| Office Open XML |
|---|
 The OOXML Document icon, as appears on theMicrosoft OneDrive web service | |
| Filename extension | .docx, .docm |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | |
| Developed by | Microsoft,Ecma,ISO,IEC |
| Initial release | 7 December 2006; 18 years ago (2006-12-07) |
| Latest release | 4th edition 26 October 2016; 8 years ago (2016-10-26) |
| Type of format | Document file format |
| Extended from | XML,DOC,WordProcessingML |
| Standard | ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500 |
| Open format? | Yes[2] |
| Website | ECMA-376,ISO/IEC 29500-1:2016 |
.svg){kind=icon} | |
| Filename extension | .pptx, .pptm |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | |
| Developed by | Microsoft,Ecma,ISO,IEC |
| Initial release | 7 December 2006; 18 years ago (2006-12-07) |
| Latest release | 3rd edition 29 June 2011; 13 years ago (2011-06-29) |
| Type of format | Presentation |
| Extended from | XML,PPT |
| Standard | ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500 |
| Open format? | Yes |
| Website | ECMA-376,ISO/IEC 29500:2016 |
 | |
| Filename extension | .xlsx, .xlsm |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | |
| Developed by | Microsoft,Ecma,ISO,IEC |
| Initial release | 7 December 2006; 18 years ago (2006-12-07) (as Microsoft Open XML) |
| Latest release | 3rd edition 29 June 2011; 13 years ago (2011-06-29) |
| Type of format | Spreadsheet |
| Extended from | XML,XLS,SpreadsheetML |
| Standard | ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500 |
| Open format? | Yes |
| Website | ECMA-376,ISO/IEC 29500:2016 |
Office Open XML (also informally known asOOXML)[5] is azipped,XML-basedfile format developed byMicrosoft for representingspreadsheets,charts,presentations andword processing documents.Ecma International standardized the initial version as ECMA-376.ISO andIEC standardized later versions as ISO/IEC 29500.
Microsoft Office 2010 provides read support for ECMA-376, full support for ISO/IEC 29500 Transitional, and read support for ISO/IEC 29500 Strict.[6]Microsoft Office 2013 and later fully support ISO/IEC 29500 Strict,[7] but do not use it as the default file format because of backwards compatibility concerns.[8]
In 2000, Microsoft released an initial version of anXML-based format for Microsoft Excel, which was incorporated in Office XP. In 2002, a new file format for Microsoft Word followed.[9] The Excel and Word formats—known as theMicrosoft Office XML formats—were later incorporated into the 2003 release of Microsoft Office.
Microsoft announced in November 2005 that it would co-sponsor standardization of the new version of their XML-based formats throughEcma International as "Office Open XML".[10][11] The presentation was made to Ecma by Microsoft'sJean Paoli and Isabelle Valet-Harper.[12][13]
Microsoft submitted initial material toEcma International Technical Committee TC45, where it was standardized to become ECMA-376, approved in December 2006.[14]
This standard was then fast-tracked in theJoint Technical Committee 1 of ISO and IEC. After initiallyfailing to pass, an amended version of the format received the necessary votes for approval as an ISO/IEC Standard as the result of aJTC 1 fast-tracking standardization process that concluded in April 2008.[15] The resulting four-part International Standard (designated ISO/IEC 29500:2008) was published in November 2008[16] and can be downloaded from theITTF.[17] A technically equivalent set of texts is published by Ecma asECMA-376 Office Open XML File Formats—2nd edition (December 2008); they can be downloaded from their website.[18]
The ISO/IEC standardization of Office Open XML was controversial and embittered,[19] with much discussion both about the specification and about the standardization process.[20] According toInfoWorld, "OOXML was opposed by many on grounds it was unneeded, as software makers could useOpenDocument Format (ODF), a less complicated office software format that was already an international standard."[19] The sameInfoWorld article reported thatIBM (which supports theODF format) threatened to leave standards bodies that it said allow dominant corporations like Microsoft to wield undue influence. The article further says that Microsoft was accused of co-opting the standardization process by leaning on countries to ensure that it got enough votes at the ISO/IEC for Office Open XML to pass, although it does not specify exactly who accused Microsoft.[19]
Under the Ecma International code of conduct in patent matters,[21] participating and approving member organizations of ECMA are required to make their patent rights available on areasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) basis.
Holders of patents which concern ISO/IEC International Standards may agree to a standardized license governing the terms under which such patents may be licensed, in accord with theISO/IEC/ITU common patent policy.[22]
Microsoft, the main contributor to the standard, provided a covenant not to sue[23] for its patent licensing. The covenant received a mixed reception, with some like theGroklawblog criticizing it,[24] and others such asLawrence Rosen, (an attorney and lecturer atStanford Law School), endorsing it.[25]
Microsoft has added the format to theirOpen Specification Promise[26] in which
Microsoft irrevocably promises not to assert any Microsoft Necessary Claims against you for making, using, selling, offering for sale, importing or distributing any implementation to the extent it conforms to a Covered Specification [...]
This is limited to applications which do not deviate from the ISO/IEC 29500:2008 or Ecma-376 standard and to parties that do not "file, maintain or voluntarily participate in a patent infringement lawsuit against a Microsoft implementation of such Covered Specification".[27][28]The Open Specification Promise was included in documents submitted to ISO/IEC in support of the ECMA-376 fast-track submission.[29]Ecma International asserted that, "The OSP enables both open source and commercial software to implement [the specification]".[30]
The Office Open XML specification exists in several versions.
The ECMA standard is structured in five parts to meet the needs of different audiences.[18]
Later versions of the ECMA-376 standard are aligned and technically equivalent to the corresponding ISO standard.
The ISO/IEC standard is structured into four parts:[31] Parts 1, 2 and 3 are independent standards; for example, Part 2, specifyingOpen Packaging Conventions, is used by other file formats includingXPS andDesign Web Format. Part 4 is to be read as a modification to Part 1, which it requires.
A technically equivalent set of texts is also published by Ecma as ECMA-376 2nd edition (2008).
The standard specifies two levels of document & application conformance,strict andtransitional, for each of WordprocessingML, PresentationML and SpreadsheetML, and also specifies applications' descriptions ofbase andfull.
The intent of the changes from ECMA-376 1st Edition to ISO/IEC 29500:2008 was that a valid ECMA-376 document would also be a valid ISO 29500 Transitional document;[32] however, at least one change introduced at the BRM—refusing to allow further values for xsd:boolean—had the effect of breaking backwards-compatibility for most documents.[33] A fix for this had been suggested toISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 34/WG 4, and was approved in June 2009 as a recommendation for the first revision to Office Open XML.[34]
Applications capable of reading documents compliant to ECMA-376 Edition 1 would regard ISO/IEC 29500-4 Transitional documents containingISO 8601 dates as corrupt.[35]
Some older versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office are able to read and write.docx files after installation of the free compatibility pack provided by Microsoft,[36] although some items, such as equations, are converted into images that cannot be edited.[37]
Starting withMicrosoft Office 2007, the Office Open XML file formats have become the default file format[38] ofMicrosoft Office.[39][40] However, due to the changes introduced in the Office Open XML standard, Office 2007 is not wholly in compliance with ISO/IEC 29500:2008.[41]Office 2010 includes support for opening documents of the ISO/IEC 29500:2008-compliant version of Office Open XML, but it can only save documents conforming to thetransitional, not thestrict, schemas of the specification.[42][43] Note that the intent of the ISO/IEC is to allow the removal of the transitional variant from the ISO/IEC 29500 standard.[43]Microsoft Office 2013 and later fully support ISO/IEC 29500 Strict,[7] but do not use it as the default file format because of backwards compatibility concerns.[8]
The ability to read and write Office Open XML format is, however, not limited to Microsoft Office; other office products are also able to read & write this format:
Other office products that offer import support to various levels of compatibility include:
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Ecma Standards and Technical Reports are made available to all interested persons or organizations, free of charge and licensing restrictions
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