Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 95429
Inform user about the ODF version of the document
Last modified: 2013-01-29 21:42:00 UTC
Scenario: User A has OOo2.4.1, generates a spreadsheet and sent it to user B. User B has OOo3.0 with setting "save to ODF 1.2". User B opens the spreadsheet, chances some values, saves it and sent it back to user A. User A opens the spreadsheet, but cannot use it, because some functions are broken. User A could have solved the problem by setting "save to ODF 1.0", if he had known that it is a ODF 1.0 document. Because 2.4.x is the last version for Win98 and that OS is still used, such transforming problems will occur for a while. Proposal: Show the ODF version of the document in the title bar.
Let me propose another solution: If OpenOffice 3.x loads a document in a given ODF version it should save it in the same ODF version. If OpenOffice 3.x cannot save in this version a warning message is issued and then the "Save As" dialog is displayed. This will solve current and future compatibility issues. The "Save As" dialog of 3.x should be able to choose the ODF version. Default ODF version being the one in Tools > Options > Save. This will allow to voluntarily upgrade a document to a newer version or downgrade to an older version, without changing the options. With the API it should be possible to export to OpenOffice document with a specific ODF version.
To CCs: This is indeed a problem and should be considered in our discussion about how to treat saving in ODF 1.1/1.2/1.2++/...