How to convert OpenXML docx files to OpenDocument odf in Windows and vice versa

This guide might be a little different from the others because I write this for the Windows users. Here’s how to convert Microsoft OpenXML docx files to odf OpenDocument files (and vice versa) in Windows using only commandline :

  • First, make sure you downloaded odf-converter tool and copy it to appropriate folder.
  • Convert the files(s) using this command line :
    odfconverter /I filename.pptx
    and the tool will perform the conversion effortlessly.
  • You can use this command to convert multiple files :
    odfconverter /BATCH-DOCX /I c:\newfiles\

    replace /BATCH-DOCX with /BATCH-PPTX, /BATCH-XLSX, /BATCH-ODF, /BATCH-ODP if necessary.

Odfconverter also supports converting Open Document files (ODF, ODP, ODT) to OpenXML files (PPTX,DOCX,XLSX) making it a handy tool to use.

Why odfconverter?
Odfconverter is a (relatively) small and compact standalone tool for converting Office 2007 files to their OpenDocument counterpart. The convenient batch mode conversion makes it attractive tool to use when converting multiple files between the two formats.

The only downside with this converter is that it does not convert mathematical formula pretty well compared to other features.

[Source OOOninja]

Upcoming OpenOffice.org 3.0 supports Microsoft OpenXML (docx) out of the box

The popular Free and Open Source Office application, OpenOffice.org is going to have OpenXML (*.docx, *.xlsx, *.pptx) support by default. Scheduled to be release on September 2008, OpenOffice.org 3.0 packs a lot of features you might find interesting :

openoffice 3.0 development release
  • Import PDF files support. PDF documents can be edited in Writer
  • Official Mac OS support, now includes native “Aqua” interface
  • Multiple page view in Writer
  • Error bars in OpenOffice.org charts
  • Supports OpenDocument 1.2 specification

The BETA is scheduled to be released on April 30th, 2008. For the time being, OpenOffice.org 2.x users can open Microsoft OpenXML files (*.docx, *.xlsx) using odf import filters

Thanks to Andrew Ziem for the original article, OpenOffice.org 3.0 new features, an early look