[SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

Raisuli · 2009-02-03 23:01:56

Hi everyone,

I've run into a weird problem when using Open Office for longer documents and saving them as .doc. The text looks fine while I'm working on it, but after closing and opening it again parts of it change fonts. Also, sometimes whole paragraphs will be in italics, sometimes just a single line. I use the latest stable Open Office from the repositories with Arch and Openbox.

Any ideas?

Last edited by Raisuli (2009-02-06 13:09:04)

EVRAMP · 2009-02-04 17:07:22

If you use complex document with many tabs, layout stuff and even macros, this is possible to happen since MS .doc format is binary and specifications are closed.

Raisuli · 2009-02-04 21:33:56

I wasn't aware of that. It's never happened before, but then I usually save all my files in OO's native format.
Thank you!

eerok · 2009-02-04 23:40:18

I agree that it's best to avoid proprietary file formats. I remember when I got really angry at MS around 10 years ago and converted all my .doc files to plain text using a hex editor. Yeah, that kind of thing sticks in your mind... needless to say I hate .doc files.

Raisuli · 2009-02-05 03:47:01

How about .rtf? Is this any better than .doc regarding these issues?

Ranguvar · 2009-02-05 04:09:02

Actually, DOC is now an open format - and I don't just mean the new Office Open XML incarnation. In fact, it kind of always was, since that specification was available on request. It's just now publicly available for download. But I agree, DOC was proprietary even if it wasn't technically because of the way Microsoft operates.

RTF is also a Microsoft format, but it's much older and less complex, and should work fine in open-source Linux apps.

The previously-mentioned OpenXML format from Microsoft and Open Office's OpenDocument (don't fret, other Linux apps can read them) formats are now ISO standards though, and should do fine. Personally, I'd _still_ keep the hell away from Microsoft and stick to OpenDocument. The OpenXML-to-ODF (OpenDocument) and vice-versa converter is open-source and sponsored by Microsoft, Novell, and other big-namers. It's probably to assuage fears about OpenXML, but it should serve equally well by ensuring ODF support in Microsoft readers.

In other words, OpenDocument, aka ODF, is an ISO standard that is very good, and will very likely be supported by all, plus it's not made by MS. OpenXML isn't _too_ bad either. Either way, you have two new open formats that will be widely supported soon, if not now.

eerok · 2009-02-05 15:21:53

Raisuli wrote:

How about .rtf? Is this any better than .doc regarding these issues?

Yes, it's better, but .odf is even better. If some idiot insists on a .doc file, just give him an .rtf because it will open reasonably well in MS Word. It may mess up formatting a bit, but even different versions of .doc files can do that.

Ranguvar wrote:

The previously-mentioned OpenXML format from Microsoft and Open Office's OpenDocument (don't fret, other Linux apps can read them) formats are now ISO standards though, and should do fine. Personally, I'd _still_ keep the hell away from Microsoft and stick to OpenDocument.

Well, keep in mind that MS gamed ISO in order to pass OOXML off as a standard. Definitely don't trust MS---so, yes, stick with .odf where possible.

Last edited by eerok (2009-02-05 15:22:54)

Raisuli · 2009-02-06 13:08:31

Thanks everyone. I'll stick to .rtf and .odf from now on. :-)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-03 23:01:56

[SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#2 2009-02-04 17:07:22

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#3 2009-02-04 21:33:56

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#4 2009-02-04 23:40:18

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#5 2009-02-05 03:47:01

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#6 2009-02-05 04:09:02

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#7 2009-02-05 15:21:53

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

#8 2009-02-06 13:08:31

Re: [SOLVED] strange Open Office font problem

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