pays@uunet.UU.NET (Paul-Andre PAYS) (03/01/88)
> ... Thus, instead of writing N**2/2 translation > programs between texts from N different word processors, the > intention is that one need only write N translators, one for > each word processor to ODA/ODIF. Perfectly right, This is exactly the purpose of ODA/ODIF work. > ... > major word processing systems, like Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, > WordStar etc.? Does anyone know of any such efforts? Some manufacturers already started in this direction. I know that BULL and at least one software house in France are developping extensions to Wordstar and others (Which???) word processing system to enable them to produce an interchange format based on a subset of ODIF. (ODA/ODIF is extremely complex, they decided to limit to quite simple things, but that a start) In my mind ODA by itself is too complicated, and probably not perfectly well suited to sophisticated layout as those produced by TEX or Postcript (eg text in spirals). I don't believe we will see soon text system working directly on ODA documents. (Maybe I'm wrong). Nevertheless ODIF when limitating to rather fair complexity can prove extremely useful in its common interchange format purpose. It is why in my mind it is URGENT to define a good subset, to be a common interchange format for existing text systems and excluding fancies (spirals and so on). Otherwise each manufacturer or software provider will define its own and not compatible subset, and we will be back to the same point. > Another advantage with ODA/ODIF is that it would enable us to > put our word procesing texts into electronic mail, so that we > could in this mailing list put texts in ODA/ODIF format in the > future, and each recipient mailbox software would use an ODA/ODIF > converter to render the text readable on the computer used by > the recipient! Right if 1) authors accept to limit to rather common features for layout 2) converters accept and generate the same ODIF subset. ---------------------------------------- Submissions to: desktop@plaid.sun.com Administrivia to: desktop-request@plaid@sun.com UUCP: {amdahl,decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4}!sun!plaid!desktop{-request}