Microsoft Office Open XML Formats Frequently Asked Questions

The new Office XML Formats introduce a number of benefits not only for developers and the solutions they build, but also for individual users and organizations of all sizes.

Integration of Business Information with Documents
Office XML Formats enable rapid creation of documents from disparate data sources, accelerating document assembly, data mining, and content reuse. Exchanging data between Microsoft Office applications and enterprise business systems is simplified?alter information inside a Microsoft Office document or create a document from scratch using standard tools and technologies; access to Microsoft Office applications is not required. Employees can improve productivity by publishing, searching, and reusing information more quickly and accurately in the environment they choose.

Open and Royalty-free Specification
Office XML Formats are based on industry standard XML and ZIP technologies, support full integration by any technology provider, and are available via a royalty-free license. Format specifications will be published and made available under the same royalty-free license that exists for the Microsoft Office 2003 Reference Schemas?openly offered and available for broad industry use.

Compact, Robust File Format
Smaller file sizes and improved recovery of corrupted documents enable Microsoft Office users to operate efficiently and confidently and reduces the risk of lost information. Office XML Formats use ZIP and compression technologies to store documents offering potential cost savings as it reduces the disk space required to store files and decreases the bandwidth needed to transport files by e-mail, over networks, and across the Web.

The new defaults are different because they will be based on XML. As a result, you'll be able to open and automatically edit Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint files with any XML processing program without having to "Save As" XML. The new formats build on Microsoft's earlier commitment to XML by improving file and data management, reducing file sizes, and improving recovery of damaged files. It will be easier than ever for users to access data from their Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files and integrate that information with back-end systems and processes.

The Office XML Formats will offer some key improvements over the current binary file formats in use within Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint today. Because these file formats are compressed, the resulting document sizes will be much smaller, in-between 50 and 75 percent in some cases. The file formats architecture also improves recovery of damaged files. Developers gain more granular control of the content within the files allowing them to index, remove sensitive information, and dynamically assemble documents.

Microsoft developed Office XML Formats to respond to customer requests for more rapid document creation from disparate data sources and to extend our commitment to industry-standard XML. By creating a new robust, yet compact, structure based on industry standards such as XML and ZIP, the new default file formats speed document creation while reducing the size of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files and improving data recovery in corrupted files.

No. Office XML Formats use some of the conventions described in the Windows Metro Specification, however, the formats are different in several important ways. Metro is a paginated, fixed document format introduced for Microsoft Windows Longhorn. The Office XML Formats are fully editable file formats for Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint. While they share similarities in their use of XML and ZIP compression, they are different in file format design and intended usage.

No. While both formats utilize XML and ZIP, they are designed with different purposes in mind. Metro is a layout-focused document format being introduced by Windows Longhorn to allow customers to effortlessly create, share, print, and archive documents. Office XML Formats are new default file formats that will be used specifically in Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint to enable more rapid creation of documents from disparate data sources, facilitating document assembly as well as data-mining scenarios.

The new file formats differ from the current Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas in two ways:

When posted publicly, the new specifications will have an open, royalty-free license.

For the latest announcements leading up to the release of Microsoft Office "12", including feature comparisons, developer tools, and deployment resources, visit the Future of Microsoft Office Web site.

Brian Jones, a Program Manager and 6-year veteran of the Microsoft Office team, maintains a blog on the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) devoted to the XML file formats in Office. Brian's blog includes discussion, links to developer resources and insights into Office "12" decision making processes.

Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint will use the new file formats in the next release of Microsoft Office products.

Yes. The current file formats will be available with the next release of the Microsoft Office system of products.

Currently, only Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint will use Office XML Formats. This does not prevent other applications from doing so in the future. We chose to introduce Office XML Formats with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint because over fifty percent of developers participating in our Microsoft Office 2003 Reference Schema program use Word and Excel's Reference Schemas in their solutions?PowerPoint was added due to customer request.

InfoPath currently uses a native XML file format, called XSN. We are looking at ways to leverage this new file format for other Microsoft Office System technologies such as Visio, Access, Project, OneNote, Publisher, FrontPage, and Outlook based on feedback we hear from our customers.

No. While the new Office XML Formats will mark the introduction of XML as the default file formats in Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office PowerPoint, this is actually an evolution of our existing Office XML strategy. Microsoft Office introduced XML with Microsoft Office 2000, using it as part of the HTML file format to represent some features that did not exist in the HTML standard at that time, such as meta data and vector graphics. We introduced SpreadsheetML as an optional file format in Microsoft Office Excel 2002, and WordprocessingML as an optional format in Microsoft Office Word 2003. Microsoft Office 2003 Editions also marked a big step forward by introducing the new XML-based forms application?Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003?as well as support for custom-defined XML schemas in Word, Excel, and InfoPath. All of the XML formats available in previous releases of Microsoft Office will be fully supported in Microsoft Office "12".

Yes. Microsoft will release converters for Microsoft Office 2000, Microsoft Office XP, and Microsoft Office 2003, so customers using previous releases of Microsoft Office will be able to open files created using the new file formats.

The converters we are creating for prior releases of Microsoft Office will read, honor, and apply IRM protection to documents. A document that has been IRM protected will continue to be protected regardless of whether the recipient is using Microsoft Office "12", Microsoft Office 2003, or a previous release.

To maximize the benefit of reduced file size and deliver out-of-the-box data recovery benefits, the new file formats were set to be the default. This will provide information workers with the benefit of the new file formats without impacting their daily work. Office XML Formats enable the rapid creation of documents from disparate data sources, easier data mining, and content reuse in Microsoft Office.

Yes. We will release updates for Microsoft Office 2000, Microsoft Office XP, and Microsoft Office 2003 to enable customers using older releases of Microsoft Office to read, edit, and save files using the new Office XML Formats.

The new file formats will improve file and data management by reducing file sizes and improving the recovery of corrupt or damaged files. Interoperability with servers and other applications will also improve because other software tools will be able to more easily access the XML document structure to identify or interact with specific document components, such as comments, document metadata, or embedded code. Because the file formats will have a published specification with a royalty-free license, any customer or technology provider will be able to use the file formats in their own systems.

Similar to Microsoft Office 2003's Reference Schemas, the new Office XML Formats are open, published document formats. XML-based file formats enable developers to access specific contents within files without having to parse entire documents. Users can open and automatically edit Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint files with any XML processing program, without having to "Save As" XML.

Microsoft developed Office XML Formats to respond to customer requests for more rapid document creation from disparate data sources and to extend our commitment to industry-standard XML. By creating a new robust, yet compact, structure based on industry standards such as XML and ZIP, the new default file formats speed document creation while reducing the size of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files and improving data recovery in corrupted files.

Personally identifiable information is data in files that can be used to identify a specific user or author of a document. Typically, this information is found within the "Properties" dialog of the authoring application and may include information such as the authors name, location of the document, and creation date. Office XML Formats store this type of data separately within a document making it easy for programs to remove this information cleanly, with no impact to the remainder of the document.

Yes. Tracked changes and comments are stored as a separate data component within the file. This enables users to easily identify the presence of comments within documents and eliminate those comments prior to sharing the document.

Yes. Users can access and remove the comments and tracked changes within a file without impacting other components in the document.

Document assembly is the ability to construct documents from existing, commonly-used data. These processes can be done manually, by a user, or on a server with no user intervention. Office XML Formats modular file format architecture enables the addition, modification, or subtraction of document contents more easily than is possible today. For example, an updated corporate logo can be added to every document in a repository by a program that understands how to access the images inside each document. This could be done manually, by a user, or programmatically, on a server.

The new file formats helps ensure greater data consistency by allowing users to:

Because the data within the file is segmented and stored separately, documents are at much lower risk for loss. Any individual component that is damaged will not prevent the rest of the document from loading successfully. For example, if a document has a damaged chart, only the chart will fail to load, and the rest of the document will remain intact. Additionally, file components that do become damaged can be more successfully repaired.

Yes. Similar to the capability offered in current Microsoft Office products, users will have the ability to select a different document format when saving documents from within Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

Internal data storage of the Office XML Formats is segmented into discreet components?for example, embedded code is stored separately from the document content inside the file. Each component within a single file is compressed using ZIP compression technology. In addition to the compression of each document segment, the entire document is also compressed using ZIP compression. As a result, the sizes of Microsoft Office Word documents, Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentations are reduced. The amount of compression and size savings varies per file.

No. When opening the documents in Microsoft Office, the compression and de-compression happens automatically; users are not required to manually apply compression, and they are never asked to unzip a document.

No. The ZIP compression technology will not compress images.

The new Office XML Formats support the inclusion of custom-defined schemas; these facilitate storage of XML data inside Microsoft Office Word documents and Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets without converting to Word or Excel format. Custom-defined data is stored within its native structure within the file.

Workflow is definitely a key issue for Microsoft Office "12", but it is too early in the development process to discuss any details?we'll be in touch as we have more to share.

The new Office XML Formats improve security in the sense that files with embedded code and macros are easy to identify and isolate. Files that are not enabled to run code or macros will ignore any code that is embedded. This will improve security by isolating instances of embedded code down to those situations where it is enabled by an administrator.

The new Office XML Formats can be password protected using similar functionality to what the current Microsoft Office products use. This will enables users to add a password to a document to prevent opening or modifying a file.

Yes. The new Office XML Formats will improve security in the sense that files with embedded code and macros are easy to identify and isolate. Files will not be enabled to run code or macros and will ignore any code that is embedded. This will improve security by isolating instances of embedded code down to those situations where it is enabled by an administrator.

Yes. With Office XML Formats, any embedded code or macros stored within the document will not execute.

Microsoft is working hard to ensure the new file formats are compatible with prior Microsoft Office releases and that the current file formats are fully supported in the next release of the Microsoft Office system of products. We are creating deployment tools, resources, and assistance for our customers and partners. To ensure a smooth transition, we are publishing the file formats specifications prior to product availability enabling customers, partners, and developers to examine the formats before they begin receiving or creating files.

Yes. The default file formats can be changed during the installation of Microsoft Office by an individual user or by an IT professional during broader group deployments.

Yes. After installation of the software, a user can elect to change which file format is used as the default. Users will also have the ability to choose which format is used when any individual document is saved from within Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, or Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

Yes. The default file format can be changed to a different default during deployment by the IT department, or, an individual can elect to change which file format is used as the default after installation.

Yes. Organizations will be able to set the file format for their employees during the installation process.

Yes. After Microsoft Office "12" is installed, users will be able to select which file format is used as the default file format within Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

Yes. We will publish the specification publicly prior to product availability. As a result, any solution provider or developer will be able to obtain the Office XML Formats specification via a royalty-free license. This enables third-party developers to integrate the file formats into their solutions without financial consideration to Microsoft.

XML enables companies to capture information in such a way that it can be repurposed and reused however and whenever the organization needs to use it, regardless of platform. Building on the XML support in the Microsoft Office System, customers can improve data flow throughout organizations and build customized business process and productivity solutions that help information workers make a greater impact on their business.

For example, information individuals create or capture on their desktops can now be connected directly to key business processes via XML, streamlining the management of those processes and reducing the need to re-key information in disparate systems. Likewise, XML can unlock information currently stored in back-end systems, which can then be processed and re-purposed on the desktop in the Microsoft Office applications with which people are already very familiar.

The XML support in Office 2003 is based on industry standards. We support these industry standard XML in two ways:

Not at all. The XML-based information is 100 percent based on industry-standard XML, and any application that supports XML and custom-defined schemas will be able to process the documents.

The difference is in what the schemas are intended to portray. The reference schemas we released for Microsoft Office Excel 2003, Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003, and Microsoft Office Visio 2003 earlier are what we refer to as "display oriented" schema. That is, they are focused on describing how information would look and be displayed (such as how a Visio diagram would appear to a user).

Custom schema, on the other hand, represents what are commonly referred to as data-oriented schemas. Like other markup languages, XML uses tags to define specific elements within a document. XML tags define the document's structural elements and the meaning of those elements. As a result, XML can be used to define the document structure and content?not just the look and feel. Within the Office System XML infrastructure, Microsoft supports "custom-defined" schemas which customers can define or create for themselves or that can be defined through an industry process.