OpenOffice file system

[Gr8life]

I recently installed OpenOffice on my computer. Now, when I want to save an updated Excel spreadsheet, it strongly suggests that it be saved in ODF format with an ".ods" extension. Is this a good idea, if I might go back to Microsoft Excel someday? Any advantages/disadvantages?

[Gr8life]

Thanks Campfire for the how to. I do exchange a few files and my friends will recognize an ".xls" file quicker than ".ods".

[Campfire_Time]

Forget saving anything in the native OpenOffice or LibreOffice formats. Its a waste of time. Change the defaults to automatically save as .xls and .doc. This can be done from Tools\Options. Expand Load/Save and click General. The option to change the saved document type is at the bottom of the dialog box.

Unless you are doing complicated formulas in spreadsheets and macros in word processing, the documents will open perfectly fine in Excel and Word if you have a need to share them with others. I've been using OpenOffice & LibreOffice for years. I would never go back. Why pay MS for a lot of fluff that only a handful of people will ever need?

[1492]

The .ods extension is just the native file format for OpenOffice. Save in whatever format you are using. In my case, if I'm working on a Microsoft file in LibreOffice, I just save it using the same file format. If it's a new document, than I save using the .ods file format.

[robsouth]

If you plan to send the file to anyone with MS Excel, they will not be able to open it unless it is saved as .xls file unless you open the .ods file and resave it as .xls file.

[exeter_acres]

I might go back to Microsoft Excel someday

Why??

🙂


I save things in the native Open office format...

[TechWriter]

There are some differences between OpenOffice & Excel/Word file formatting so I would save in the OpenOffice file format & then do a Save As in DOC or XLS when needed.

However, I would NOT go back and forth editing the same DOC/XLS file in OpenOffice and Microsoft's suite.