Library File Structure

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This section describes how libraries are stored. Generally all data is stored in XML format. Four different XML document types that arespecified in the DTD files installed in <OfficePath>/share/dtd/officedocument are used:

  • A library container is described by a library container index file following the specification given in libraries.dtd. In this file, each library in the library container is described by its name, a flag if the library is a link, the StorageURL (describing where the library is stored) and, only in case of a link, the link read-only status.
  • A library is described by a library index file following the specification given in library.dtd. This file contains the library name, a flag for the read-only status, a flag if the library is password protected (see below) and the name of each library element.
  • A Basic source code module is described in a file following the specification given in module.dtd. This file contains the module name, the language (at the moment only Apache OpenOffice Basic is supported) and the source code.
  • A dialog is described in a file following the specification given in dialog.dtd. The file contains all data to describe a dialog. As this format is extensive, it is not possible to describe it in this document.

Additionally, a binary format is used to store compiled Basic code for password protected Basic libraries. This is described in more detail in Library File Structure.

Documentation caution.png In a password protected Basic library, the password is used to scramble the source code using the Blowfish algorithm. The password itself is not stored, so when the password for a Basic library is lost, the corresponding Basic source code is lost also. There is no retrieval method if this happens.

Besides the XML format of the library description files, it is necessary to understand the structure in which these files are stored. This is different for application and document libraries. Application libraries are stored directly in the system file system and document libraries are stored inside the document's package file. The following sections describe the structure and combination of library container and library structures.

Content on this page is licensed under the Public Documentation License (PDL).
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