Guidance

Using Open Document Formats (ODF)

in your organisation
This guidance is an introduction to the Open Document
Format (ODF) standard and how you can select ODF-
compliant solutions.

From:
Government Digital Service (/government/organisations/government-digital-
service) and Central Digital and Data Office
(/government/organisations/central-digital-and-data-office)

Published
18 December 2018

Contents
— Selecting your ODF-compliant solution
— ODF compatible software
— Buying ODF-compliant solutions
— Migrating to ODF-compliant solutions
— Securing your ODF-compliant solution
— Integrating your ODF-compliant solution
— Setting up your ODF-compliant solution
— Support and training for ODF users
— Get involved in the development of the standard

The ODF standard works on most operating systems for desktops,

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 laptops, mobile phones and tablets. The Open Standards Board
(https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/open-standards-board) has selected
the ODF 1.2 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-standards-for-
government/sharing-or-collaborating-with-government-documents) standard for
use across government. The government chose ODF 1.2 because it:

is an open standard that allows suppliers to create interoperable office

productivity solutions
allows stricter security checks to help prevent common cyber-attack
scenarios
can lower IT costs as ODF is either low cost or free to use
allows the government and citizens, businesses and other
organisations to share documents
allows government staff to share and edit documents
is compatible with a wide range of software including assistive
technology
can add digital signatures (http://docs.oasis-
open.org/office/v1.2/os/OpenDocument-v1.2-os-
part1.html#__RefHeading__1415062_253892949) to a document
has a powerful generic metadata (http://docs.oasis-
open.org/office/v1.2/os/OpenDocument-v1.2-os-
part1.html#__RefHeading__1415064_253892949) system

Selecting your ODF-compliant solution

Consider user needs when selecting your ODF-compliant solution. You
should:

use the user research guidance in the ‘Service manual’

(https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-research)
plan your user research so you have enough time and the right
participants
use a variety of research techniques
consider which ODF solution will help simplify your business
processes

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 Your chosen ODF solution must also be accessible. Follow the standard
EN 301 549 (http://mandate376.standards.eu/standard) when buying
accessible products and services.

You can find more information about accessibility practices in the

service manual (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/helping-people-to-use-
your-service) or from the World Wide Web Consortium
(https://www.w3.org/WAI/) (W3C).

ODF compatible software

There are several software tools compatible with the ODF standard.
This is not a full list of ODF-compatible software tools and there are
other options available.

Mac operating system

The following ODF tools work on the Mac operating system:

LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/) - This application is available

with a Welsh user interface and a Welsh dictionary to allow spell-
checking when working in the language. Mae rhyngwyneb Cymraeg
ar gael ar gyfer y cymhwysiad hwn yn ogystal â geiriadur Cymraeg er
mwyn i chi allu gwirio’r sillafu wrth weithio yn yr iaith.
Collabora Office (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/)
Collabora Online (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/collabora-online/)
Microsoft Office for Mac (https://products.office.com/en-ie/mac)
Microsoft online service (https://support.office.com/en-us/article/why-does-
the-microsoft-online-service-need-to-convert-some-office-files-ef8ff042-c40c-
4d9f-9d11-0d21f88e4179?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US)

Windows operating system

The following ODF tools work on the Windows operating system:

LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/) - This application is available

with a Welsh user interface and a Welsh dictionary to allow spell-
checking when working in the language. Mae rhyngwyneb Cymraeg

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 ar gael ar gyfer y cymhwysiad hwn yn ogystal â geiriadur Cymraeg er
mwyn i chi allu gwirio’r sillafu wrth weithio yn yr iaith.
Collabora Office (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/)
Collabora Online (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/collabora-online/)
Microsoft Office (https://products.office.com/en-IE/compare-all-microsoft-
office-products?
activetab=tab%3Abusiness&icid=TopNavSoftwareOffice&tab=1) - This
application is available with a Welsh user interface and a Welsh
dictionary to allow spell-checking when working in the language. Mae
rhyngwyneb Cymraeg ar gael ar gyfer y cymhwysiad hwn yn ogystal â
geiriadur Cymraeg er mwyn i chi allu gwirio’r sillafu wrth weithio yn yr
iaith.

Linux operating system

The following ODF tools work on the Linux operating system:

AbiWord (https://www.abisource.com/)
Gnumeric (http://www.gnumeric.org/)
LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/) - This application is available
with a Welsh user interface and a Welsh dictionary to allow spell-
checking when working in the language. Mae rhyngwyneb Cymraeg
ar gael ar gyfer y cymhwysiad hwn yn ogystal â geiriadur Cymraeg er
mwyn i chi allu gwirio’r sillafu wrth weithio yn yr iaith.
Collabora Office (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/)
Collabora Online (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/collabora-online/)

Android operating system

The following ODF tools work on the Android operating system:

AndrOpen Office (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?

id=com.andropenoffice)
Google Docs (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.docs)
Google Sheets (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?

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 id=com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.sheets)
Google Slides (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.slides)
Microsoft Word (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.microsoft.office.word)
Microsoft Excel (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.microsoft.office.excel)
Microsoft PowerPoint (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.microsoft.office.powerpoint)
Mobisystems OfficeSuite (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.mobisystems.office)

iOS operating system

The following ODF tools work on the iOS operating system:

Microsoft Word (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/microsoft-

word/id586447913?mt=8)
Microsoft Excel (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/microsoft-
excel/id586683407?mt=8)
Microsoft PowerPoint (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/microsoft-
powerpoint/id586449534?mt=8)
Google Docs (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-docs/id842842640?
mt=8)
Google Sheets (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-
sheets/id842849113?mt=8)
Google Slides (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-slides/id879478102?
mt=8)
OfficeSuite - Office Editor (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/officesuite-
office-editor/id924005506?mt=8)

Web and cloud-based productivity software

The following ODF tools are web and cloud-based:

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 Collabora Office (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/)
EtherCalc (https://ethercalc.org/)
G Suite (https://gsuite.google.com/)
OX Documents (https://www.open-xchange.com/portfolio/ox-documents/)
Wodo.TextEditor (https://github.com/kogmbh/Wodo.TextEditor_release)

Other tools, add-ons and services

Other tools that support ODF 1.2 include:

web viewers, such as ViewerJS (http://viewerjs.org/), that let you make

ODF documents accessible on your website
metadata removal software, such as Datadistiller
(http://www.digitalconfidence.com/DataDistiller-Metadata-Removal-
Engine.html) and MetaClean (https://www.adarsus.com/en/metaclean.html)
the Google search engine that can run searches for other ODF file
extensions such as OpenDocument Text (.odt) Sheet (.ods) or
Presentation (.odp) and their content

Supplier hosting for ODF services

There are some ODF solutions available ‘as-a-remote-service’ only.

These include:

Google Docs (https://www.google.co.uk/docs/about/)

Microsoft Office Online (https://products.office.com/en-US/office-online/)
Zoho Office (https://www.zoho.com/docs/office-suite.html)

Suppliers can provide supported solutions or cloud providers can host

the solutions. Consider security and privacy for the organisation and for
external users.

Buying ODF-compliant solutions

Make sure your chosen solution complies with the ODF standard,
whether it is proprietary or free open source. When you are buying an

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 application, product or service that uses editable documents, make sure
that you:

include ODF compliance in your tender statement

specify ODF compliance in your technical requirements
have an app, product or service that is compatible with the full
document lifecycle from creating to archiving
have an app, product or service that allows for cross-platform working
have no dependencies on other file formats that would restrict how
you use ODF

You should make sure view-only documents, such as PDF/A, follow the
open standards for viewing government documents
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-standards-for-
government/viewing-government-documents).

The commercial function might not consider free software, with no

service or support contracts, to be a procurement. Normal procurement
rules might apply (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-sector-procurement-
policy#procurement-policies-for-technology) if you need to add extra
services or support to the licence.

Choose a platform

Your choice of integration platform depends on your users’ needs. You

can choose from web-based or office applications. If you choose a web-
based solution you will not need to install or update the software on your
user devices. Also, the software is:

less complex
available for use on devices other than desktops
less prone to user error

You might prefer office applications if you need access to rich text
editing, making charts or adding corporate branding. You can use
dedicated software components to integrate these capabilities. For
example:

APIs by Aspose (http://www.aspose.com/)

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 desktop, server and server-side web applications

Migrating to ODF-compliant solutions

When moving to ODF, you should:

make an inventory of all your software applications and how you can
integrate them with ODF
check you can continue to share documents with people in other
organisations
make sure your users know about the move to ODF, its benefits and
how to use your chosen ODF document software
test your chosen software’s compliance with the ODF standard - one
option is the free online validator (https://odfvalidator.org/) sponsored by
the OpenDoc Society (http://www.opendocsociety.org/)

Securing your ODF-compliant solution

Risks to document security include:

unauthorised interception of an emailed document

unauthorised access to a document on a computer or network
compromises to content integrity

You can minimise risks to your document’s security with an ODF by:

following National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance

(https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance)
avoiding macros as they are often used in common cyber-attacks
using macro alternatives such as security vetted add-ons or
extensions and disabling the option to create new macros
using document encryption and digital signatures to help restrict
access to the document
using protection locks to help stop accidental editing of content (only
provides a low level of security)

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 Integrating your ODF-compliant solution
Use enterprise tools to help integrate your ODF-compliant solution. You
can use enterprise tools for:

pre-processing, for example creating a template letter using

information from a case management system
Post-processing, for example adding an electronic signature or
annotating the document

Automate tasks and processes

ODF can make it easier and cheaper to automate tasks and processes.
You should avoid using macros as they can cause security and
interoperability issues.

ODF allows you to assemble documents and automate:

different stages in a process

repetitive tasks
reports or presentations from business data

Records and documents management

You should save and maintain databases as authoritative sources rather

than document collections. You should keep these databases:

structured
intact
accessible
automated

Use metadata to record a document’s history

Record changes to documents to provide quality assurance for your

data. For ODF, you can use metadata to keep track of changes

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 throughout the documents’ lifecycle.

When attaching metadata you should:

specify the document template so updates are easier when you

replace a template
make it clear where automated software modifies parts of a document
set the meta:generator tag, or other relevant meta-tags, to the version
of the software you’re using
set version control by default
add a digital signature to a document if you need to maintain the
integrity of the information
place scripting or placeholder instructions in a logical place, such as
inside user variables or script tags

Variable data printing

Variable data printing involves printing large numbers of documents. To

do variable data printing you will need to convert your ODF documents
to PPML (Personalised Print Markup Language)
(http://www.standards.podi.org/ppml/ppml-overview.html). PPML is a standard
for high performance printing of large volumes of documents.

Setting up your ODF-compliant solution

ODF may not be the default format when saving a document for the
software you are using. You might have to use the ‘save as’, ‘download
as’ or ‘export’ function when saving a document.

Creating ODF templates and styles

Organisations use many templates, most of which derive from a smaller

set of root templates. When you need to change the root templates, you
will also need to change the derivations.

When creating new ODF templates make sure that:

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 they have no technical issues
they work with the most common applications
you adopt a proper naming and versioning scheme for your templates
you include common fonts and sizes in the template
you embed all the fonts that might not be available on every platform
the templates are suitable for users of assistive technology
use a validator to make sure template documents conform to the ODF
specification

If you have to convert legacy templates you should:

check every step in the process

make sure the manifest is complete
make sure you define all reference styles

ODF template documents have the following file extensions:

.ott (texts)
.ots (spreadsheets)
.otp (presentations)
.otf (formulas)
.otg (graphics)
.otc (charts)
.oti (images)
.oth (HTML output)

Styles are formatting properties you can apply to all, or a part of, specific
document elements. Use styles to specify formats such as typeface, font
size margins, backgrounds and specific languages.

Do not manually change the font type, font colour, background or letter
spacing in template or document generation software. You must use
styles and headings to prevent assistive technology, search engines and
PDF generators losing information.

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 Create and apply styles to documents so you can:

maintain a consistent corporate identity in documents

maintain a document’s structure
create documents that are accessible to people using assistive
technology
automate the process of converting documents to other types of
content, for example, audio content
help people focus on creating good content rather than managing
style and formatting

Make sure your extensions, plugins and custom solutions meet the
ODF standard

You can use extensions, plugins or add-ons to increase the functions of

your chosen office productivity tools. You should be aware of any impact
these additions have on how software conforms to the ODF standard.
There are 2 classes of conforming documents:

conforming documents
extended conforming documents

You should produce conforming documents where possible. Using

extended conforming documents may cause interoperability problems
and make documents more complex.

If you’re responsible for developing an extension, plugin or add-on,

consider using existing libraries that work with ODF
(http://opendocumentformat.org/developers/).

Image or graphic plugins

Your image or graphic plugins must always use the universal

mechanism for inserting a draw area within the document
(http://docs.oasis-open.org/office/v1.2/os/OpenDocument-v1.2-os-
part1.html#element-draw_image). This will make sure that the content is
viewable by any application that conforms with the ODF standard.

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 You should provide:

a vector version (using the web standard SVG) for sharp images and
accessibility
a bitmap version (using the web standard PNG) as baseline
your custom file format (encoded as base64)

Make sure images are accessible (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-

publish-on-gov-uk/images-and-videos) by adding information such as a
summary description. If the plugin has a user interface, make sure that
is accessible as well.

If you use a commercial plugin, ask your supplier to make sure it’s
accessible. If you use an open source plugin without full accessibility
features, contribute any that you develop or commission back to the
project.

ODF spreadsheets and formulas

ODF 1.2 includes OpenFormula (https://www.oasis-

open.org/committees/download.php/16826/openformula-spec-20060221.html),
a standardised set of formulas that are usually in every compliant
application.

You can install OpenFormula at 4 different levels:

minimum - provides the minimal capabilities of regular spreadsheet

functions
minimum desktop - provides the minimal capabilities expected from
typical desktop spreadsheets.
basic - provides all the capabilities necessary for typical desktop
spreadsheet use
full - provides the basic level plus features for advanced users

The most common levels are ‘minimum’ and ‘minimum desktop’. These
provide all the functionality most users need.

‘Basic’ and ‘full’ implementations allow some backwards compliance with

older application-specific issues. It’s better to convert the formulas in

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 your spreadsheets so they do not depend on backward compliance
features.

Problems converting to ODF 1.2 usually occur when you do not map
historical product features. You may also lose some functions when you
convert from Microsoft Excel to ODF. Microsoft provides a list of the
differences between ODF and Excel (https://support.office.com/en-
us/article/differences-between-the-opendocument-spreadsheet-ods-format-and-
the-excel-for-windows-xlsx-format-3db958c8-e0ac-49a5-9965-2c2f8afbd960).

If you experience problems converting you can:

test a more recent software version to see if the issue no longer exists
check if there are plugins or add-ins that might solve the problem
ask your supplier why it does not work and ask when they will restore
the function
consider getting support to improve the product or build a plugin or
add-on
select a different desktop publishing tool that does meet your needs

Support and training for ODF users

There are 3 main user groups for ODF, each with different needs for
support and training:

users of office productivity tools

technology teams who need to migrate from tools based on
proprietary formats
developers who are integrating or extending software based on ODF

ODF compatible tools are like most office applications so you are
unlikely to need to provide extensive training.

If you’re going to upgrade or replace your tools, check how much your
users know about the new tools with user research. When you know
how much training your users need you can provide:

online, self-supported study

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 using material from commercial publishers
using open content you can customise, rewrite and republish
support from super users - a network of experts
training provided by a third party

Some suppliers provide open source ODF solutions with support and
training. You can choose to employ your own developers or trainers for
long-term development or training needs.

When developing a solution using open source for the first time you can:

ask peers for advice and guidance

search for advanced users who can help
join up with other organisations to combine funding and share
expertise
ask community experts for advice
speak to OpenUK (https://openuk.uk/) for help finding specialist ODF
trainers
refer to Openforum Europe (http://www.openforumeurope.org/) who
maintains an open source library
contact the OpenDoc Society who offers tools such as Officeshots
(http://www.officeshots.org/) and organises the ODF Plugfest events
(http://plugfest.opendocumentformat.org/)

Get involved in the development of the standard

If you’d like to make a suggestion or ask a question about the ODF
standard you can:

contact members of, or join, the OASIS ODF Technical Committee

(https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=office)
Use the public OASIS contact form (https://www.oasis-open.org/contact/?
path=/index.php)
contact your national representative on the international standards
board (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC34) (https://www.iso.org/committee/45374.html)

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 Published 18 December 2018

All content is available under the Open Government

Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated © Crown copyright

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