Well

Post #141,867 by altmann 2/15/04 6:53:03 PM Reply	Well Your second link's example has nothing to do with the Excel XML schemas. The Office Web Services Toolkit appears to generate wrappers around a published web service so that it can be used from Excel's VBA. What format, XML or otherwise, Excel can then generate when saving seems to be irrelevant. Perhaps you can clarify what link you see between the two? -- Chris Altmann
Post #141,869 by dmarker 2/15/04 7:11:48 PM Reply	Re: One used to leverage the other What I see in the link between the schemas & Web Services, is that MS quietly protect the Excel etc: schemas, then promote ease-of-use in generating Web Services but it is only available with Excel. So in order to get the ease-of-use you have to have Microsoft's Excel - I am presuming that the user of any such generated Web Service based on Excel also has to have a licensed copy of MS Excel. The Spreadsheet created usine MS Excel & Web Services would I assume, only be readable by a licensed approval from MS. MS thus, promote Web Sevices and Excel ease-of-use but to read or write any Excel file that uses XML, requires licensed use of MS Excel XML schema. I don't see criminal intent as much as an MS opportunity for lock-in / licensing. Doug M
Post #141,870 by ben_tilly 2/15/04 7:24:10 PM Reply	Do you forget that Microsoft is a convicted monopoly? I don't see criminal intent as much as an MS opportunity for lock-in / licensing. As such, many actions that would not be illegal for others become illegal for them. Dunno if that applies here though. Cheers, Ben "good ideas and bad code build communities, the other three combinations do not" - [link\|http://archives.real-time.com/pipermail/cocoon-devel/2000-October/003023.html\|Stefano Mazzocchi]
Post #141,871 by altmann 2/15/04 7:45:09 PM Reply	OK, but Your orginal post seemed to imply that because MS has control over the Excel XML file format, that they can control implementation of XML web services that Excel can interface with. I don't see where this is the case. The XML schemas in question do not equal "any Excel file that uses XML". There are other ways that Excel uses XML (such as web services) that are not the XML file format that Excel can optionally generate. Now, if MS has patents on using web services from spreadsheet (or other) apps ... Also, the licensing terms for using the Excel XML schema look quite reasonable (and royalty free) to me: [link\|http://www.microsoft.com/office/xml/faq.mspx\|http://www.microsoft...fice/xml/faq.mspx] -- Chris Altmann
Post #141,872 by dmarker 2/15/04 8:16:34 PM 2/15/04 8:18:46 PM Reply	Re: But what if you are Sun wanting to ... Have Star Office read Excel spreadsheets that are saved in XML format (sooner or later, XML will become the preferred (perhaps primary) format for doing so. The only effective way Star Office can read an XML formatted document created by Excel is by using the Excel XML Schema. That is what Microsoft was trying to get protected in NZ. The same concept applies to Word. Also to Ben, I agree that MS are a convicted monopoly, but I thought that was in relation to operating systems - not office software. Maybe another conviction is due :-) Cheers Doug Edited by dmarker Feb. 15, 2004, 08:18:46 PM EST Expand All History
Post #141,874 by altmann 2/15/04 8:27:16 PM Reply	From my link to the MS FAQ Q. If Microsoft obtains a patent for the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas, does that in any way affect the royalty-free license? A. No, the license is unaffected. Under the patent license for the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas, Microsoft offers royalty-free rights both to its issued patents and patents that may be issued in the future. However, there is also this ... Q. Is Microsoft committed to making any future updates to the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas available under the same terms and conditions as the licenses offered on November 17, 2003? A. Yes. Microsoft is committed to making updates to the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas available under the same terms and conditions as the licenses offered on November 17, 2003. At the same time, Microsoft reserves the right to change its policy and/or the terms of the licenses with respect to future versions of Office. -- Chris Altmann

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