Bug 143706

Summary: Support OpenDocument in Kompare
Product: [Applications] kompare Reporter: Marbux <marbux>
Component: generalAssignee: Kompare developers <kompare-devel>
Status: RESOLVED INTENTIONAL    
Severity: wishlist    
Priority: NOR    
Version: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Ubuntu   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Marbux 2007-04-01 22:01:49 UTC
Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.5.5)
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages
OS:                Linux

The various OpenDocument formats are not currently supported. But they are the default native formats for several KOffice components. This is holding back adoption of apps that implement ODF. (OOo's file comparator is next to useless.) Particularly in vertical markets that make heavy use of file comparisons such as the law office market.

Kompare seems like the appropriate project to fill this gap.
Comment 1 Kevin Kofler 2007-12-20 14:22:31 UTC
Kompare works on plaintext files, it uses the "diff" tool which is intended for plaintext files. It is entirely the wrong tool to compare formatted documents. (While it is technically possible to diff the XML of an ODF document, this will often include many bogus changes which don't change the semantics of the document at all. XML and diff are not designed to work together.)
Comment 2 Otto Bruggeman 2007-12-20 14:33:02 UTC
How about using something like xmldiff for xml files? Or find a nice dom parser and do dom tree differences?

Thanks Kevin for taking over maintainership! I'm sure my baby is in good hands with you! If you have questions writre to the kompare-devel list to which i am still subscribed and i will try my best to help explain design decisions or lend other help butI dont have time for programming anymore outside my work.