Smart Documents.

Yesterday I started the evaluation of the Microsoft's ISmartDocument interface for Office2003.
I started in a clean VM. I installed:
* Windows XP
* Office2003 and
* DevEnv 7.1 (C#)

Then I downloaded and installed the Office 2003 Smart Document Software Development Kit (SDK)

Next I tried to compile the “SimpleSampleCS” from the SDK.

It failed.

Some research showed that I had also to install the Office 2003 Update: Redistributable Primary Interop Assemblies.

Finally I was able to compile the project.

Next I tried to activate the smart document by simply opening the “SimpleSample.doc” in Word 2003. I ran the “setpolicy.bat” script and then the “DisableManifestSecurityCheck.reg” file. Then I opened the “SimpleSample.doc” and was asked to “Download the XML expansion pack”. After answering the security question with “no” I was able to get the sample working. (Other orders of invoking the scripts lead to the failure of loading the expansion pack”. I took me quite a while to figure that out. I even installed the .NET 3.0 Runtime Environment --- but I believe that is not required.).

Finally I was able to see the following “SimpleSampleCS”:



The overall architecture of “ISmartDocument”s is based on custom schemata to which actions can be attached. Quite simple but I gives custom schemata a meaning of the end.

The question I'm interested in:
* How is this work related to alien attributes and metadata in ODF? And
* what do we have to do to provide a competitive environment in OOo and ODF?