After years of work, the world is making a step forward to letting authors own and control their own documents, instead of having them controlled by office document software vendors.
Historically, every office document suite has stored data in its own incompatible format, locking users into that suite and inhibiting competition. This lack of a free and open office document format also makes a lie out of archiving; storing the bits is irrelevant because formats change over time in undocumented ways, with the result that later programs often cannot read older files (we can still read the Magna Carta, but some powerpoint files I created only 15 years ago cannot be read by current versions of Microsoft Office). Governments in particular should not have their documents beholden to any supplier; important government documents should be available to future generations.
Thankfully, the OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) Technical Committee (TC) is wrapping up its update of the OpenDocument standard, and I think they are about to complete the new version 1.2. This standard lets people store and exchange editable office documents so they edited by programs made by different suppliers. This will enable real competition, and enable future generations to read the materials we develop today. The TC has already approved OpenDocument v1.2 as a Committee Specification, and at this point I think the odds are excellent that it will get through the rest of the process and become formally approved.
One of the big improvements, from my point of view, is that the TC has successfully defined how to store and exchange recalculated formulas in office documents. That was my goal for joining the TC years ago, and I’m delighted to have played a part in this update. Since it looks like it’s on its way to success, I plan to step down as chair of the OASIS Office formula subcommittee and to leave the TC. I am very grateful to everyone who helped — thank you. For those who aren’t familiar with the story of the formula subcommittee, please let me give a brief background.
Years ago I was delighted to see a standard way to store office documents and exchange them between different suppliers’ products: OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument). People around the world create office documents, so this is a standard the world really needed!! However, I was deeply troubled when I discovered that this specification did not include a standard way to exchange recalculated formulas, such as those used in spreadsheets. I thought this was an important weakness in the specification. So I talked to others to see what could be done, and started work that might fill this void, including recruiting people to help.
I am delighted to report that we now have a specification for formulas: OpenFormula, part 2 of the current draft of the OpenDocument standard. Now the world has a standard, developed by multiple suppliers, that lets people store office documents for future generations and exchange office documents between different suppliers’ products, that includes recalculated formulas. And it’s not just a spec; people are already implementing it (which is good; only implemented specs have value). There are still some procedural steps, but I have high hopes that at this point we are essentially done.
This work was not done by just me, of course, or even primarily by me. A vast number of people worked directly and behind the scenes to make it happen. I cannot possibly list them all. I can, however, express my great gratitude to them. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You — and there are many of you — have made this a success. Again, thank you so very much.
The reason I joined the OASIS technical committee (TC) was to help create this formula specification and turn it into a reality. Making a real standard, one agreed on by multiple parties, takes a lot of work. We developers of the formula specification discussed details such as what 0 to the 0 power should mean, date basis systems, unit systems, and many other details like that, because addressing detailed issues is necessary to create a good standard. We had to nail down evaluation order and determine that a light-year is the distance light travels in exactly 365.25 days. And so on. We got a lot of participation by various spreadsheet suppliers; implementers even changed their implementations to conform with the draft spec as it was being developed! This work took time, but the point was to create a specification people would actually use, not just put on a shelf, and that made the extra time worth it. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to listen to The ODF Podcast 004: David A. Wheeler on OpenFormula (an interview of me by Rob Weir).
Now, finally, that work appears to be done. As I noted, there are a few procedural steps before the current specification becomes an official standard; change is always possible. Also, I’m sure there will be clarifications and additions over time, as with any standard in use. But at this point, I think my goal has been accomplished, and I am grateful.
So, I think now is a good time for me to make a graceful exit from the TC. After all, my goal has been accomplished. So, I intend to step down as subcommittee chair of the formula subcommittee and to leave the TC. Technically there are still some procedural steps and there’s a potential for issues; if there’s a need for me help to wrap up something, I’ll do so. But I think things are concluding, so it’s a good time to say so.
I think the effort to specify spreadsheet formulas has been a great success. We got a lot accomplished. Most importantly, we got something important accomplished for the world. Thank you, everyone who helped.
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