From: Greg Maxey on
Peter,

The following is an excerpt from an article I read today:

"Microsoft said it has been preparing for such a judgment since August.
Copies of Word and Office sold before Jan. 11 aren't affected by the court's
decision. And Microsoft said it has "put the wheels in motion to remove this
little-used feature" from versions of Word 2007 and Office 2007 that would
be sold after that date.

"Beta" or test versions of Word 2010 and Office 2010, expected to be
finalized next year, do not contain the offending code, the software maker
said."

If this is true and since you can satisfactorily run the text code I
provided then maybe the issue isn't as big or disruptive as I first thought.
Fingers crossed that MS is telling the truth here.




Peter Jamieson wrote:
> Your test code works in the (English) copy of the Office 2010 beta
> that I have here. Whether it will work in the final release doubtless
> depends on what happens in the courts.
>
> Sorry, I do not have the patch so cannot test that side of things. I
> don't know how MS's patching for OEMs works but I wouldn't be
> surprised to learn that this patch applies to Office/Word SETUP
> itself, not to a copy of Office already installed on a user's machine
> - if so, such a patch would not be for typical end users, only for
> admins who need to tailor SETUP.
>
> Peter Jamieson
>
> http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
>
> On 22/12/2009 09:05, Greg Maxey wrote:
>> Jay,
>>
>> How does one say thanks for learning about a kick in the head ;-).
>> Thanks. Is the ability to create and use a CustomXMLPart available in the
>> Word2010 Beta?
>>
>> "Jay Freedman"<jay.freedman(a)verizon.net> wrote in message
>> news:0ef0j5p2jvgfv6ie18im9hmcuf0o39pagj(a)4ax.com...
>>> Hi Greg,
>>>
>>> The reason for this change is that MS lost a patent suit, described
>>> at http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=3712.
>>>
>>> Although the link at the Microsoft OEM Partner Center
>>> (http://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentpage.aspx?pageid=563214)
>>> says the patch is "required for the United States", the patch
>>> doesn't seem to be anywhere on the general downloads site, nor is
>>> it (yet) being sent out through Microsoft Update. I'm also not
>>> seeing any mention of this patch anywhere else on the web.
>>>
>>> Although it doesn't say so explicitly, I suspect that the patch is
>>> only being applied to newly sold copies of Office and not
>>> retroactively. Of course, that impression may be wrong, or MS may
>>> later be ordered to force the patch on everyone when the court
>>> catches on.
>>>
>>> Just so you know who to thank for this kick in the face, read
>>> http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=55810.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Regards,
>>> Jay Freedman
>>> Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
>>> Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
>>> newsgroup so all may benefit.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:27:48 -0500, "Greg Maxey"
>>> <gmaxey(a)mIKEvICTORpAPAsIERRA.oSCARrOMEOgOLF> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bill Coan passed me a link today containing information about
>>>> change by MS that could affect how Content Controls interact with
>>>> the XML datastore: The gist of the link is this:
>>>>
>>>> "Microsoft has released a supplement for Office 2007 (October
>>>> 2009). The following patch is required for the United States. The
>>>> patch will work with
>>>> all Office 2007 languages.
>>>> 2007 Microsoft Office Supplemental Release (October 2009) .img
>>>> 12.9 MB After this patch is installed, Word will no longer read the
>>>> Custom
>>>> XML elements contained within DOCX, DOCM, or XML files. These
>>>> files will continue to open, but any Custom XML elements will be
>>>> removed. The ability to handle custom XML markup is typically used
>>>> in association with automated
>>>> server based processing of Word documents. Custom XML is not
>>>> typically used
>>>> by most end users of Word."
>>>>
>>>> Can this really be true!!?? Are all mapped CCs in existing docx
>>>> and docm files now busted? Can one no longer map CCs to a
>>>> CustomXMLPart? Why would
>>>> MS do such a thing?
>>>>
>>>> My PC is setup to automatically download and install MS updates,
>>>> but if the
>>>> disaster described above is really true then apparently I don't
>>>> have this release installed.
>>>>
>>>> I can still open a new document and run this code to create a
>>>> CustomXMLPart
>>>>
>>>> Sub CreateTestXMLPart()
>>>> Dim pXML As String
>>>> ClearExcessXMLParts
>>>> pXML = "<Test><Item>House</Item></Test>"
>>>> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Add pXML
>>>> End Sub
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sub ClearExcessXMLParts()
>>>> Dim i As Long
>>>> For i = 4 To ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Count
>>>> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(4).Delete
>>>> Next i
>>>> End Sub
>>>>
>>>> I can then save, close and reopen the file and access the
>>>> CustomXMLPart using this code:
>>>>
>>>> Sub Testing()
>>>> Dim oNode As CustomXMLNode
>>>> Set oNode =
>>>> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(4).SelectSingleNode("Test/Item")
>>>> MsgBox oNode.Text End Sub
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Looking for someone that is certain that they have installed the
>>>> supplemental release and willing to try out the code above to
>>>> determine the
>>>> results and hopefully (very hopefully) confirm that CustomXMLParts
>>>> can still
>>>> be accessed. Thanks.


From: Karl E. Peterson on
Greg Maxey formulated the question :
> Peter,
>
> The following is an excerpt from an article I read today:
>
> "Microsoft said it has been preparing for such a judgment since August.
> Copies of Word and Office sold before Jan. 11 aren't affected by the court's
> decision. And Microsoft said it has "put the wheels in motion to remove this
> little-used feature" from versions of Word 2007 and Office 2007 that would be
> sold after that date.
>
> "Beta" or test versions of Word 2010 and Office 2010, expected to be
> finalized next year, do not contain the offending code, the software maker
> said."
>
> If this is true and since you can satisfactorily run the text code I provided
> then maybe the issue isn't as big or disruptive as I first thought. Fingers
> crossed that MS is telling the truth here.

"But people looking to buy Word or Microsoft's Office package in the
U.S. won't have to go without the software. Microsoft said Tuesday it
expects that new versions of the product, with the computer code in
question removed, will be ready for sale when the injunction begins on
Jan. 11."
~ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121766377

Looks like they pranced their way out of another one.

--
..NET: It's About Trust!
http://vfred.mvps.org


From: BLT on
I share your concern. I have recently completed a solution for a customer
whereby I inject custom xml into a Word 2007 template "on the fly". The
Content Controls embedded within the template bind to the custom XML and so
act as placeholders for injecting database fields (this particular solution
is a Purchase Order).

I am concerned that this solution is going to become obsolete once this
"patch" is applied. Does anyone know definitively if the intent of the patch
is to remove the binding functionality between a custom control and embedded
Xml within the document? What use would the custom controls be if they can'
be bound to any data source?

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142627/Microsoft_yanks_Custom_XML_from_Word_offers_patch_to_OEMs?taxonomyId=1

I have searched on this topic for hours this morning and do not see any
solid info on specifics of "yanked" functionality.

"Greg Maxey" wrote:

> Bill Coan passed me a link today containing information about change by MS
> that could affect how Content Controls interact with the XML datastore:
>
> The gist of the link is this:
>
> "Microsoft has released a supplement for Office 2007 (October 2009). The
> following patch is required for the United States. The patch will work with
> all Office 2007 languages.
> 2007 Microsoft Office Supplemental Release (October 2009) .img 12.9 MB
>
> After this patch is installed, Word will no longer read the Custom XML
> elements contained within DOCX, DOCM, or XML files. These files will
> continue to open, but any Custom XML elements will be removed. The ability
> to handle custom XML markup is typically used in association with automated
> server based processing of Word documents. Custom XML is not typically used
> by most end users of Word."
>
> Can this really be true!!?? Are all mapped CCs in existing docx and docm
> files now busted? Can one no longer map CCs to a CustomXMLPart? Why would
> MS do such a thing?
>
> My PC is setup to automatically download and install MS updates, but if the
> disaster described above is really true then apparently I don't have this
> release installed.
>
> I can still open a new document and run this code to create a CustomXMLPart
>
> Sub CreateTestXMLPart()
> Dim pXML As String
> ClearExcessXMLParts
> pXML = "<Test><Item>House</Item></Test>"
> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Add pXML
> End Sub
>
>
> Sub ClearExcessXMLParts()
> Dim i As Long
> For i = 4 To ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Count
> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(4).Delete
> Next i
> End Sub
>
> I can then save, close and reopen the file and access the CustomXMLPart
> using this code:
>
> Sub Testing()
> Dim oNode As CustomXMLNode
> Set oNode = ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(4).SelectSingleNode("Test/Item")
> MsgBox oNode.Text
> End Sub
>
>
> Looking for someone that is certain that they have installed the
> supplemental release and willing to try out the code above to determine the
> results and hopefully (very hopefully) confirm that CustomXMLParts can still
> be accessed. Thanks.
>
> --
> Greg Maxey
>
>
> See my web site http://gregmaxey.mvps.org
> for an eclectic collection of Word Tips.
>
> Arrogance is a weed that grows mostly on a dunghill (Arabic proverb)
>
>
>
> .
>
From: Dean G on
We just completed a new module for our system that inserts paragraphs into
document.xml. We are purely inserting paragraphs, runs and tables, only basic
markup tags that are defined in the WordprocessingML reference.

Can someone please confirm whether this constitutes CustomXML?

Thanks a bunch,
Dean
From: Peter Jamieson on
Hi Greg,

All I can say for sure is what I tested.

Without reading all the relevant material I would prefer not to jump to
any conclusions, but the one thing that is not immediately obvious to me
is this:
if MS can't use "custom XML", how can they continue to sell solutions
that are entirely based on "custom XML", for example any solution that
involves Word, Sharepoint, and Sharepoint properties?

If MS is convinced that Office/Sharepoint solutions do not fall foul of
this decision, I can only conclude that either
a. MS is blagging its way through (why wouldn't they?) or
b. the decision is much "narrower" than appears at first sight.

Other than that, I suspect the US legal system has little to be proud of
on this one. It's not just the US system, of course, it's that legal
systems in general appear to be reaching the limits of their ability to
come to sensible conclusions.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 22/12/2009 21:58, Greg Maxey wrote:
> Peter,
>
> The following is an excerpt from an article I read today:
>
> "Microsoft said it has been preparing for such a judgment since August.
> Copies of Word and Office sold before Jan. 11 aren't affected by the court's
> decision. And Microsoft said it has "put the wheels in motion to remove this
> little-used feature" from versions of Word 2007 and Office 2007 that would
> be sold after that date.
>
> "Beta" or test versions of Word 2010 and Office 2010, expected to be
> finalized next year, do not contain the offending code, the software maker
> said."
>
> If this is true and since you can satisfactorily run the text code I
> provided then maybe the issue isn't as big or disruptive as I first thought.
> Fingers crossed that MS is telling the truth here.
>
>
>
>
> Peter Jamieson wrote:
>> Your test code works in the (English) copy of the Office 2010 beta
>> that I have here. Whether it will work in the final release doubtless
>> depends on what happens in the courts.
>>
>> Sorry, I do not have the patch so cannot test that side of things. I
>> don't know how MS's patching for OEMs works but I wouldn't be
>> surprised to learn that this patch applies to Office/Word SETUP
>> itself, not to a copy of Office already installed on a user's machine
>> - if so, such a patch would not be for typical end users, only for
>> admins who need to tailor SETUP.
>>
>> Peter Jamieson
>>
>> http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
>>
>> On 22/12/2009 09:05, Greg Maxey wrote:
>>> Jay,
>>>
>>> How does one say thanks for learning about a kick in the head ;-).
>>> Thanks. Is the ability to create and use a CustomXMLPart available in the
>>> Word2010 Beta?
>>>
>>> "Jay Freedman"<jay.freedman(a)verizon.net> wrote in message
>>> news:0ef0j5p2jvgfv6ie18im9hmcuf0o39pagj(a)4ax.com...
>>>> Hi Greg,
>>>>
>>>> The reason for this change is that MS lost a patent suit, described
>>>> at http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=3712.
>>>>
>>>> Although the link at the Microsoft OEM Partner Center
>>>> (http://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentpage.aspx?pageid=563214)
>>>> says the patch is "required for the United States", the patch
>>>> doesn't seem to be anywhere on the general downloads site, nor is
>>>> it (yet) being sent out through Microsoft Update. I'm also not
>>>> seeing any mention of this patch anywhere else on the web.
>>>>
>>>> Although it doesn't say so explicitly, I suspect that the patch is
>>>> only being applied to newly sold copies of Office and not
>>>> retroactively. Of course, that impression may be wrong, or MS may
>>>> later be ordered to force the patch on everyone when the court
>>>> catches on.
>>>>
>>>> Just so you know who to thank for this kick in the face, read
>>>> http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=55810.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Jay Freedman
>>>> Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
>>>> Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
>>>> newsgroup so all may benefit.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:27:48 -0500, "Greg Maxey"
>>>> <gmaxey(a)mIKEvICTORpAPAsIERRA.oSCARrOMEOgOLF> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Bill Coan passed me a link today containing information about
>>>>> change by MS that could affect how Content Controls interact with
>>>>> the XML datastore: The gist of the link is this:
>>>>>
>>>>> "Microsoft has released a supplement for Office 2007 (October
>>>>> 2009). The following patch is required for the United States. The
>>>>> patch will work with
>>>>> all Office 2007 languages.
>>>>> 2007 Microsoft Office Supplemental Release (October 2009) .img
>>>>> 12.9 MB After this patch is installed, Word will no longer read the
>>>>> Custom
>>>>> XML elements contained within DOCX, DOCM, or XML files. These
>>>>> files will continue to open, but any Custom XML elements will be
>>>>> removed. The ability to handle custom XML markup is typically used
>>>>> in association with automated
>>>>> server based processing of Word documents. Custom XML is not
>>>>> typically used
>>>>> by most end users of Word."
>>>>>
>>>>> Can this really be true!!?? Are all mapped CCs in existing docx
>>>>> and docm files now busted? Can one no longer map CCs to a
>>>>> CustomXMLPart? Why would
>>>>> MS do such a thing?
>>>>>
>>>>> My PC is setup to automatically download and install MS updates,
>>>>> but if the
>>>>> disaster described above is really true then apparently I don't
>>>>> have this release installed.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can still open a new document and run this code to create a
>>>>> CustomXMLPart
>>>>>
>>>>> Sub CreateTestXMLPart()
>>>>> Dim pXML As String
>>>>> ClearExcessXMLParts
>>>>> pXML = "<Test><Item>House</Item></Test>"
>>>>> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Add pXML
>>>>> End Sub
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Sub ClearExcessXMLParts()
>>>>> Dim i As Long
>>>>> For i = 4 To ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts.Count
>>>>> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(4).Delete
>>>>> Next i
>>>>> End Sub
>>>>>
>>>>> I can then save, close and reopen the file and access the
>>>>> CustomXMLPart using this code:
>>>>>
>>>>> Sub Testing()
>>>>> Dim oNode As CustomXMLNode
>>>>> Set oNode =
>>>>> ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts(4).SelectSingleNode("Test/Item")
>>>>> MsgBox oNode.Text End Sub
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Looking for someone that is certain that they have installed the
>>>>> supplemental release and willing to try out the code above to
>>>>> determine the
>>>>> results and hopefully (very hopefully) confirm that CustomXMLParts
>>>>> can still
>>>>> be accessed. Thanks.
>
>