Confusing terminology for save as DOCX

English
#1

I’m confused which .docx save as format to use. I’ve looked at several links & bugs and am not sure whether to use Word 2007-365 (.docx) or Office Open XML Text (Transitional) (.docx).

I started with this.

I tried to read through some of the bugs but don’t understand all of it.
https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=137883

and
https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=137883#c14

I read if you unzip a .docx file you can tell which Microsoft word version a .docx file was saved in. So I saved a document using both Word 2007-365 (.docx) and Office Open XML Text (Transitional) (.docx). Unzipping shows they both have AppVersion tag value: 15.0000 = Word 2013.

Are both saved files really the same or is there still some underlying difference?

From reading the bug reports it appears some labeling changes of .docx files are coming with LibreOffice 7.6. If so, what are they going to be?
Thanks

#2

First of all, when you have loaded a foreign file format into some application, you store your own working copy in the native file format of the application you are using (docx in Word, odt in Writer). This way you ensure that everything you do with that file can be stored in that file.
Only when absolutely necessary, you may store a copy of your work in a foreign file format. If there is any trouble with that file format you can always resort to the working copy in native file format.
LibreOffice is NOT an alternative editor for Microsoft documents.

2 Likes
#3

Edit different file formats in LibreOffice

#4
Word 2007-365 → Word 2007
Office Open XML Text (Transitional) → Word 2010-365 Document
#5

According to the bug-reports you already linked, this is also fixed in 7.6:

compatibilityMode=12 for ECMA 376 1st ed.
It will be available in 7.6.0.

Different filters and so they may produce different files.

#6

I understand what is said about “store your own working copy in the native file format of the application you are using“. I do not have MS Office or MS Word on my PC so I cannot save in the real Microsoft .docx format. If I have to send a copy to someone, which of the two LibreOffice .docx would be the most universally accepted?

I understand there’s compatibility issues between the different versions of Word. Will the same happen with LibreOffice, or is the .odt format more of a stable standard than .docx?

MS Works is my main word processor but it‘s old & not supported. Its default document save as format is .wps and you can save in .doc and .txt, but not .docx. If I send someone an email attachment I re-save the document as .either .doc or txt so they’ll be able to open it…

My “new” MS Works cannot open files made with my older Ms Works even though both are .wps files. Amazingly LO can open both versions.

Until I get LibreOffice 7.6, is there any difference choosing one .docx over the other since they both show saved in Word 2013?

#7

If the receipient is supposed to read the file, send PDF.
If the receipient is supposed to edit the file, tell him to install LibreOffice and send odt.
If the receipient insists in using Word, send him the file format which strictly conforms to Microsoft’s own standard.
Yes, the Open Document Standard has been very stable over the past 20 years, long before MS bribed something similar through the standardisation boards.

#8

Just curious - most comments I’ve seen regarding Word say to use the Transitional file format. But if the Strict format is the version not messed up by MS then why hasn’t that become the dominant Word file format?

If I understand correctly, both of the .docx formats in LO are in the Transitional format. And the one comment in that first bug link says “we don’t have a “strict” filter”.

If the recipient is using Word, how would you send him a MS Strict file format?

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