop some sort of "open macro" language also?
Personally don't use them presumably such an interoperability feature
would be beneficial.

The issue of formula loss in spreadsheets is interesting. If a
spreadsheet is started in calc then the recipient must use calc also.
If someone develops a tool in calc, then the recipient has no
alternative but to install LO (or odf compliant alternative).



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