.docx can't be read

users
#21

Just tried it with a document I created in Word 2007. Looks like this is bug in LO. It shows the text box but not the image in it.
Interestingly if I save the same document as a doc instead of docx then it displays correctly...

#22

Ordinary inserted images do - we are talking images inside a Text Box here which definitely do NOT work here in LO 3.3.2

#23

In fact I have created a docx document with an ordinary inserted picture and a picture inserted within a text box.
On opening the file in LO the ordinary picture displays - the text box displays empty.

#24

Great, thanks! Please add that info to the bug report.

#25

Hi :slight_smile:
To some extent it is inevitable that people adapt to new ways of doing things
because different software makes certain things easier. Many people struggled
with Word when it first appeared but it has become ingrained into mainstream
society.

Many people used to touch-type with 2 hands adding in formatting as they typed
through certain key-combinations. In Word this is practically impossible.
People have grown used to either

1. typing a bit, reach for the mouse, move back to the keyboard and try to find
position often losing track of where they were on-screen and off-screen
2. typing 1 handed with the other hand on the mouse often spending ages trying
to work out where certain keys are on the keyboard and how to reach them
efficiently and then losing their place in the document they were working from
3. typing chunks of a document and then going back to add formatting later.

I remember Word-Perfect in one office that had a keyboard overlay so that you
could see what the function-keys did. Of course proper fast touch-typists were
unhappy because they don't look at the keyboard because it slows down the typing
or allows errors to creep into the document. Another office had a list of the
function-keys actions down the side of the monitor.

Word has many ways of doing things that appear easy and intuitive but that make
document creation slow, clumsy and error-prone. In mainstream society we are
very used to horrible errors in documents and seldom even notice them these days
- unless the document is created by something we are trying to find reasons to
slate. OpenOffice/LibreOffice often produce much higher quality documents by
avoiding many of Word's formatting errors such as switching styles randomly,
perhaps languages switching back into USA again despite global setting and
program setting being set to local languages.

Is change always bad? Ideally we get to keep working the way we are familiar
with while having access to better ways that we can learn gradually, at our own
pace.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#26

Could this be simply because LibO (and OOo) is not handling correctly windows
OLE objects in the docx format?

See my post on the previous page (on the nabble site for this topic) about
Equations.

#27

Hi :slight_smile:
Getting text to flow around the picture (or even across the picture) is much
easier when the pic is in-line rather than fenced-off in a box. There are a lot
of options in Formatting.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#28

Hi :slight_smile:
My ex-ex-ex-ex... boss used to use boxes. People often have trouble adding
pictures into documents [sighs] and he would teach them his way. I would look
at him in horror and show the better way and then the next time he would show
his way again. Perhaps he released a video recently lol

A local VJ has hired a secretary and wanted me to show her how to add pictures
because she had no idea, not even a bad idea, of how to do it. Often
secretaries have many tricks and knowledge of complex issues in document
creation but bosses have a way of ignoring their skills.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#29

Dotan:

Using LibreOffice 3.3.1 OOO330m19 (Build:8) tag libreoffice-3.3.1.2 on Vista Home premium.

If I try to open file from Libo, I get the blank docx as described.

If I open the file by double clicking from windows explorer, the file will open as a read-only document with a name: Wd0000004.doc in my temp folder.

This scenario seems familiar from the OOo lists.

TomW

#30

After all the rude comments made when I asked for Impress to be compatible with MS
Powerpoint .ppt format I'm staggered at all the spluttering about the issue over .docx and
images within text boxes.

In MS word/powerpoint I use textboxes with an image dropped in because then I can skid it
about the page taking advantage of text formmating around the textbox. Simple - easy - no
problem and if the function allows who says it's weird or you can't do it that way.

According to the comments regarding my Impress/powerpoint issue .... I'd would think that
the last thing LibO wants is to have compatibility with MS.... but who knows... Users are a
fickle lot.... aren't we?

Un-Impressed Ex-Impress User

#31

That's fine and is standard practice. What we are talking about here is a document that is just ONE big text box, with all the document text and images INSIDE the one big text box - a VERY odd thing to do...and NOT standard practice at ALL...

#32

Eh? In 2007, Insert Tab-Picture........:wink: Couldn't be any easier than that....

#33

I'm impressed by all the comment on a not very important file. I don't know if the originators (my acquaintances) did what some thought namely putting all information within a text-box but I doubt it as they are not very computer literate.
Dotan, its interesting that you could read it with office.live.com.
I tried the site but I have to do something very scary: to get a windows id and give my credentials to MS$! That is too much for me. If a commercial robber gives you something for free than you're sure you'll get screwed. I admire your courage but as a private person I will stay on the safe side. The only MS$ products I use(d) are those that were sold together with afew laptops as it was practically impossible to buy one without the MS$ OS. To be honest I use it in a virtual environment as I have 2 professional programs that only will run in that environment.
Tom and Gordon, from your comment I get the impression that it is a bug in LO as LO will not display images and text placed in a text box I will look into it as I agree with others that it is not important how weird people construct their documents. If some construction is not allowed, the user should be warned.
A remain very interested in the discussion.
Joep

#34

I'm impressed by all the comment on a not very important file. I don't know
if the originators (my acquaintances) did what some thought namely putting
all information within a text-box but I doubt it as they are not very
computer literate.

The point is not that the file may or may not be important, or if it
was made the "proper" or improper way. The point is that this
perfectly valid docx file does not open in software that is designed
to be compatible with docx.

Dotan, its interesting that you could read it with office.live.com.
I tried the site but I have to do something very scary: to get a windows id
and give my credentials to MS$!

Yes, I have done that.

That is too much for me. If a commercial
robber gives you something for free than you're sure you'll get screwed. I
admire your courage but as a private person I will stay on the safe side.

Although I personally prefer pragmatism over idealism, I very much
honour your stance. I actually envy that I cannot disregard pragmatism
as you can do. I mean that. Do you use Debian by chance?

The only MS$ products I use(d) are those that were sold together with afew
laptops as it was practically impossible to buy one without the MS$ OS. To
be honest I use it in a virtual environment as I have 2 professional
programs that only will run in that environment.

In Microsoft's defence, I love their keyboards, I love .NET, and I've
heard very good things about their games. It's only their operating
system, office suite, and web browser that are so problematic.

#35

I did the same; I have WinXP running in VMware & I opened in Word2003
w/docx converter. The file displays properly (after docx conversion). I
then saved it as a standard .doc (file size goes from 689KB to 4,415KB)
& that document opens in both OOo 3.3.0 and LO (3.4). The background is
blank & you need to Format|Page|Background to see the actual png
background. Now if I save that file (the .doc) to .odt, the file size
goes from 4,415KB to 424KB & can be opened in OOo, LO with the now
shaded background (and text of course) in place.

Extracting all of the .docx shows a 'thumbnail.jpeg' of the page itself,
plus two other images: image1.png (the background w/gradients) and
image2.jpeg (looks like a grey slide background).

#36

Well that's what it has when opened in MS Word 2007 - a large text box with all the data inside it...

#37

I just tried google docs with my faulty .docx. Google .docx imports were
quite good at one time, but even all that might can't manage my .docx.
I'm betting the format has changed to thwart competitors efforts at
compatibility.
steve

#38

Are you suggesting that LO/OOo will not display images in a text box,
but that is a valid MSO docx feature?
   

It would appear so.

Stupid or not, that is how people are creating
documents
   

I just tried google docs with my faulty .docx. Google .docx imports were
quite good at one time, but even all that might can't manage my .docx.
I'm betting the format has changed to thwart competitors efforts at
compatibility.
steve

HI :slight_smile:
It only seems to be text inside a text-box that is being difficult at the
moment. When a document is written normally it translates easily but for some
reason a few people have suddenly started defaulting to using text-boxes
unnecessarily.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#39

Hi.
Its not just text in a box. I have had problems with charts and may be tables and lines and annotations from docx.
2 screen snaps attached for Tom showing something I don't really want bandied about in public that won't import and which google docs garbles.
steve

#40

________________________________
From: Steve Edmonds <steve.edmonds@ptglobal.com>
To: users@libreoffice.org; tomdavies04@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Mon, 9 May, 2011 20:51:44
Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] .docx can't be read

On 9/05/11 8:54 PM, Tom Davies wrote:

Are you suggesting that LO/OOo will not display images in a text box,
but that is a valid MSO docx feature?

It would appear so.

Stupid or not, that is how people are creating
documents

I just tried google docs with my faulty .docx. Google .docx imports were
quite good at one time, but even all that might can't manage my .docx.
I'm betting the format has changed to thwart competitors efforts at
compatibility.
steve

HI :slight_smile:
It only seems to be text inside a text-box that is being difficult at the
moment. When a document is written normally it translates easily but for some
reason a few people have suddenly started defaulting to using text-boxes
unnecessarily.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hi.
Its not just text in a box. I have had problems with charts and may be
tables and lines and annotations from docx.
2 screen snaps attached for Tom showing something I don't really want
bandied about in public that won't import and which google docs garbles.
steve

Hi :slight_smile:
Yes :frowning: All sorts of boxes with text in them could be affected. This looks like
the same problem. Is there a bug-report about this that can be added to? Text
out-side of boxes seems fine. Pictures seem fine although possibly just moved
around a little.

I think annotations is a separate bug-report.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

PS That was kinda semi-confidential. There were no clues about locations (even
to the nearest hemisphere), time, dates (to the nearest decade), or even events
& all best kept that way.