xml-dev - XML in Office 200X

[Imran Rashid <imranr@wolfram.com>]

>From: Chris Lovett <clovett@microsoft.com>
> There has been a LOT of mis-understanding about this use of XML in Office.
> A lot of it by marketing types who didn't understand enough about XML at the
> time.  But I know for a fact from the Office people I have worked with that
> making Office 2000 a general XML authoring tool was not a design goal.
> Having a future version of Office generate XHTML would be a great idea.

I think most of us aren't looking for general XML authoring tool from Office
2000.  What we want is for Office 200X to store all its data in XML.  (at
least thats what I'm looking for, I probably shouldn't speak for everybody
else...)
    What I really want is OfficeML, and some clear documentation on all the
elements it uses, how it corresponds to things in Office, etc.  that way, i
can take my own document, that I've written in waggaziggy application, save
it as waggaziggyML, apply an XSLT stylesheet, and get OfficeML, which I
anybody can open in Office 200X.  no other special tricks, just use standard
XML stuff.  that way, I can tell anybody that doesn't have waggaziggy
installed on their machine that they can still open my document in Office
200X.  or if they prefer they're own application, they can take my OfficeML,
apply their OfficeMLtoOogaML XSLT stylesheet, and then open it in their own
application.  all standard XML techniques.

    in other words, I don't want anything special at all. the XML you use
doesn't have to look anything like XHTML or any other ML.  and just be able
to import that XML back in.
    (BTW, when I say OfficeML, I mean compeltely legit XML, but which has to
follow certain extra constraints, eg certain element names, validates
against a DTD or schema, etc. etc.)

thanks,
Imran Rashid