OpenDocument vs Microsoft OpenXML - Part I
For a technical comparison see part II of this article.
What's the difference between OpenDocument and Microsoft's "OpenXML"?
| OpenDocument | Microsoft OXML |
|---|---|
|
Is an ISO standard ISO/IEC 26300:2006 |
Not an ISO standard While OXML is an Ecma standard, Ecma standards are not considered international standards for the purposes of international law. That's why ISO approval is important. Gartner predicts that ISO will not approve OXML as an ISO standard. |
| Is vendor neutral | Is a one-company format The purpose of Ecma TC45 is to produce a format "that is fully compatible with [the format] submitted by Microsoft". In other words, they cannot make any substantive changes to the format. They can only rubber stamp it. |
|
Many implementations applications list |
ZERO implementations There isn't a single product in the market that implements the format. Not even from Microsoft. |
|
5 years of development (in a standards body) |
1 year of development (in a standards body) |
|
Legible Readily intuitive to those familiar with HTML or DocBook. |
Obscure See the technical comparison for details. The cryptic nature of OXML markup leads to higher development costs. |
|
Proven technology Reuses proven standards like SVG and XLink. |
Un-proven Reinvents the wheel. |
|
Easier to implement 700 pages 3MB spec Reuses existing standards. |
Harder to implement 4,000 pages 24.4MB spec Reinvents the wheel. |
And what does OXML give you in exchange for this?
We are yet to see an example of something that Microsoft OpenXML can do and OpenDocument can't.