Microsoft on Open XML SDK

A few months ago, Microsoft was able to obtain control of Open XML. Because of that achievement, the company fervently worked on developing Open XML not only for their own advantage but also for other developers.

Among those movements is the release of Open XML SDK which will help developers in building applications that will assist in manipulating the Open XML.

This mark-up language has become the backbone of MS Office 2007 which is slowly trying to get into the market. By releasing Open XML SDK, Microsoft is hoping to increase the interest in MS Office 2007 especially for the enterprise. The SDK was first released June 2008 and the 2.0 version updates are now available in their official website.

There are two outputs developers could achieve in using Open XML. The first output is an outright application that could be used to manipulate MS Office 2007.

With the help of SDK, they could develop an application that could interact with different Office 2007 tools. Developers could also build an API with the help of the SDK.

Unfortunately, the API is only geared as an extension in building applications with the help of the .Net Framework. This is where developers can build an Ajax based application with the help of Open XML.  The .Net framework could easily build an Ajax based application without any problem.

However, it will require proficiency in the .Net framework. If you really need to interact with Office 2007, then you should consider learning the .Net framework.  This is one of the few disadvantages of the Open XML SDK.

Although the .Net framework is very powerful in building Ajax based applications, not everyone are looking to build an Ajax based application with the help of this framework. It could be a very long way before you could develop an Ajax based application with the ability to interact with Office 2007.

Another disadvantage of the Open XML SDK is the documentation. Developing an application (not an API) from the scratch with the help of an SDK is normally easy. But this SDK released by Microsoft leans on a difficult setting. A whopping 6,000 (that’s right - three zeros) pages was released by the software giant as documentation. Saying that the documentation is rather long is an understatement.

But Microsoft is trying to get back everything on track. They are aiming for ISO certification on the Open XML. Some have frowned on this idea saying that Open XML is not yet fully developed and there might be security flaws that could inhibit the development and increase the vulnerability of applications that will employ the Open XML.

Microsoft believes that through the collective help of developers, the Open XML could become a powerful standard with its security intact.

For Ajax developers, the Open XML presents another stage for development and opportunity. The Open XML should be able to help build an Ajax based application with full interaction with the Office 2007. It is a long shot considering the documentation of the SDK but never impossible.