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From: David Fisher <dfisher@jmlafferty.com>
To: POI Developers List <dev@poi.apache.org>
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Subject: Fwd: Issues with Open XML in Office 2008 for Mac SP2 
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:27:16 -0700
References: <C6961D90.D1F1%blair.neumann@microsoft.com>

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Hi All -

 =46rom Microsoft - very responsive.

Regards,
Dave

From: Blair Neumann <Blair.Neumann@microsoft.com>
Date: July 29, 2009 3:38:56 PM PDT
To: Dave Fisher <dave@jmlafferty.com>
Subject: FW: Issues with Open XML in Office 2008 for Mac SP2

Hi Dave. Please forward to dev@poi.apache.org.

------ Forwarded Message
From: Blair Neumann <blair.neumann@microsoft.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:37:25 -0700
To: "dev@poi.apache.org" <dev@poi.apache.org>
Subject: Issues with Open XML in Office 2008 for Mac SP2

Hello Dave Fisher and other POI contributors.

Pat McMillan forwarded email from Dave Fisher describing the Apache =20
POI project=92s concerns about an issue in Office 2008 for Mac SP2, =20
concerns that we share. This email is a response to Dave Fisher's =20
earlier correspondence.

We are aware of a serious bug in Office 2008 for Mac SP2 version =20
12.2.0 causing some Open XML files to fail to open in Office 2008 SP2. =20=

This bug is affecting Open XML files from a variety of sources =20
including Office for Windows, Office for Mac, and the Apache POI =20
project. We understand the problem and are working to release a =20
version 12.2.1 of Office 2008 that addresses this issue in August.

A few points from Dave Fisher's mail should be addressed.

 >> the Apache POI project has adjusted code to produce "MS-compatible =20=

OOXML by adding docProps/app.xml with "Microsoft Excel". We've done =20
similar for DOCX files. This will allow users of future versions of =20
Apache POI to produce OOXML documents that will work with Office 2008 =20=

for Mac SP2.

This is not the best long-term solution, though we understand that it =20=

may be an effective short-term response to a bug in Office 2008 for =20
Mac version 12.2.0. This isn't about producing "MS-compatible" Open =20
XML but is rather a workaround for a short-term bug. Rather than =20
asserting that Apache POI files are written by Microsoft, we hope that =20=

your long-term guidance will be to recommend that affected Office 2008 =20=

for Mac users use version 12.2.1 or later (or version 12.1.9 or =20
earlier) with files written by Apache POI.

 >> In our understanding of the standard docProps/app.xml is optional.

Our understanding also. An extended properties part (such as app.xml, =20=

which happens to be what we call it) is indeed optional as stated in =20
ECMA-376, Part 4, Section 7.2, "If all extended property elements are =20=

omitted then the extended properties part may be excluded from a =20
document."

 >> If this [the Application tag] were required by the standard then =20
we think this would mean that the proper value for Apache POI created =20=

documents would to be "Apache POI" and not "Microsoft Excel"

Our understanding also. Related to my discussion above, we believe =20
that an Application value "Apache POI" is appropriate.

 >> we expect that Microsoft will return to compliance with ISO =20
standard 29500 as promised.

To be clear, Office 2008 for Mac conforms to ECMA-376 and does not yet =20=

conform to ISO/IEC 29500. The current situation is a bug in our =20
ECMA-376 implementation and will be remedied as soon as possible.

Warm regards.
  -Blair.

Blair Neumann
Program Manager, Macintosh Business Unit
blair.neumann@microsoft.com


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