This is not strictly a portable versions query, but rather I think it must be something core to these respective programs.
I have and have used both of these suites for quite some time. (Because I like to have available alternatives on hand in many cases, rather than relying on just a single program in a given category.) But this will refer to the most recent portable versions of each. Another possible way of stating the Subject Header above would be, "Has Something Fundamentally Changed in Open Office and How It Works in Handling Spreadsheets ?" I have a number of longstanding database type spreadsheets (descriptive lists, covering pertinent info of one sort or another), which are maintained by an associate for me. They are saved as both .XLS format (rather than MicroSoft's subsequent .XLSX format), and in some cases also in the native Open Office format. (.OSD ? I don't recall the name precisely.) When I try to open any of them now in Open Office, what I see onscreen I would describe as useless gibberish. I don't know if there is any facility for uploading screenshots to the forum, but if necessary I could Copy & Paste a sample from this. Anyway, in stark contrast, if I instead open any of these spreadsheets in Libre Office, I will still see just what was expected: all the Rows, Columns, and proper data within -- fully intact. Rendered properly in the latter suite, but not at all in the former.
I guess the obvious, short answer is: "Then just use Libre Office, instead." But I'm left wondering whether some key standards may have changed somewhere along the way, with Open Office just not keeping pace ? If anyone seeing this is sufficiently familiar with the spreadsheet module of both suites -- maybe even down to a development level -- perhaps they could shed some light on this ? It does present a rather glaring discrepancy.
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Hi,
For details on current general differences between OpenOffice and LibreOffice see this thread (read the entire thread - more than one post) which you will find helpful. [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information
You should also be aware that you should always be saving your OpenOffice/LibreOffice documents in the native ODF formats provided by both. If you fail to do this you are at high risk of causing difficulties for yourself in the future. For more detail on this see this thread: [Tutorial] Differences between Microsoft and AOO/LO files If you absolutely must have a file in a format that is not native to OpenOffice/LibreOffice then best practice is to save your file in ODF format and only when absolute necessary save a copy of the file as the non-native format that you desire. Pass that non-native file on to the person that needs it but always regard your ODF format file as your master file i.e. the file you always work with and edit.
You should also note that LibreOffice has much better compatibility for saving and opening Microsoft Office format documents than OpenOffice has. That said the compatibility is not perfect and never will be. Best general advice is to make a permanent switch to LibreOffice and forget about OpenOffice. OpenOffice is dying a slow death anyway.
P.S. Note that the OpenOffice forum I am pointing to is happy to deal with issues for both OpenOffice and LibreOffice. For the questions you raise here concerning your spreadsheets you should post into the forum and they will help you solve them and/or make helpful comments for you.
Use Portable Apps on both Flash Drive and HDD/SSD.
OpenOffice is mostly abandoned. After the issues with Oracle taking over and mismanagement, all the primary developers left and created LibreOffice. Then OpenOffice was given to Apache. The remaining OpenOffice developers then spent a lot of time rewriting the parts incompatible with the Apache license. No real development work has been done since. LibreOffice continues to be actively developed with new features continuing to come. OpenOffice is essentially on par with LibreOffice when LibreOffice launched. OpenOffice is unable to incorporate changes and advancements made in LibreOffice due to their objections with the open source license. OpenOffice even had an open security issue for months that they were unable to incorporate a patch for (just a separate hotfix users had to manually apply) because they didn't have the resources to package it.
I highly recommend switching to LibreOffice.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
https://twitter.com/LibreOffice/status/1680484519009304576
“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.”
― Nikola Tesla ―
Thanks to all for these replies. I'm sure they will prove very helpful.