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It happens. XPM/PBM/XBM lost to TIFF (and later PNG). Postscript lost to PDF. OpenOffice.org XML couldn't displace Excel's Binary File Format. As much as I

by ken 6y ago

It happens. XPM/PBM/XBM lost to TIFF (and later PNG). Postscript lost to PDF. OpenOffice.org XML couldn't displace Excel's Binary File Format. As much as I wish that beauty or usability was the primary indicator of market success, the simpler explanation that explains all of these (including CSV) is: Microsoft Office supported them.

throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
I don't know about XPM/PBM/XBM lost but AIUI PDF is just a subset of postscript with compression. If you think MS's binary excel file format is all that secret, I suggest you try unzipping it - it is no more than compressed XML. I have rescued parts of corrupt excel and word files by doing just that.
- mark-r 6y ago
  MS completely redesigned their binary formats a few years ago. You're right about the current format, but the earlier one was completely undecipherable. Even the current XML has quirks in it to be compatible with the older format.
  - mike22 6y ago
    It was reversible enough to write the Apache POI library. I maintain code that uses the HSSF streaming API portion of the library, which mainly gives you low-level access to the structures in XLS files. The OO.org folks made some very nice documentation: http://www.openoffice.org/sc/excelfileformat.pdf http://www.openoffice.org/sc/excelfileformat.pdf
- ken 6y ago
  PDF diverged from Postscript years ago. Microsoft’s binary Excel format is not XML -- you’re thinking of its replacement. It was COM/OLE or some such.
greggman3 6y ago
Binary formats win I think when the ASCII format is significantly greater in storage size and parsing speed. XPM/PBM/XBM are enormous compared to any binary image format. And remember these images used to get put on 1.4meg floppies and sent over 2400baud modems. It's basically use the right tool for the job. For pixels that's a binary format. For mostly text, text itself works pretty well.

by ken 6y ago

throwaway_pdp09 6y ago

I don't know about XPM/PBM/XBM lost but AIUI PDF is just a subset of postscript with compression. If you think MS's binary excel file format is all that secret, I suggest you try unzipping it - it is no more than compressed XML. I have rescued parts of corrupt excel and word files by doing just that.

mark-r 6y ago
MS completely redesigned their binary formats a few years ago. You're right about the current format, but the earlier one was completely undecipherable. Even the current XML has quirks in it to be compatible with the older format.
- mike22 6y ago
  It was reversible enough to write the Apache POI library. I maintain code that uses the HSSF streaming API portion of the library, which mainly gives you low-level access to the structures in XLS files. The OO.org folks made some very nice documentation: http://www.openoffice.org/sc/excelfileformat.pdf http://www.openoffice.org/sc/excelfileformat.pdf
ken 6y ago
PDF diverged from Postscript years ago. Microsoft’s binary Excel format is not XML -- you’re thinking of its replacement. It was COM/OLE or some such.

greggman3 6y ago

Binary formats win I think when the ASCII format is significantly greater in storage size and parsing speed. XPM/PBM/XBM are enormous compared to any binary image format. And remember these images used to get put on 1.4meg floppies and sent over 2400baud modems. It's basically use the right tool for the job. For pixels that's a binary format. For mostly text, text itself works pretty well.