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Technical News & Discussion => Windows News & Discussion => Topic started by: Baz on Oct 19, 2008, 10:00:46

Title: open office
Post by: Baz on Oct 19, 2008, 10:00:46
when using open office whats the best file extension to save a document in, if there is one
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Rik on Oct 19, 2008, 10:07:25
ISTR the native format is RTF, Baz - but I'm probably hopelessly wrong. :)
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Inactive on Oct 19, 2008, 10:20:27
or....RTFM.... ;D :out: :duck: :duck: :legpull:
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Rik on Oct 19, 2008, 10:22:17
 ;D

One letter, a whole new meaning. :)
Title: Re: open office
Post by: kinmel on Oct 19, 2008, 11:16:09
That's another version of the question " how long is a piece of string?"

Open Office offers over 20 file format options to save with and add-ins offer more too.

The deciding factor on the correct save format is what happens to the file once it's saved.

If it is only for use on that PC the .odt is as good as any other, but if it is being sent for reading, or processing elsewhere then where it is going determines the format.

RTF gives almost universal accessibility to the file but does not offer a full range of fonts and page formatting tools etc.

If the recipient uses Microsoft products then their various Office formats are best and the same for Starwriter and Ability too.

If you don't want them to be able to easily alter the document then PDF is the best format.

Title: Re: open office
Post by: Rik on Oct 19, 2008, 11:20:59
Thanks, Alan.  :thumb:
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Sebby on Oct 19, 2008, 12:07:45
Quote from: Rik on Oct 19, 2008, 10:07:25
ISTR the native format is RTF, Baz - but I'm probably hopelessly wrong. :)

I thought it was XML, but I could also be wrong. :P
Title: Re: open office
Post by: kinmel on Oct 19, 2008, 14:04:19
Quote from: Sebby on Oct 19, 2008, 12:07:45
I thought it was XML, but I could also be wrong. :P

No, your right again  :thumb:

OpenOffice  uses OpenDocument format which is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Open Office 3 uses these extension  descriptors:-

    * .odt for word processing (text) documents
    * .ods for spreadsheets
    * .odp for presentations
    * .odg for graphics
    * .odf for formulae and mathematical equations
    * .odb for databases
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Rik on Oct 19, 2008, 14:10:55
Quote from: kinmel on Oct 19, 2008, 14:04:19
No, your right again  :thumb:

Worrying, isn't it, Alan. ;)
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Sebby on Oct 19, 2008, 15:44:51
:rofl:
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Inactive on Oct 19, 2008, 23:59:59
Quote from: kinmel on Oct 19, 2008, 14:04:19

    * .ods for spreadsheets


They could have used .sods for everything else. ;)
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Simon on Oct 20, 2008, 10:11:59
:lol:
Title: Re: open office
Post by: kinmel on Oct 20, 2008, 10:14:46
Quote from: Inactive on Oct 19, 2008, 23:59:59
They could have used .sods for everything else. ;)

;D

:clever:
Title: Re: open office
Post by: vitriol on Oct 21, 2008, 21:51:10
I always save openoffice documents with the microsoft office compatible extensions ie. .xls for Excel .doc for Word to ensure maximum compatibility.
Title: Re: open office
Post by: Baz on Oct 22, 2008, 14:26:48
if you save in the default openoffice format does it still open in Word etc.
Title: Re: open office
Post by: vitriol on Oct 22, 2008, 17:43:18
no the Microsoft Office applications cannot open files with the OpenOffice extension.

What you can do in OpenOffice though is change the default save options so that it will always save for example,  a Calc file as .xls or a Writer file as .doc.

IIRC this is found under Tools > Option > Load/Save > General