I agree, altough there is a catch... I was going to argument that Microsoft is not known for keeping long-lasting compatibility between document-formats, but when I think about it, Open Source projects tend to evolve very quickly as well. In this case, the best argument I can come up with PRO Gnumeric is that we might have a say in the way it evolves... I think chances of us influencing Redmond's XML-format are slim or worse ;-s
As long as the Gnumeric-format captures 90% of the user's needs, I think we should opt for Gnumeric; unless there are some real shortcomings compared to the Excel 2000 XML format. (I'm not that familiar with the Excel format to answer that one...) This is not a religious point, I *am* pursuadable... Koen > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Namens Sven Kuenzler > Verzonden: dinsdag 23 juli 2002 20:52 > Aan: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Onderwerp: Re: Excel generator > > > I'd also prefer the Gnumeric format. That's because it's open source, > it's used by other oss project(s) and there are people maintaining > documentation for it. So, keeping this format would create some kind of > open source synergy. > Plus, it would not break apps which depend on the serializer already. > > Sven > > Koen Pellegrims schrieb: > > Personally, I think it makes most sense to use the Gnumeric > format. Granted, > > it is not the easiest format, but it allows you to express most > anything you > > have in your stylesheet. > > I think that -at least in theory- the Generator, followed by > the Serializer > > should give you the same worksheet back... > > > > IMHO it makes more sense to get aquinted well with one format > (Gnumeric), > > rather than constantly swapping between two different formats. > > > > If we were to invent a new representation, it would probably > come very close > > to the Gnumeric format anyway... > > > > Koen. > > > > > >>-----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > >>Van: Andrew C. Oliver [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > >>Verzonden: dinsdag 23 juli 2002 19:18 > >>Aan: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Marc Johnson > >>Onderwerp: Re: Excel generator > >> > >> > >>Geoff Howard wrote: > >> > >> > >>>Well, I'll make a stab at what I would think could be useful for > >> > >>a generator > >>>from an excel file. I can think of two logical directions > >>people would want > >> > >>>to go. > >>> > >>>1) If you are serializing to some display format (html, pdf, > >> > >>etc) you'd want > >> > >>>to reproduce the data and formatting as it would appear viewed in, or > >>>printed from excel. > >>> > >> > >>You can of course do an approximation of this in any format via a > >>stylesheet. Granted it won't look *eactly* the same due to differences > >>(HTML borders are vastly different from Excel's). > >> > >> > >>>2) If you are using excel as a make-shift database, you would want to > >>>preserve the data structure so that it can be transformed and > acted on or > >>>displayed. > >>> > >>> > >> > >>Yes. > >> > >> > >>>I would assume that both of these uses could be accomplished by just > >>>outputting the format that would have created the same style > >> > >>sheet to begin > >> > >>>with, except possibly for the option to output formula results > instead of > >>>the formulas. Most users would assume the formats and behaviour > >> > >>to be close > >> > >>>to symetric - if start with an .xls file, run it through the > >> > >>generator and > >> > >>>serializer, I ought to wind up pretty close to where I started if not > >>>exactly where I started. > >>> > >>> > >> > >>great. > >> > >> > >>>Does that work for a discussion starter? > >>> > >>> > >> > >>Yes so the question I guess is assuming you can transform it via XSLT to > >>whatever you like given the effort. What format (XML tag format) makes > >>most since? Preserving the gnumeric compatibility? A custom format > >>that makes more sense? Striving for Excel 2000 XML format > >>compatibility? > >> > >>Currently the serializer shares the gnumeric tag language. > >> > >>-Andy > >> > >> > >>>Geoff > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>-----Original Message----- > >>>>From: Andrew C. Oliver [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > >>>>Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 9:57 AM > >>>>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>Subject: Re: Excel generator > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>But the more important part of my answer was "What do you > >>>>want on your > >>>>generator, and > >>>>what do you wish you had on your serializer -- would you like fries > >>>>too?" Meaning I need ideas! > >>>>I'm on the fence, I want some input. > >>>> > >>>>-Andy > >>>> > >>>>Sven Kuenzler wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>>Is there an Excel Generator, which creates *from* an Excel > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>(xls) file > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>>some XML? Or what approach would you take to convert existing Excel > >>>>>>documents into some useful XML? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>I think the previous responses missed the *from* (my emphasis) :-) > >>>>>So, read Andy's answer on the dev list. In short: No, there is no > >>>>>HSSFGenerator (yet). > >>>>> > >>>>> Sven > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>Please check that your question has not already been > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>>answered in the > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>FAQ before posting. > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>><http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>For additional commands, e-mail: > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>Please check that your question has not already been answered in the > >>>>FAQ before posting. <http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> > >>>> > >>>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>>For additional commands, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>Please check that your question has not already been answered in the > >>>FAQ before posting. <http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> > >>> > >>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>For additional commands, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>Please check that your question has not already been answered in the > >>FAQ before posting. <http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> > >> > >>To unsubscribe, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>For additional commands, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> > >> > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Please check that your question has not already been answered in the > > FAQ before posting. <http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> > > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > For additional commands, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Please check that your question has not already been answered in the > FAQ before posting. <http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For additional commands, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Please check that your question has not already been answered in the FAQ before posting. <http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/faq/index.html> To unsubscribe, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
