OpenDocument standardization
| Company type | Standard |
|---|---|
| Industry | Office productivity software |
| Founded | August 28, 2001 |
| Founder | OASIS consortium |
| Headquarters | International |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | OpenDocument file format versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 (in development) |
| Website | www |
The Open Document Format for Office Applications, commonly referred to as OpenDocument, has its roots in the OpenOffice.org XML format utilized by OpenOffice.org version 1. This format was officially standardized in 2005 by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) consortium.
OpenDocument 1.0
The initial creation of OpenDocument started at a DKUUG standardization committee meeting held on August 28, 2001. The first formal discussion within OASIS about the standard took place on December 16, 2002. Subsequently, OASIS ratified OpenDocument as a standard on May 1, 2005.
This format evolved from an earlier iteration of OpenOffice.org XML, which had been used as the primary file format for the application since 2000. Despite this lineage, OpenDocument is a separate and distinct format from its predecessor.
Gary Edwards, serving on the technical committee, described the development process as occurring in two stages: the first phase, spanning November 2002 to March 2004, concentrated on ensuring interoperability with legacy software beyond Microsoft Office; the second phase prioritized collaboration based on open Internet standards.
OASIS forwarded OpenDocument to JTC 1/SC 34, a joint ISO and IEC technical committee, for expedited approval. The format was accepted under the designation ISO/IEC DIS 26300 and formally published on November 30, 2006 as ISO/IEC 26300:2006, thereby establishing it as an international standard for office productivity applications.
OpenDocument 1.1
After OpenDocument version 1.0 was recognized as an ISO/IEC standard, OASIS released version 1.1 in 2007 to improve accessibility features. This update was approved as an official OASIS Standard on February 1, 2007, with a public announcement following soon after. Initially regarded as a minor revision, ODF 1.1 was not immediately submitted to ISO/IEC but was eventually published in March 2012 as ISO/IEC 26300:2006/Amd 1:2012 – Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) v1.1.
OpenDocument 1.2
OpenDocument version 1.2 reached OASIS Committee Specification status on March 17, 2011 and was finalized as an OASIS Standard by September 29 of the same year. This release introduced significant enhancements including improved accessibility support, RDF-based metadata integration, a spreadsheet formula specification based on OpenFormula, support for digital signatures, and incorporated feedback from public review. The specification is divided into three components: the OpenDocument Schema, the Recalculated Formula (OpenFormula) Format, and Packages.
In October 2013, OASIS began the process of submitting ODF 1.2 to ISO/IEC JTC1 for recognition as an International Standard through the PAS transposition procedure. The submission took place in March 2014, with the Draft International Standard receiving unanimous approval in September of that year alongside comments to be addressed before finalization. The completed ISO/IEC international standard was published on June 17, 2015.
OpenDocument 1.3
On April 27, 2021, OpenDocument version 1.3 was approved as an OASIS standard. This edition introduced key improvements such as enhanced digital signature capabilities, encryption of XML documents using OpenPGP technology, and advancements in change tracking, document security measures, and detailed element descriptions covering text, numerical data, and charts. As of March 2024, OpenDocument 1.3 is progressing through ISO standardization and currently holds the status of Draft International Standard.
OpenDocument 1.4
OASIS Open is actively developing OpenDocument 1.4, with working drafts accessible on GitHub. As of March 2024 (WD 02), the draft comprises:
- Part 1: Introduction (8 pages)
- Part 2: Packages (34 pages)
- Part 3: OpenDocument Schema (802 pages)
- Part 4: Recalculated Formula (OpenFormula) Format (213 pages)
- RELAX NG schemas covering multiple XML languages, including a primary schema extending over 18,572 lines.
OpenDocument version history
| OpenDocument version | Date OASIS Standard approved | Date ISO/IEC Standard published |
|---|---|---|
| OpenDocument 1.0 | 2005-05-01 | 2006-11-30 |
| OpenDocument 1.1 | 2007-02-02 | 2012-03-08 |
| OpenDocument 1.2 | 2011-09-29 | 2015-06-17 |
| OpenDocument 1.3 | 2021-04-27 | (currently in Final Committee Draft phase) |
| OpenDocument 1.4 | (in progress) | (not yet submitted) |
Participants
The standardization effort brought together leading office suite developers and document system providers such as:
- Adobe (FrameMaker, Distiller)
- Corel (WordPerfect)
- IBM (Lotus 1-2-3, Workplace)
- KDE (Calligra, formerly KOffice)
- Sun Microsystems (StarOffice/OpenOffice.org)
Significant organizations reliant on document standards also participated, including:
- Boeing
- Intel (contributed sample documents for validation)
- National Archives of Australia
- Attorney General of New York
- Novell
- Society of Biblical Literature
- Sony
- Stellent
Draft versions of the specifications were made publicly accessible to invite worldwide input, with the committee transparently managing and resolving external comments.
See also
External links
- OASIS OpenDocument Technical Committee – oversees development of OpenDocument and supplies official specifications and schemas
- OASIS OpenDocument Specifications