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Andrew C. Oliver 2003-07-20 01:15:14 +00:00
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@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
The POI project consists of APIs for manipulating various file formats
based upon Microsoft's OLE 2 Compound Document format using pure Java. In short, you can
read and write MS Excel files using Java. Soon, you'll be able to read and write
Word files using Java. POI is your Java Excel solution as well as your Word Excel solution.
Word files using Java. POI is your Java Excel solution as well as your Java Word solution.
However, we have a complete API for porting other OLE 2 Compound Document formats and welcome
others to participate.
</p>
@ -47,38 +47,13 @@
You'd use POIFS if you had a document written in OLE 2 Compound Document Format, probably written using
MFC, that you needed to read in Java. Alternatively, you'd use POI to write OLE 2 Compound Document Format
if you needed to inter-operate with software running on the Windows platform. We are not just bragging when
we say that POIFS is the most complete and correct port of this file format to date!
we say that POIFS is the most complete and correct implementation of this file format to date!
</p>
<p>
You'd use HSSF if you needed to read or write an Excel file using Java (XLS). You can also read and modify
spreadsheets using this API, although right now writing is more mature.
</p>
</section>
<section><title>What does POI stand for?</title>
<p>
POI stands for Poor Obfuscation Implementation. Why would we name our project such a derogatory name? Well,
Microsoft's OLE 2 Compound Document Format is a poorly conceived thing. It is essentially an archive structured
much like the old DOS FAT filesystem. Microsoft Corporation chose, instead of using tar, gzip, zip or arc, to invent their own
archive format that does not provide any standard encryption or compression, is not very appendable and is prone
to fragmentation.
</p>
<p>
Poi is also a Hawaiian delicacy that <link href="http://www.m-w.com">Merriam Webster's dictionary</link> defines as:
"A Hawaiian food of taro root cooked, pounded, and kneaded to a paste and often allowed to ferment." This seemed
strangely descriptive of the file format.
Poi -- paste of taro root -- is well-nourished and most of the Hawaiians eat it as baby
food and therefore they will become BIG and HEAVY as grown-up
--- we think the naming of 'Poi' might be sure to fit to
the project from this point of view
and hope that our 'Poi' project to become BIGGER and more famous.
</p>
<p>
So if you like acronyms, then POI is an acronym. If you hate them, then we just used the name of the food for our
project. If you wish to signify your love or hate for acronyms, use POI or Poi to refer to the project respectively.
</p>
</section>
</section>
@ -88,21 +63,21 @@ the project from this point of view
components, one of which, HSSF, writes Excel files. The following are components of the entire POI project
and a brief summary of their purpose.</p>
</section>
<section><title>POIFS (POI Filesystem)</title>
<section><title>POIFS</title>
<p>POIFS is the oldest and most stable part of the project. It is our port of the OLE 2 Compound Document Format to
pure Java. It supports both read and write functionality. All of our components ultimately rely on it by
definition. Please see <link href="./poifs/index.html">the POIFS project page</link> for more information.</p>
</section>
<section><title>HSSF (Horrible Spreadsheet Format)</title>
<section><title>HSSF</title>
<p>HSSF is our port of the Microsoft Excel 97(-2002) file format (BIFF8) to pure Java. It supports read and write
capability. Please see <link href="./hssf/index.html">the HSSF project page</link> for more information.</p>
</section>
<section><title>HDF (Horrible Document Format)</title>
<p>HDF is our port of the Microsoft Word 97 file format to pure Java. It supports read and write capability.
Please see <link href="./hdf/index.html">the HDF project page for more information</link>. This component is
<section><title>HWPF</title>
<p>HWPF is our port of the Microsoft Word 97 file format to pure Java. It supports read and write capability.
Please see <link href="./hdf/index.html">the HWPF project page for more information</link>. This component is
in the early stages of design. Jump in!</p>
</section>
<section><title>HPSF (Horrible Property Set Format)</title>
<section><title>HPSF</title>
<p>HPSF is our port of the OLE 2 property set format to pure
Java. Property sets are mostly use to store a document's properties
(title, author, date of last modification etc.), but they can be used
@ -114,20 +89,13 @@ the project from this point of view
</section>
<section><title>What happened to the HSSF Serializer?</title>
<p>The HSSF Serializer, which was part of our 1.0 release and last builds on
<link href="http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/poi">Sourceforge</link>, has been donated to the
<link href="http://xml.apache.org/cocoon/">Cocoon</link> project, and is available starting from version
2.0.2.</p>
</section>
<section><title>Contributing </title>
<p>
So you'd like to contribute to the project? Great! We need enthusiastic, hard-working, talented folks to help
us on the project in several areas. The first is bug reports and feature requests! The second is documentation -
we'll be at your every beck and call if you've got a critique or you'd like to contribute or otherwise improve
the documentation. We could especially use some help documenting the HSSF file format! Last, but not least, we
could use some binary crunching Java coders to chew through the convolution that characterizes Microsoft's file
could use some binary crunching Java coders to chew through the complexity that characterizes Microsoft's file
formats and help us port new ones to a superior Java platform!
</p>
<p>So if you're motivated, ready, and have the time, join the mail lists and we'll be happy to help you get started on the