Libra Office and MS Word compatibility query

users
#1

Hello,

I have a question about LIbre Office- I am sorry if this is not the right venue for it, but can’t find anything else on your website.

My friend collaborates with others/ edits MS Word documents on her iMac using the Apple Pages software (she does not own MS Word).

After she edits it in Pages, she sends it back to the others in MS Word format, but Pages does something to it and it never looks right when the MS Word users get the document back from her.

Can Libre Office both receive, edit and send MS Word formatted files- possibly with .doc and .docx extensions, with no glitches, so that someone using MS Word can then work with it with no problems ?

If you can direct me to any further discussions on this, I will be most grateful.

Thank you,

HJ

#2

It all depends upon how the formatting is MS Word is done, and what
features and functionality in MS Word are used.

The only way to know if LibO will do what you want, is to use LibO.

For my part, I point blank refuse to use MS Word (any version), because
it is completely, utterly and absolutely incompatible with itself (the
same version but on a different computer)--- to the point that they
might as well have been written by two different companies, with
different development teams.

jonathon

#3

Since LibreOffice 5.0 can be opened page files
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/5.0#New_import_filters
but don't expect warranties about everything will be perfect.

Every time that a file is converted, increase the options for issues, as
LibreOffice is available for Mac, IMO install LibreOffice on the Mac it's
the option to achieve the lower amount of issues.
Miguel Ángel.

#4

"with no glitches"

I think this can only be achieved if everyone can agree to only use a
specified file format (.doc, .docx, .rtf) and only [basic] features known
to work the same in both programs. Perhaps one of the many online [basic]
word processors would be a better fit this situation.

#5

While I would agree there can be problems - sometimes big ones, between
*different* versions of Word (or Excel or Powerpoint), I call BS on your
the above. It simply is not true.

FUD like this does nothing to help with the spread of open file formats.

#6

​While the initial statement is exaggerated, moving a file between two
computers using the same version of MSO can produce different results, with
no obvious reasons. Of course after digging enough an explanation can be
found, but I've seen it happen often enough to be noticeable. This was in
the beginning of the docx format, but I would not be surprised if things
didn't change much in it's ~10 years of existence.

#7

For my part, I point blank refuse to use MS Word (any version), because
it is completely, utterly and absolutely incompatible with itself (the
same version but on a different computer)--- to the point that they
might as well have been written by two different companies, with
different development teams.

While I would agree there can be problems - sometimes big ones, between
*different* versions of Word (or Excel or Powerpoint), I call BS on your
the above. It simply is not true.

FUD like this does nothing to help with the spread of open file formats.

​While the initial statement is exaggerated,

It is MUCH more than just exaggerated...

moving a file between two computers using the same version of MSO
can produce different results, with no obvious reasons. Of course
after digging enough an explanation can be found,

By all means, please provide an example of something that could cause
this...

Maybe differing versions of VSC++, but I can't think of much else.

but I've seen it happen often enough to be noticeable. This was in
the beginning of the docx format, but I would not be surprised if things
didn't change much in it's ~10 years of existence.

Well, yes, sure, when a new file format is introduced there are a lot of
things that can happen.

But we are not talking about 10 years ago and a brand new file format.
We're talking about now - and I'd include the *recent* past (say, 2-4
years).

I'm not saying it can not ever happen, I'm saying that it isn't even
remotely close to the show stopper problem the OP claimed.

#8

As I kept reading these posting, I wonder about how deeply to you want to go with the "compatibility" between LibreOffice and the various versions of Word? Sure there are issues with the .docx format between different versions of Word, but there are issues with early versions of LO as well. As the developers work on the input/output filters for LO to deal with .docx files, LO is getting better at dealing with the file format. Yes there will be some problems using .docx between LO and Word, but as this thread clearly states, even between version of Word there are problems.

My solution tends to be "old school", since I prefer to use .doc files between LO and the various version of Word that are used by those who send me documents or receive them from me. So far, I have not come across any documents that "need" the .docx format. Sure there are those who need it to do more complex documents, but I prefer not to do them. If I have to create more complex documents, I tend to send the document to others via a PDF file. 9 time out of 10 I do not need to deal with multiple packages and multiple people when creating my more complex documents.

SO, with that said, how deeply do we want to go into compatibility issues? We can nick-pick all of the little issues that require very specific situations, or we can just make a list, with document examples, of all these issues and let them work on modifying the input/output filters.

Also, I must ask again what makes a package to become a "show stopper". Yes it may be depend on who/why people are using LO for their work, but it would be nice to be able to rate how much the issues are considered as a "show stopper".

#9

By all means, please provide an example of something that could cause this...

I don't have any examples that can be publicly distributed.

But we are not talking about 10 years ago and a brand new file format.

I'm talking about documents created with MSO 2016, on Win 10, not
Microsoft Office Professional on W4WG, which had the same issues.

remotely close to the show stopper problem the OP claimed.

When people can look at the print out of a document (^1), and tell which
version, edition, and locale of Microsoft Office, and which version,
locale, and edition of Microsoft Windows were used, there are format
compatibility issues. What they are looking at is the typography, not
the font, and definitely not the typeface.

^1: This happens with a no longer distributed template that had an MSRP
of US$500.

jonathon

#10

I realize I'm late to this conversation, but I take a completely different approach to the problem mentioned in OP's post.

Unfortunately, it's breaking an old paradigm to team editing of documents, and it's tough to sell.

Everyone has programs they prefer. Maybe Word, maybe Pages, maybe LO, maybe Abiword, etc. They are used to them, and efficient with them. Let them use what they want.

To be efficient in getting the teamwork done, and to keep innumerable versions under control, only the original creator should modify the document.

For sending copies around to other team members for input, export/save the document in PDF file format, password protecting it so the recipient cannot directly modify it or copy/paste the contents. Have the recipients use the PDF reader's annotation function to note the changes the recipient would like to see. Save the annotated file with a modified filename, and return. (Note, a filenaming convention also needs to be used.)

The OP can now sort through all the suggestions, and edit the original document as needed, combining the various versions from the recipients.