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What resources would you recommend to learn about the Microsoft's Open Office format (the XML format introduced with Office 2007, not to be confused with OpenOffice.org), specifically for .docx Word files? (Ideally, ones with lots of samples and tutorials.)
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The Microsoft Office XML formats are XML-based document formats (or XML schemas) introduced in versions of Microsoft Office prior to Office 2007. Microsoft Office XP introduced a new XML format for storing Excel spreadsheets and Office 2003 added an XML-based format for Word documents. WordProcessingML.
On the Ribbon, choose the Developer tab. In the XML group, choose the Schema button. In the Templates and Add-ins dialog box, choose the XML Schema tab, and then choose the Add Schema button.
#1) Open Windows Explorer and browse to the location where the XML file is located. We have browsed to the location of our XML file MySampleXML as seen below. #2) Now right-click over the file and select Open With to choose Notepad or Microsoft Office Word from the list of options available to open the XML file.
Double click the folder you wish to inspect (for example word). Double click the file you wish to inspect (for example document. xml). The document last selected should now appear in an Internet Explorer tab.
Start with Open XML Explained. This is an easy to read eBook on Open XML.
Next view with WordProcessingML articles on OpenXMLDeveloper.org. They are quick and effective way to show you some of the ways people are doing different things.
Then go learn a bit more about Open Packaging Convention - this is how Open XML files are packed (zipped) and the relationships the files in side the package have to each other. (XPS documents also use OPC format).
Now grab the ISO/IEC 29500:2008 spec and keep it handy - what exists in here is almost everything you need to know. You can also view the standard online at http://www.documentinteropinitiative.org/.
Supplement #4 with the Office implementation guide of the standard to see how values default to and are implemented in Word as opposed to other clients. Also, grab the Word Extensions guide to view how Word (specifically 2010) has added and implemented extensions to the standard.
Now start with the following blogs - they are amazing guides to the real power under the hood of Open XML: a) Eric White's old blog, b) Eric White's new blog, c) Brian Jones & Zeyad Rajabi's blog.
Now it's time to start toying around with things. You can use the Open XML SDK or go commando. The SDK may be the best way to start and many 3rd party tools are based off it. Get the SDK and dive into the the Word Processing articles here.
You can also view How To videos on certain subjects. Check out the Open XML "How Do I" Videos
Get some tools to help you. The Open XML Package Editor Power Tool for Visual Studio 2010, PowerTools for Open XML and the Word Content Control Toolkit are indispensible.
Finally, take a look at what has been asked and answered on SO in the openxml, ooxml, openxml-sdk, wordprocessingml tags.
And there you have it!
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