4 ms·

I tried to open the (Dutch) DOCX that contains the official position paper of our government, but LibreOffice refuses to open it: File format error found at

I tried to open the (Dutch) DOCX that contains the official position paper of our government, but LibreOffice refuses to open it: File format error found at SAXParseException: '[word/document.xml line 2]: unknown error', Stream 'word/document.xml', Line 2, Column 30060(row,col). http://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/brieven_regering/detail?id=2016Z00009&did=2016D00015 http://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/brieven_regering/deta... Great. Usually OOXML Word files at least open in LibreOffice, but this one seems to have some unsolvable weirdness. I don't get why they don't offer a PDF download — it, at least, is an open format that can be reliably opened on any OS. Or offer a plain text version, or simply post the paper on their website in HTML.

Rubu 11y ago
Perhaps something on your end? LibreOffice (4.2.8.2) doesn't have a problem with the file on my system.
- Freak_NL 11y ago
  Interesting. This is LibreOffice 5.0.2.2.
icebraining 11y ago
Works fine for me, but I've made a PDF version: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2WvkUwBYadXb3pYVk1pWmIyekk/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2WvkUwBYadXb3pYVk1pWmIyekk...
- Freak_NL 11y ago
  Much appreciated. :)
tech-no-logical 11y ago
my old libreoffice (Version: 4.2.4.2) opens it fine.
- Freak_NL 11y ago
  I guess it is a bug in LibreOffice 5.0.2.2. This is the default version included with Ubuntu 15.10.
robin_reala 11y ago
simply post the paper on their website in HTML This is the UK government advice. Hopefully it’ll percolate through other governments. https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/choosing-appropriate-formats.html#dont-assume-your-users-can-read-proprietary-formats https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/choosi...
oever 11y ago
Please complain to them [1]. They are required to publish that document as ODF, not DOCX. Alternatively PDF or HTML could be used. Using DOCX in Dutch government is against the standard [2], which is ODF 1.2. [1] http://www.tweedekamer.nl/contact/contact#webform-client-form-2 http://www.tweedekamer.nl/contact/contact#webform-client-for... [2] https://lijsten.forumstandaardisatie.nl/open-standaard/odf12 https://lijsten.forumstandaardisatie.nl/open-standaard/odf12
- Freak_NL 11y ago
  Done. The helpdesk representative actually mailed me the PDF version, and said that a PDF version should be forthcoming: Bijna alle kamerstukken zijn als pdf terug te vinden. Zo te zien worden de recente eerst als doc gepubliceerd. Apparently new documents can be posted as DOCX only (strange). You are right to point out the open standard guidelines, but unfortunately, they are marked as comply or explain. This means that they are not mandatory if you have a valid reason not to be able to comply with them. In this case, the reason is probably "our civil servants are used to Microsoft's defaults", which is — as much as I disagree with this policy — probably enough to get away it.
lsh 11y ago
Works in LibreOffice 5.0.3.2

Rubu 11y ago

Perhaps something on your end? LibreOffice (4.2.8.2) doesn't have a problem with the file on my system.

Freak_NL 11y ago
Interesting. This is LibreOffice 5.0.2.2.

icebraining 11y ago

Works fine for me, but I've made a PDF version: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2WvkUwBYadXb3pYVk1pWmIyekk/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2WvkUwBYadXb3pYVk1pWmIyekk...

Freak_NL 11y ago
Much appreciated. :)

tech-no-logical 11y ago

my old libreoffice (Version: 4.2.4.2) opens it fine.

Freak_NL 11y ago
I guess it is a bug in LibreOffice 5.0.2.2. This is the default version included with Ubuntu 15.10.

robin_reala 11y ago

simply post the paper on their website in HTML This is the UK government advice. Hopefully it’ll percolate through other governments. https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/choosing-appropriate-formats.html#dont-assume-your-users-can-read-proprietary-formats https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/choosi...

oever 11y ago

Please complain to them [1]. They are required to publish that document as ODF, not DOCX. Alternatively PDF or HTML could be used. Using DOCX in Dutch government is against the standard [2], which is ODF 1.2. [1] http://www.tweedekamer.nl/contact/contact#webform-client-form-2 http://www.tweedekamer.nl/contact/contact#webform-client-for... [2] https://lijsten.forumstandaardisatie.nl/open-standaard/odf12 https://lijsten.forumstandaardisatie.nl/open-standaard/odf12

Freak_NL 11y ago
Done. The helpdesk representative actually mailed me the PDF version, and said that a PDF version should be forthcoming: Bijna alle kamerstukken zijn als pdf terug te vinden. Zo te zien worden de recente eerst als doc gepubliceerd. Apparently new documents can be posted as DOCX only (strange). You are right to point out the open standard guidelines, but unfortunately, they are marked as comply or explain. This means that they are not mandatory if you have a valid reason not to be able to comply with them. In this case, the reason is probably "our civil servants are used to Microsoft's defaults", which is — as much as I disagree with this policy — probably enough to get away it.

lsh 11y ago

Works in LibreOffice 5.0.3.2