Overview
DeltaXML ODT Compare reads in two OpenDocument format documents (typically with extension .odt) and generates a new document that highlights changes between the two input documents.
The differences or changes are shown using text highlighting, e.g. colour, underlining or strike-through. The user can choose the type of text decoration to be used for added or deleted text.
Changes to text styles (formatting) are not shown.
Images and similar objects are highlighted with a coloured border if they are different, although the differences are not shown.
All the options can be set up via the Java API.
OpenDocument Versions
OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) Specification v1.1 (typically with extension .odt) is supported. You need to ensure that this is the format you have saved to - the default is often version 1.2 which is not supported. If you compare 1.2 documents, some results may be incorrect, for example the way that list numbering is handled differs in 1.1 and 1.2.
Users of Microsoft Office can also save and open documents in ODF if you upgrade to SP2 (made available late 2009). Note that Microsoft Office does not support reading or writing of tracked changes.
Result Validity
The product has been extensively tested with OpenOffice.org and not with any other ODF applications. OpenOffice.org is able to read in many different formats and can therefore convert these to OpenDocument format file version 1.1 simply by writing them out again in this format.