[Info-vax] OT: Rob Short: Operating System Evolution

[Richard B. Gilbert]

VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
> In article <4b40a5e2$0$280$14726298 at news.sunsite.dk>, =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Arne_Vajh=F8j?= <arne at vajhoej.dk> writes:
>> On 02-01-2010 23:22, JF Mezei wrote:
>>> Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>>
>>>> But but but - did you unzip the container before
>>>> looking at it??
>>> If it was a zipped XML file, why was its extention not ".ZIP" ????
>>>
>>> How the<4 letter word that begins with H and ends with ELL>  is one
>>> supposed to know that some proprietary Microsoft format is a zip archive ?
>>>
>>> And if it was so easy to just unzip it, why was I told I needed a
>>> proprioetary micsrosoft application to convert that format to a .DOC or
>>> XML format readable by some other application ?
>> A .docx file is a zip file containing XML files.
>>
>> If you rename it to .zip and look into it then you will
>> see a bunch of xml files. I believe document.xml is the
>> one you will want.
>>
>> The extension is not .zip because then double clicking on it
>> would open a zip utility/filebrowser instead of the intended
>> Word.
>>
>> It is not a proprietary format but standardized format. Only
>> around 10000 pages of specification.  :-)
>>
>> To read it then I would also have suggested an office
>> application. It is not that easy to read that XML. MS Office
>> is obvious, but I believe that OpenOffice should be able
>> to read it as well.
> 
> You're saying that a .DOC is XML?  I thought it was proprietary M$ W(ei)RD.
> 

You can use any extension you like and it has little or nothing to to 
with the file contents.  Programs will make assumptions about format and 
content based on the extension but don't let that limit your creativity!