Re: [office] Computable Document Format

[robert_weir@us.ibm.com]

<office@lists.oasis-open.org> wrote on 11/01/2011 11:35:45 AM:

> 
> Greetings!
> 
> Just a quick work about YADF (yet-another-document-format) on the 
> horizon - CDF - Computable Document Format - from Wolfram.
> 
> There is a comparison with other document formats here:
> 
> http://www.wolfram.com/cdf/compare-cdf/how-cdf-compares.html
> 

I look a look at CDF when it came out initially.  Not really an "open 
format" in the way we understand it.  It is even more restrictive than 
your typical proprietary document format, e.g., the old binary word 
processor formats.  If you read the details of the CDL licensing, you see 
that it requires a licence to even distribute CDL documents for commercial 
purposes.  So not just restrictions on the tools, but restrictions on the 
documents themselves.  I can't see this catching on.

> I would note that several of the "features" are actual application 
> features and not features of the format.
> 
> I would also note that ODF was omitted, possibly because the 
> comparison would not have been as favorable to CDF.
> 
> I will see if I can do a comparison with ODF and CDF before our next
> meeting. That should be amusing.
> 
> BTW, another point of comparison would be licensing. 
> 
> On which see:
> 
> http://www.wolfram.com/cdf/adopting-cdf/licensing-options.html
> 
> Gee, in order to use the "free" version I have to be a billboard for 
Wolfram?
> 
> Well, its their format and they can license it anyway they like but 
> my preference will remain for ODF and MathML. 
> 
> Speaking of which, what features do you think we would need to add 
> to ODF as a format to compete? (If any.)
> 


Take a look at ODFWeave, which is one way of combining computation and ODF 
documents:

http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/odfWeave/odfWeave.pdf

Another approach would be to define mechanisms for hosting external 
computation and chart generation in a spreadsheet document.  So extended 
chart times that could be backed by, say, an R chart (bound to data in the 
chart) or even a Google Docs spreadsheet gadget.

> And would vendors be interested in supporting such additions?
> 
> I think we have the hooks or almost so for rendering graphics from 
> tables, etc. although there are a couple of items we need to make 
stronger.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I like Mathematica as software and Wolfram's 
> many contributions, such as their online dictionary, to the 
> community. I am less enthusiastic about people who muddy up the 
> document format space with niche formats that simply complicate life
> for users and vendors alike. 
> 
> ;-)
> 
> Hope everyone is having a great week!
> 
> Patrick
> 
> PS: The files: Introduction to Manipulate, http://
> reference.wolfram.com/mathematica/tutorial/
> IntroductionToManipulate.cdf, How to Create a Computable Document 
> Format (CDF) File, http://reference.wolfram.com/mathematica/howto/
> CreateAComputableDocumentFormatFile.cdf are only available in CDF 
> format. How cute.
> 
> PPS: The CDF format supports all the functions of Mathematica. Are 
> there any classes of functions in Mathematica that cannot be 
> rendered in MathML? Just curious. 
> -- 
> Patrick Durusau
> patrick@durusau.net
> Chair, V1 - US TAG to JTC 1/SC 34
> Convener, JTC 1/SC 34/WG 3 (Topic Maps)
> Editor, OpenDocument Format TC (OASIS), Project Editor ISO/IEC 26300
> Co-Editor, ISO/IEC 13250-1, 13250-5 (Topic Maps)
> 
> Another Word For It (blog): http://tm.durusau.net
> Homepage: http://www.durusau.net
> Twitter: patrickDurusau

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