Re: [opendocument-users] Adding tables to ODP files

[marbux <marbux@gmail.com>]

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 9:05 PM, Dennis E. Hamilton
<dennis.hamilton@acm.org> wrote:

> In that respect, there is a Non-Normtive Appendix describing Core Features
> Sets.  That Appendix indicates that the Basic Table Model and the Advanced
> Table Model are not considered core features of Presentation documents.
> This Appendix appears in the ODF 1.0, IS 26300, and ODF 1.1 specifications.
>
> The most likely difference in ODF 1.2 in this regard is the potential
> omission of that Appendix.


It's ironic that the particular Appendix may be on the path to
oblivion. That appendix is as close as the ODF TC ever came to a
profile for interoperability of ODF implementations. I.e., a profile
as described in the TC Charter, for:

"b. establishing a set of 'core' elements and attributes *to be*
supported by *all* implementations,"

(Scope section; emphasis added.) /1/

One might hope that the TC would be moving to making support for the
"core elements and attributes" mandatory rather than removing all
reference to them. But I suppose that would be unrealistic given the
TC leadership's obvious intent to keep the OpenOffice.org code base at
the center of the ODF universe. Thus has gone the ODF TC since its
creation in 2002.

Best regards,

Paul E. Merrell, J.D. (Marbux)

---
Universal Interoperability Council
<http:www.universal-interop-council.org>

____

/1/ Cf., JTC 1 Directives, Annex M ("Standards designed to facilitate
interoperability need to specify clearly and unambiguously the
conformity requirements that are essential to achieve the
interoperability").

See also WTDS 135 EC - Asbestos, (World Trade Organization Appellate
Body; 12 March 2001; HTML version), para. 66-70,
<http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds135_e.htm> (A
technical regulation must specify [i] "any objectively definable
'features', 'qualities', 'attributes', or other 'distinguishing mark'"
[ii] of an identifiable product or group of products [iii] only in
mandatory "must" or "must not" terms), reaffirmed, WTDS 231 EC -
Sardines (World Trade Organization Appellate Body; 26 September 2002),
pp. 41-51, <http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds231_e.htm>;
see also Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade Article 2 sect. 2.2
and 2.4, < (technical regulations must not create "unnecessary
obstacles to international trade" and international standards must be
adequate to serve as technical regulations).