Getting to Know Office 2007 - 26 Dec 2006

The new Microsoft Office2007 System is more thanjust a makeover or a point upgrade of Microsoft Office2003; it's a complete redesign.Users will notice changes to theinterface immediately, but don'tworry: All the old tools andcommands are still there—alongwith some spiffy new ones aswell; they're just arranged a littledifferently. The new MicrosoftOffice Open XML file format isalso generating many questions.Here are some answers togeneral questions about Office2007 that I've received recently.

What are the new Office2007 file formats?

Microsoft has switched fromusing binary file formats (.doc, .xls, and .ppt) to using the OpenXML formats (.docx, .xlsx, and .pptx). Each Office applicationthat uses the new file format—Microsoft Office Word 2007,Microsoft Office Excel 2007,and Microsoft Office PowerPoint2007—by default stores most of the document content in the Open XML formats. Otherdocument components, suchas embedded code, comments,macros, charts, images, trackedchanges, and document metadata, are stored separatelywithin the file. Office 2007 zipseach component, then zips theentire document (this process is transparent to the user). Theresulting files (i.e., the documentfile and associated componentfiles) in Open XML format aresignificantly smaller than theirbinary ancestors. For moreinformation about the OpenXML format, see the Microsoftarticle “Introducing the Office(2007) Open XML File Formats”(http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms406049.aspx).

What else should I knowabout the Open XML fileformats?

Microsoft Office Word2003 and earlier versions havealways used two file types:one for documents (.doc) andanother for templates (.dot).Word 2007 will use four different file types: .docx, .dotx, .docm, and .dotm (the xstands for XML and the m formacro). Word documents andtemplates no longer containmacros or code, a safetymechanism that prevents anattacker from adding hidden code in a document. Sowhen you save a Word 2007document that doesn't haveassociated components (e.g.,macros or comments), you'llsee a .docx (for a document)and .dotx (for a template) file.However, if you used a macro(or another component), youmust save the file as a macro-enabled document or template (i.e., .docm or .dotm), otherwise the macro won't work. To do so, from the Save dialogbox, use the Save As Typedrop-down list to select thedocument type.

Developers can programmatically access a document'scomponents to enable datamining, document creationfrom disparate sources, anddocument manipulation. Forexample, you could change acorporate logo in a group ofdocuments by using an XMLeditor. You can also generateOffice 2007 documents on aserver without having to installthe client applications—a bigplus for custom applications(custom app developers willlove being able to generateOffice documents on-the-fly onservers).

The formats for the newOffice 2007 documents will bepublished and available underthe same royalty-free license asthe Microsoft Office 2003 XMLReference Schemas. Microsoftprovides more information fordevelopers about the technologies used in Office 2007 athttp://msdn.microsoft.com/office/future/tools/default.aspx.

Can you use Office 2007to open files from legacyOffice-application versions,and vice versa?

Yes. To save files in theolder (binary) file formats, youcan use the Save As option inWord 2007, Excel 2007, andPowerPoint 2007. To open filesfrom Office 2003 (and earlier)applications in Office 2007applications, you can use theCompatibility Mode option. If you want to open, edit, orsave Office 2007 files in Office2003 (and earlier) applications,you can do so by using theMicrosoft Office CompatibilityPack for Word 2007, Excel2007, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats, which you can download at http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=5754865. The CompatibilityPack won't save pre–Office2007 documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with the features and formatting new to Office 2007, but itdoes read, honor, and apply allinformation rights management(IRM) policies that were appliedto the document.

The converter currentlysupports Office 2003 ServicePack (SP1), Microsoft OfficeXP SP3, and Office 2000 running on Windows Server 2003,Windows XP SP1, or Windows2000 SP4. Microsoft hasannounced that it will provide a converter for Microsoft Office2004 for Mac but hasn't specified an availability date.

Does Word 2007 providea facility that lets you printdocuments to PDF format?

Yes. Microsoft provides a free add-in for Office 2007that lets you print to a PDF or

XML Paper Specification (XPS)file. XPS is an open-formatdocument standard introduced by Microsoft as a competitor to Adobe Systems'PDF. You can learn moreabout XPS and download the add-in at http://www.microsoft.com/xps.

What's new in theRibbon UI, other than justappearance?

Commands are arranged in groups on tabs—that's theRibbon—and although thearrangement is intuitive, it'squite different than the traditional menu scheme that usersare familiar with. There's noTools menu, for example, andall menu functions have beenredistributed to various tabs onthe Ribbon.

Some Ribbon tabs arecontextual, meaning that theyappear only when needed. ThePicture Tools tab, for example,appears only when you selecta picture in the document.Another example is there's noView, Toolbars menu becausethis functionality is integrated inthe Ribbon, as well as the newview buttons and zoom sliderthat display in the lower-rightcorner of the window.

The right-click context menunow contains a subset of formatting commands from theRibbon so that you can makecommon changes without having to move the mouse up tothe Ribbon. Commands thatrelate to the document as awhole or to the application'sconfiguration are now found inthe menu revealed by the Officebutton in the upper-left cornerof the application window. Lookthere for many commands inthe File and Tools menus in earlier Office versions.

You customize the Ribbondifferently than you customized your toolbar in the past.To customize the Ribbon, you customize the Quick AccessToolbar that's located, bydefault, next to the Office button and is available regardlessof which tab or section of theRibbon you're currently viewing. The Quick Access Toolbaris an ideal location to placecommands that you use frequently. The drop-down arrowat the end of the Quick AccessToolbar lets you configure itsplacement above or below theRibbon, customize the commands on the toolbar, andminimize or restore the Ribbon.Minimizing the Ribbon lets youfree up real estate in the application window.

One of the more eye-catching features of Office2007 is Live Preview, whichdynamically applies changesas you hover over commands, previewing what thedocument, worksheet, orpresentation will look like if youclick the command. No more“experimenting” with formatting—it happens in real time!

What are Quick Styles,and how do I use them?

Quick Styles are collectionsof formatting that you canapply to a document, worksheet, or presentation. Forexample, if you create a document by using the ModernQuick Style set, then changeto the Distinctive Quick Styleset, all the styles in the document (such as Heading1 andNormal) change to conform tothe new styles. If you're familiar with Web design, changinga Quick Style is analogous tochanging to a different stylesheet when using CascadingStyle Sheets (CSS). QuickStyles are available for Word2007, Excel 2007, andPowerPoint 2007, so that youcan create a consistent lookfor documents, regardless ofthe originating application.