Re: why not html?

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Re: why not html?
by bluestorm on Monday 14/May/2007, @15:48

I'm not sure that's the right explanation here :
Why aren't web pages displayed the same way on every web engine ? Maybe because the specs are complex.
Is ODF simpler ? I can't help thinking it is not the case.

I don't know ODF. Perhaps it makes easier to describe the structure of the page, or richer as it comes to the specific needs of a particular app (XHTML is display-oriented, not work-oriented), and it may have a lot of other advantages, but i don't see it as an answer to the "multiple apps, multiple output" problem.
Of course this problem can be solved too, and developpers discussions (between Koffice, and with OpenOffice/Abiword/whatever devs) is certainly the right way to go. Let's cooperate !

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Re: why not html?
by Chris on Monday 14/May/2007, @19:30

HTML was originally designed as a method of serving text and graphics over the internet. Since then, much more thought has gone into the best way to do this. Among other things, the concept of separating the actual content from how its displayed has been well developed. Since at this point HTML is a bit of a patchwork, and because developing it further would make backwards compatibility difficult to achieve, XHTML has been developed as a replacement. XHTML does an excellent job at separating content from display.

Why would we want this? If you are using your mobile phone or PDA, would you want websites displayed in the same way they are when you're on your widescreen monitor at home? Probably not. This is why the separation between content and display is so important, because with it you can display the same content but in a form that is most appropriate for the given user/environment.

If KOffice uses a flexible format like XHTML, it can display the same content, but in a different way depending on the O/S, display manager, resolution, user preferences, etc.

Finally, if ensuring uniformity across platforms is really what's important, you need to choose a format that has that as its goal. PDF is by far the most common, although there are others.

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Re: why not html?
by Morty on Monday 14/May/2007, @23:49

Using PDF as a format for a document you work on is a no go, since it's essentialy a read only format. Even if you can edit it, PDF was never meant or designed to be editable. You have to realise, PDF is your printout. Even if it's stored digitally, it's the finished product.

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