Earlier this week there was a momentous event that slipped under most people’s radar, the ramifications of which will be dramatic and widespread. It also appears to be ushering in a new era of a sharing and caring Microsoft as opposed to the bludgeoning juggernaut of days gone by. Don’t believe me? Be prepared to be amazed.
Anyone who has used and dipped under the bonnet of Microsoft Office will be familiar with the .pst file which holds all data relevant to Outlook. Until now it has been a closed secret, the creation of various arcane and black arts that Microsoft has predictably protected from outside interference. On Monday however Paul Lorimer, Group Manager, Microsoft Office Interoperability announced they will be “opening” the Outlook Personal Folders format.
In a statement Lorimer said that “In order to facilitate interoperability and enable customers and vendors to access the data in .pst files on a variety of platforms, we will be releasing documentation for the .pst file format. This will allow developers to read, create, and interoperate with the data in .pst files in server and client scenarios using the programming language and platform of their choice. The technical documentation will detail how the data is stored, along with guidance for accessing that data from other software applications. It also will highlight the structure of the .pst file, provide details like how to navigate the folder hierarchy, and explain how to access the individual data objects and properties”
Documentation of the inner workings of the pst file is in its early stages and once vetted by industry experts for clarity and ease of explanation it will be released into the wild under Microsoft’s Open Specification Promise, tnhe existence of which is complete news to me!
Lorimer also said that “Over the past year, Microsoft Office has taken several steps toward increasing openness and documenting interoperability guidelines, offering customers a choice of file formats and embracing a comprehensive approach that includes transparency into our engineering methods, collaboration with industry stakeholders, and shared stewardship of industry standards.”
There was also good news this from Google which two weeks ago made it easier to get documents into its Docs platform with the introduction of a bulk uploader; this week the company has a made it easier to get documents out using a Convert, Zip and Download. export facility.
In its blog Google says: “For now, you can “export” up to 500 MB of content in a single zip file, which is over 20,000 typical files. Sometimes it takes us a few minutes to export really large amounts of files, so instead of making you wait, we added an “Email when ready” option. We’ll send you a link when the zip file is ready.”
This is all achieved by selecting one or more files and then clicking on “Export” from the “More Actions” menu. Next, pick the format (e.g. PDF, Microsoft Word, etc) you want for your exported files. Finally, click “Continue” and Google gives you a nice zip file to download that has all your content.
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