Open Document Architecture
Encyclopedia
The Open Document Architecture (ODA) and interchange format (informally referred to as just ODA) is a free and open
international standard
document file format
maintained by the ITU-T
to replace all proprietary document file formats. ODA is detailed in the standards documents CCITT T.411-T.424, which is equivalent to ISO
8613.
format that can contain raw text, raster images and vector graphics. In the original release the difference between this standard and others like it is that the graphics structures were exclusively defined as CCITT raster image and Computer Graphics Metafile
(CGM - ISO 8632). This was to limit the problem of having word processor
and desktop publisher
software be required to interpret all known graphics formats
.
The documents have both logical and layout structures. Logically the text can be partitioned into chapters, footnotes and other subelements akin to HTML
, and the layout fill a function similar to Cascading Style Sheets
in the web world. The binary transport format for an ODA-conformant file is called Open Document Interchange Format (ODIF) and is based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language
and Abstract Syntax Notation One
(ASN.1).
One of the features of this standard was that the documents could be stored or interchanged in one of three formats: Formatted, Formatted Processable, or Processable. The latter two are editable formats. The first is an uneditable format that is logically similar to Adobe Systems
PDF
that is in common use today.
, Olivetti
, ICL and Siemens AG
.
The intent was to have a universal storable and interchangeable document structure that would not go out of date and could be used by any word processor or desktop publisher. This was to solve the problem of the software applications that had their native file formats continually updated, sometimes rendering older native formats obsolete and therefor unusable. There was a large financial impact on companies that used ad hoc standard applications, such as Microsoft Word
or WordPerfect
, because of the need to maintain groups of people whose sole job was to import old stored documents into the latest version of the application before it became unreadable. The intended result of this standard was that companies need not commit to an ad hoc standard for word processor or desk top publisher applications, because any could be used to read and edit long stored documents.
The standard was initially completed at a ISO working group meeting in Ottawa
in February 1989 and was first approved for release in that year. Improvements and additions were continually being made. The revised standard was finally published in 1999. However, no significant developer of document software chose to support the format. It also took an extraordinarily long time to release the format (the pilot was financed in 1985, but the final specification not published until 1999). Given a lack of products that supported the format, in part because of the excessive time used to create the specification, few users were interested in using it. Eventually interest in the format faded.
It would be improper to call the ODA anything but a failure, but its spirit clearly influenced latter-day document formats that were successful in gaining support from many document software developers and users. These include the mentioned HTML
and CSS
as well as XML
and XSL
leading up to OpenDocument
and Office Open XML.
Open standard
An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it, and may also have various properties of how it was designed . There is no single definition and interpretations vary with usage....
international standard
International standard
International standards are standards developed by international standards organizations. International standards are available for consideration and use, worldwide...
document file format
Document file format
A document file format is a text or binary file format for storing documents on a storage media, especially for use by computers.There currently exist a multitude of incompatible document file formats....
maintained by the ITU-T
ITU-T
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector is one of the three sectors of the International Telecommunication Union ; it coordinates standards for telecommunications....
to replace all proprietary document file formats. ODA is detailed in the standards documents CCITT T.411-T.424, which is equivalent to ISO
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
8613.
Format
ODA defines a compound documentCompound document
In computing, a compound document is a document type typically produced using word processing software, and is a regular text document intermingled with non-text elements such as spreadsheets, pictures, digital videos, digital audio, and other multimedia features...
format that can contain raw text, raster images and vector graphics. In the original release the difference between this standard and others like it is that the graphics structures were exclusively defined as CCITT raster image and Computer Graphics Metafile
Computer Graphics Metafile
Computer Graphics Metafile is a free and open international standard file format for 2D vector graphics, raster graphics, and text, and is defined by ISO/IEC 8632.-Overview:...
(CGM - ISO 8632). This was to limit the problem of having word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
and desktop publisher
Desktop publishing
Desktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout software on a personal computer.The term has been used for publishing at all levels, from small-circulation documents such as local newsletters to books, magazines and newspapers...
software be required to interpret all known graphics formats
Image file formats
Image file formats are standardized means of organizing and storing digital images. Image files are composed of either pixels, vector data, or a combination of the two. Whatever the format, the files are rasterized to pixels when displayed on most graphic displays...
.
The documents have both logical and layout structures. Logically the text can be partitioned into chapters, footnotes and other subelements akin to HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, and the layout fill a function similar to Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
in the web world. The binary transport format for an ODA-conformant file is called Open Document Interchange Format (ODIF) and is based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language
Standard Generalized Markup Language
The Standard Generalized Markup Language is an ISO-standard technology for defining generalized markup languages for documents...
and Abstract Syntax Notation One
Abstract Syntax Notation One
Data generated at various sources of observation need to be transmitted to one or more locations that process it to generate useful results. For example, voluminous signal data collected by a radio telescope from outer space. The system recording the data and the system processing it later may be...
(ASN.1).
One of the features of this standard was that the documents could be stored or interchanged in one of three formats: Formatted, Formatted Processable, or Processable. The latter two are editable formats. The first is an uneditable format that is logically similar to Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
that is in common use today.
History
In 1985 ESPRIT financed a pilot implementation of the ODA concept, involving, among others, Bull corporationGroupe Bull
-External links:* * — Friends, co-workers and former employees of Bull and Honeywell* *...
, Olivetti
Olivetti
Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business machines.- Founding :The company was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti. The firm was mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti...
, ICL and Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
.
The intent was to have a universal storable and interchangeable document structure that would not go out of date and could be used by any word processor or desktop publisher. This was to solve the problem of the software applications that had their native file formats continually updated, sometimes rendering older native formats obsolete and therefor unusable. There was a large financial impact on companies that used ad hoc standard applications, such as Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
or WordPerfect
WordPerfect
WordPerfect is a word processing application, now owned by Corel.Bruce Bastian, a Brigham Young University graduate student, and BYU computer science professor Dr. Alan Ashton joined forces to design a word processing system for the city of Orem's Data General Corp. minicomputer system in 1979...
, because of the need to maintain groups of people whose sole job was to import old stored documents into the latest version of the application before it became unreadable. The intended result of this standard was that companies need not commit to an ad hoc standard for word processor or desk top publisher applications, because any could be used to read and edit long stored documents.
The standard was initially completed at a ISO working group meeting in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in February 1989 and was first approved for release in that year. Improvements and additions were continually being made. The revised standard was finally published in 1999. However, no significant developer of document software chose to support the format. It also took an extraordinarily long time to release the format (the pilot was financed in 1985, but the final specification not published until 1999). Given a lack of products that supported the format, in part because of the excessive time used to create the specification, few users were interested in using it. Eventually interest in the format faded.
It would be improper to call the ODA anything but a failure, but its spirit clearly influenced latter-day document formats that were successful in gaining support from many document software developers and users. These include the mentioned HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
and CSS
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
as well as XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
and XSL
Extensible Stylesheet Language
In computing, the term Extensible Stylesheet Language is used to refer to a family oflanguages used to transform and render XML documents....
leading up to OpenDocument
OpenDocument
The Open Document Format for Office Applications is an XML-based file format for representing electronic documents such as spreadsheets, charts, presentations and word processing documents....
and Office Open XML.
External links
The standard itself was made available for free download on September 7, 2007 (the "missing" documents T.420 and T.423 do not exist):- T.411 Introduction and general principles
- T.412 Document structures
- T.413 Abstract interface for the manipulation of ODA documents
- T.414 Document profile
- T.415 Open document interchange format (ODIF)
- T.416 Character content architectures
- T.417 Raster graphics content architectures
- T.418 Geometric graphics content architecture
- T.419 Audio content architectures
- T.421 Tabular structures and tabular layout
- T.422 Identification of document fragments
- T.424 Temporal relationships and non-linear structures