While the Framework specification does require that markup languages combined to create conforming documents be profiled following strict rules, there is no requirement that the profiles thus used superset one or more of the WICD profiles. It may be preferable to do so for purposes of compatibility and interoperability with web applications, but to repeat, that is not required.

In fact, virtually any plain text-based markup language that can be profiled can be used within the structure of the Framework. But more importantly, a combination of cutting edge W3C markup language versions such as XHTML 2.0, CSS 3.0, XForms, SVG, etc. can, with only trivial extensions, serve as the full-featured metalanguage superset every expert who has spoken to the subject agrees is necessary to convert between ODF and OOXML with high fidelity.

This document defines a generic language-independent processing model
for combining arbitrary document formats.

The Compound Document Framework is language-independent.
While it is clearly meant to serve as the basis for integrating W3C's
family of XML formats within its Interaction Domain (e.g., MathML, SMIL,
SVG, VoiceXML, XForms, XHTML, XSL) with each other, together with CSS and
the DOM; it can also be used to integrate non-W3C formats with W3C formats
or integrate non-W3C formats with other non-W3C formats.

1.1. Conformance

Everying in this specification is normative except for diagrams,
examples, notes and sections marked non-normative.

The key words must, must not,
required, shall, shall not, should, should not, recommended, may and optional in this document are
to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].

This specification defines the following classes of products:

conforming implementation

A user agent that implements all interfaces described in this
specification and follows all must-, required- and shall-level of critera
in this specification.

conforming document

A document that follows all must-, required- and shall-level of critera
in this specification that apply to document authors.

conforming authoring tool

One that produces conforming documents.

Now, Sam Hiser, VP of the ODF, has said that he sees the W3C standard CDF (Compound Document Format) as a more viable universal format than ODF. He stated simply that, "ODF is not the open format with the open process we thought it was". Why is this significant?

First, I think it speaks to how important the W3C is and has become over the past several years. The number of web standards in particular that have been formalized by the W3C is remarkable, whether they have been successful or not. Second, it (CDF) addresses an issue that I see on a daily basis in my role here at Compendium Blogware.

+1

Thanks for the consideration Anton. You might want to follow an emerging discussion now taking place at the OpenDocument Fellowship:

Interop between multiple standards and multiple applications

Check on the follow up post and understand that this is the same problem the da Vinci group tried to overcome in Massachusetts, when ODF hung by a thread in the summer of 2006; with the sole hope being a plug-in conversion process capable of very high "round trip" fidelity.

To assist Massachusetts and the da Vinci Group, the OpenDocument Foundation introduced to the OASIS ODF TC a series of discussions and proposals collectively known as the ODF iX interoperability enhancements.

A total of six comprehensive iX enhancements were introduced between July of 2006 and March of 2007. The first three sets of iX enhancements were signed off on by CIO Louis Gutierrez, with the full knowledge and awareness of IBM (they participated directly in those discussions and i do have the emails and conference schedules to verify this .

Also, if you're interested in other issues surrounding the da Vinci groups use of CDF WICD Full as an in-process conversion target for MSOffice documents, there is a series of recent responses posted in the comments section of this blog, "Going to Bed (without my supper).

One last note; I do have a response to AlphaDog sitting in the blog que, where i try to put the MSOffice to CDF WICD Full conversion, and the OpenOffice ODF to CDF WICD Full conversion into the larger context of the web platform and universal interoperability. This post will also briefly explain the events immediately preceding the decision to shut the Foundation down.

Hope this helps,

~ge~