Uniform Office Format Explained

Uniform Office Format
Extension:	.uof, .uot, .uos, .uop
Latest Release Version:	2.0
Genre:	Document file format
Extended From:	XML, SVG
Open:	Yes
Standard:	GB/T20916-2007

Uniform Office Format (UOF; Chinese 标文通, literally "standard text general"), sometimes known as Unified Office Format, is an open standard for office applications developed in China.^[1] It includes word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet modules, and is made up of GUI, API, and format specifications. The document format described uses XML contained in a compressed file container, similar to OpenDocument and Office Open XML.

The working group that produced the standard was founded in January 2002, and the first draft of the specification was produced in December 2005.

Application support

Office suites

A number of applications list support for the Uniform Office Format; listed alphabetically they include:

• EIOffice 2009 is said to be based on UOF.^[2] It uses binder files with file extension EIO (.eio). In the latest version 5.0.1272.101 it doesn't open or save files with extensions .uof, .uot, .uos or .uop. The documentation of EIOffice states it is possible to publish documents in "Unit Office Format (XML)"
• OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice from version 3 can open and save files in "Unified Office Format" with file extensions .uof, .uot, .uos, .uop (text, spreadsheet, presentation)^[3] (This also applies to version 3 of NeoOffice, a popular variant of OpenOffice for the Macintosh.).^[4]
• RedOffice 4.0, a Chinese OpenOffice.org variant, can open and save files with file extension .uof.^[5]
• WPS Office claims read and write support of UOF since 2009,^[6] including UOF 2.0.^[7]

Filters and converters

ODF to UOF

Software is available to convert from ODF to UOF and the other way round.^[8] The software was developed between November 2005 and October 2006 by the Open Standard Lab of Peking University.^[9]

OOXML to UOF

Software is being developed at ACT (The Institute of Advanced Computing Technology) at Beihang University to convert from OOXML to UOF and vice versa.^[10]

Possibility of merging UOF and ODF

At the "World Trade Organization IPRs Issues in Standardization" conference in Beijing (April 2007), convened by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the China State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and Sun Microsystems, Scott McNealy, the Chairman of Sun Microsystems called for a merger of OASIS/ISO's ODF and China's UOF.^[11] While both formats are open, there are significant technical challenges in achieving a merger, as the two formats have made different fundamental choices in how to describe documents.^{[12] [13]}

A comparison document between ODF and UOF is available from the ODF-UOF project on SourceForge.^[14]

UOF 2.0

UOF 2.0 was released in 2011, with support from WPS Office.^[15]

External links

• GB/T 20916-2007 中文办公软件文档格式规范 (GB / T 20916-2007 Chinese office file format specification) updated 1 September 2009 (Simplified Chinese)
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Notes and References

1. Web site: Microsofts Office Open XML: Heftiger Gegenwind aus China. de . 21 November 2012. Golem . . 16 August 2007. Jens. Ihlenfeld.
2. Web site: Andy. Updegrove . Don't Forget UOF: Here Comes EIOffice 2009 (Updated 2×) . 21 July 2008. 21 November 2012. Consortium Info].
3. Web site: File formats OOo can open. 17 July 2010 . 21 November 2012. OpenOffice.org. Wiki.
4. Web site: Chris . Kanaracus . LibreOffice Releases 'enterprise-ready' Version 3.4.2 . IDG News Service . . 1 August 2011 . 21 November 2012 . 9 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120109013559/http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/237033/libreoffice_releases_enterpriseready_version_342.html . dead .
5. Web site: Microsoft Claims It's Format-Agnostic in Appeal to Chinese Office Users. 2 December 2012 . Scott M.. Fulton. 21 May 2007. Betanews.
6. Web site: 金山办公-支持多人在线协作编辑Word、Excel和PPT文档_WPS官方网站 . 16 November 2014 . 1 November 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091101063131/http://www.wps.cn/news/shownews/id-217.htm . dead .
7. Web site: 金山办公-支持多人在线协作编辑Word、Excel和PPT文档_WPS官方网站 . 16 November 2014 . 29 November 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129014430/http://www.wps.cn/news/shownews/id-294.htm . dead .
8. Web site: ODF-UOF Converter. Xie . Shuangbin. 20 November 2006. SourceForge. 21 November 2012.
9. Web site: ODF-UOF Converter Overview . Xie. Shuangbin. 20 November 2006. . 21 November 2012.
10. Web site: UOF OpenXML Translator-uofooxml . SourceForge. 21 November 2012.
11. Web site: Sun's McNealy Calls for Merger of OASIS/ISO's ODF and China's UOF. 17 April 2007.
12. Web site: Sun's McNealy Proposes Merging ODF with Chinese Counterpart. Betanews. Scott M.. Fulton. 18 April 2007.
13. Web site: Open Source, Standards Get A Boost in China. William. New. Intellectual Property Watch. 21 November 2012. 24 April 2007.
14. Web site: Download ODF-UOF Converter Comparison. zipped .doc. Sourceforge. 21 November 2012. 23 November 2006.
15. Web site: 应用解读 金山WPS新版首家支持UOF2.0. The new version of Kingsoft WPS supports UOF2.0. zh. 25 January 2011. tech.sina.com.cn. 16 November 2014. Jianghui Tian.