New to Open XML? We're here to help.

The Open XML Developer Group was formed to help developers build solutions that work with the Office Open XML Formats. Office Open XML Formats are standardized by Ecma International (www.ecma-international.org). The standardization of the formats is not complete but meanwhile many developers are already working on software that reads, creates, or edits Open XML documents. We will keep you up to date on the latest drafts of the format from Ecma. This site is a place where developers can share information, post questions, and talk shop about how to work with Open XML.

For developers who haven't worked with Open XML at all yet, here's a three-step way to get started:

Step 1: look at some Open XML documents. Open XML uses packaging based on the ZIP format, so you can open the documents and look at their components with any ZIP tool. There's a set of sample documents on this site ready for you to download them and get a feel for what Open XML is all about. Click here to download the sample documents.

Step 2: study the details of the Open XML format. There are some great resources available on-line for learning about how Open XML works. Click here for an overview of some articles and blog posts that will teach you about the technical details.

Step 3: study some code samples. In addition to the code samples in the articles and blog posts referenced above, there are some good samples already on this site, with many more coming soon from various contributors. For Java developers, check out "WordProcessingML document creation in pure Java." For .NET developers, you'll find a good example of using the WinFX System.IO.Packaging API in "Update Excel objects embedded in Word and Powerpoint Open XML documents."

If you still have questions after reviewing those materials, or you have a specific question right now, just sign up for the developer group (click the Join button at the top of the page), and then post a question in the forums section. It's quick and easy to do, and all you need is an email address to sign up.