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LibreOffice slams Microsoft for locking in Office users w/ complex file formats
Another day, another complaint about Microsoft from LibreOffice. This time, LibreOffice accuses Microsoft of intentionally using overly complex XML to define documents and lock in users.
An example of such complexity includes a deeply nested structure with non-intuitive naming conventions, and so many optional elements that implementing the format becomes a nightmare for any developer not working at Microsoft. Even a simple sentence becomes a maze of nested tags that is almost impossible for an outsider to parse correctly, despite the on-screen result looking identical. It connects the complex file format directly to the push for Windows 11, arguing that Microsoft has no good technical reason to force the switch on users, and that the move seems designed only to keep customers tied down.
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