322 CHAPTER 21 MAKING THE MOVE TO (Web hosting support)
322 CHAPTER 21 MAKING THE MOVE TO OPENOFFICE.ORG Figure 21-1. All the OpenOffice.org components are fully compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. When it comes to sharing files, there s another option: save your files in a non-Office format such as PDF or HTML. OpenOffice.org is able to export documents in both formats, and most modern PCs equipped with Adobe Acrobat or a simple web browser will be able to read them. However, while OpenOffice.org can open and edit HTML files, it can export documents only as PDF files, so this format is best reserved for files not intended for further editing. OPEN DOCUMENT FORMAT One of the principles behind all open-source software is the idea of open file formats. This means that if someone creates a new open-source word processor, he also makes sure that the technology behind the file format is explained, so that other people can adapt their programs to read and/or save in that file format. Compare this to Microsoft s approach, which is to not only attempt to keep its file formats secret, but also to patent the formats so that no one else can use them without permission. The only way for Office competitors like OpenOffice.org to understand Office file formats is to reverse-engineer them to try to figure out how they work by taking them apart. This is a time-consuming process and, increasingly, resides in a legal gray area in many countries.