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Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2011 08:51:18 -0400
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Subject: Re: Uh oh: OpenOffice.org XML Namespaces and Sun Mediatypes
From: Rob Weir <apache@robweir.com>
To: ooo-dev@incubator.apache.org
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Java projects that move to Apache have a similar issue.  They often
convert from their pre-existing package structure to an org.apache.foo
structure.  Not sure if that is mandatory or not, but they seem to
like to converge on an Apache namespace.

But I think XML namespaces are different, since they are embedded in
the documents as well, not only the code.  As such there are
additional interoperability implications.  The apps that read and
write settings in the namespace form an interoperable space.  If we
changed the namespace in our documents, we'd break interoperability.

So I'd recommend an approach like this:

1) For new settings, adopt an Apache name space

2) For old settings, to the extent that we remain compatible with
their legacy behavior, we should preserve the same legacy namespace

3) If we eve break legacy behavior then we should also change the
namespace.  In other words, things that are not compatible should not
use the same namespace.

4) If there are settings that we find are critical for multiple
applications, like OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Symphony, RedOffice, etc.,
then we should promote them into a future revision of the ODF
standard, into an ODF namespace.


-Rob

On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 12:28 AM, Dennis E. Hamilton
<dennis.hamilton@acm.org> wrote:
> It just occurred to me that a place for some sort of common agreement, an=
d publication of what they mean, are the OpenOffice.org Namespaces. =C2=A0I=
 assume these "belong" to OpenOffice.org, but governance of namespaces is o=
dd business. =C2=A0These are also something to coordinate with the LibreOff=
ice folk and others who use these namespaces for any purpose. =C2=A0Most of=
 all, they need to be defined.
>
> (This occurred to me reading about macro-recording in LibreOffice Calc, a=
nd it flashed before my eyes that this is an implementation-dependent featu=
re introduced by an (undocument as far as I know) namespace binding:
>
> Here is the bunch that tend to be spit out in the beginning of ODF files =
used within packages as part of fixed boilerplate in the root element:
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0xmlns:ooo=3D"http://openoffice.org/2004/office=
"
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0xmlns:oooc=3D"http://openoffice.org/2004/calc"
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0xmlns:ooow=3D"http://openoffice.org/2004/write=
r"
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0xmlns:rpt=3D"http://openoffice.org/2005/report=
"
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0xmlns:tableooo=3D"http://openoffice.org/2009/t=
able"
>
> The URIs all generate 404s.
>
> There are significant uses as in establishment of
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0<config:config-item-set config:name=3D"ooo:vie=
w-settings">
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0<config:config-item-set config:name=3D"ooo:con=
figuration-settings">
>
> where the attribute values are QNames and they introduce a pot-full of un=
qualified item names that are specific to the QNames, above.
>
> And then there are MIME media types:
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0application/vnd.sun.xml.ui.configuration
>
> for a subdocument "Configurations2/" in ODF packages produced by *OpenOff=
ice.org producers.
>
> There are other application/vnd.sun.... MIME media types in use as well.
>
> =C2=A0- Dennis
>
>
>
>
>