Re: [oiic-formation-discuss] Draft Interoperability and Conformance TCformation proposal (0.2)

[robert_weir@us.ibm.com]

"Michael Shaw" <ancalagon555@gmail.com> wrote on 07/25/2008 07:20:35 AM:
> 
> "Authoring or distributing software that tests the conformance or
> interoperability of ODF implementations; "
> 
> This limitation needs to go away.  It might be intended to keep the TC
> from getting sidetracked, but it goes overboard.  It prevents
> distribution of ODF sample files with macros (they are code, after
> all).  It prevents creation of sample code snippets for illustrative
> purposes.  It prevents distribution of code that others create,
> including ODF files with macros.  So if someone goes and implements an
> acid test and gives it to the TC, they can't even put it on thier
> website.  This sort of thing might not be the main thrust of the TC,
> but it's hands shouldn't be tied.

The issue here with macros is that the ODF standard does not define 
macros.  So if we created a document with macros in it, it would need to 
be targeted to a specific vendor's implementation.  So a scripted 
document/application that works with OpenOffice would not work with Google 
Docs, nor with Symphony, nor with KOffice, etc. 

Acid tests should not depend on macros in ODF for that same reason.

Now if in some future version of ODF we do define macros, then that issue 
would go away.

I sent an earlier response to Peter's note on this subject, with some 
things I think are in scope and out of scope. I'm open to suggestions on 
how to make this clearer. 

-Rob