ODF 1.2: Appendix C MIME Types and File Extensions

["Dennis E. Hamilton" <dennis.hamilton@acm.org>]

This comment applies to 

	OpenDocument-v1.2-draft7-5.odt 2008-07-18 draft, Appendix C
	OpenDocument-v1.2-draft7-5-xref.odt 2008-07-18 draft, Appendix C

It also works as an addendum/supplement for the following documents:

	OpenDocument-v1.1-cs1.odt, Appendix C
	OpenDocument-v1.0ed2-cs1.odt as ISO/IEC 26300-2006(E), Appendix C

Recommended Changes
-------------------

Delete the first paragraph, beginning "The MIME types and extensions ... are applicable only to office documents that are contained in a package."  The particular types have other uses in OpenDocument format, and it is easier just to omit the paragraph, letting section 1.6 [1.7 in pre-1.2 versions] carry the weight.

Delete the second paragraph too.  

Delete the empty table 19.

Insert subsection heading "C.1 Registered MIME Types"

Delete the two paragraphs before table 20.

Insert the following paragraph before the table:

"The following table lists those [MIMETYPES] that have been registered for use with OpenDocument format. When used in the mimetype stream of an OpenDocument package and in the office:mimetype attribute of an <office:document> XML document, the MIME types signal the document structure and usage in the third, "Description," column (see section 2.4).  [Ed. Note: Formula is not a document structure, apparently, being either reserved or missing from section 2.4?]

"When an OpenDocument package is streamed by a protocol where MIME types are significant, it is appropriate to signify the same type as that found in the mimetype stream within the OpenDocument package.

"When an OpenDocument package is stored in a file system, common choices for file name extensions, when used, are shown in the "Ext." column.

Change the caption on the current table 20 to be "Registered MIME Types"

Following the current table 20, add the subsection heading "C.2 Provisional MIME Types"

Add the following text:

Earlier specifications of the OpenDocument format identified provisional MIME types for use until the above-listed MIME types were registered.  The provisional MIME types have the same form as those listed above, except for the prefix "application/x-" instead of "application/".  For example, the provisional MIME type

	"application/x-vnd.oasis.opendocument.text"

has the same significance as the registered MIME type

 	"application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text"

There is no longer any reason to rely on those provisional MIME types.  New documents represented using this version of the OpenDocument format can always rely exclusively on the registered MIME types when representing those document structures.  The office:version="1.2" attribute is appropriate.  

It is not known whether there has ever been any significant use of the provisional MIME types.  In the event any are encountered, the following practice may be useful in safely removing them:

 1. In updating an existing document that specifies one of the provisional MIME types in its package's mimetype stream or office:mimetype attribute, substituting the proper registered MIME type can be accompanied by warning that the updated document may not be acceptable to other software used in its production.

 2. If an updated document will have office:version attribute value for an OpenDocument format version earlier than 1.2 (e.g., to maintain down-level compatibility), offer to preserve the use of any provisional MIME type in that document instead of unilaterally changing to a registered MIME type.  


[end of added text]


 - Dennis

Dennis E. Hamilton
------------------
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