Convert DOCX to SXW

Why Convert DOCX to SXW?

Converting DOCX to SXW is primarily needed for backward compatibility with legacy StarOffice and early OpenOffice.org installations. The SXW format was the native document format for StarOffice 6 and 7 (developed by Sun Microsystems) and OpenOffice.org 1.x before the adoption of the OpenDocument Format (ODF/ODT) in 2005. Organizations and institutions that still maintain legacy systems running these older office suites may require documents in SXW format.

While SXW has been superseded by ODT as the open standard for word processing documents, there are valid reasons for converting to this legacy format. Government agencies, educational institutions, and enterprises with strict software upgrade policies may still have workstations running StarOffice or early OpenOffice.org versions. Converting modern DOCX files to SXW ensures these users can open and work with the documents using their existing software.

The SXW format shares a similar architecture with DOCX -- both are ZIP archives containing XML files. However, SXW uses a different XML namespace and schema that predates the OASIS OpenDocument standard. The conversion preserves the core document structure: paragraphs, headings, formatting (bold, italic, underline), tables, lists, and hyperlinks are all mapped to their SXW equivalents. Some advanced DOCX features like track changes, SmartArt, and complex table formatting may be simplified during conversion.

Document archivists may also use SXW conversion for preserving documents in their original intended format. If historical documents were originally created in StarOffice, converting modern reproductions back to SXW ensures format consistency in archives. The conversion provides a bridge between modern document creation tools and legacy storage requirements.

Key Benefits of Converting DOCX to SXW:

• Legacy Compatibility: Open documents in StarOffice 6/7 and OpenOffice.org 1.x
• Institutional Needs: Support organizations with older office software installations
• Document Archiving: Preserve documents in their original legacy format
• Format Migration: Bridge between modern DOCX and legacy open-source office suites
• Structure Preservation: Maintains paragraphs, headings, tables, and formatting
• ZIP-Based: Compressed format keeps file sizes manageable
• XML Content: Underlying XML structure allows programmatic processing

Practical Examples

Example 1: Office Memo for Legacy System

Input DOCX file (office-memo.docx):

Word document containing:
- Heading 1: "Internal Memo"
- Bold text: "To: All Staff"
- Bold text: "From: IT Department"
- Bold text: "Date: March 4, 2026"
- Heading 2: "Subject: System Upgrade Notice"
- Paragraphs describing the upgrade
- Bullet list of affected systems
- Closing paragraph with contact info

Output SXW file (office-memo.sxw):

SXW archive containing content.xml:

<text:h text:outline-level="1">
  Internal Memo
</text:h>
<text:p>
  <text:span text:style-name="Bold">
    To:</text:span> All Staff
</text:p>
<text:p>
  <text:span text:style-name="Bold">
    From:</text:span> IT Department
</text:p>
<text:h text:outline-level="2">
  Subject: System Upgrade Notice
</text:h>
<text:p>
  Please be advised that the legacy
  file server will be upgraded...
</text:p>

Example 2: Report for Archival System

Input DOCX file (annual-report.docx):

Word document containing:
- Title page: "Annual Report 2025"
- Table of contents
- Heading: "Financial Summary"
- Table with quarterly figures
- Heading: "Key Achievements"
- Numbered list of milestones
- Heading: "Outlook"
- Paragraph with projections

Output SXW file (annual-report.sxw):

SXW archive containing content.xml:

<text:h text:outline-level="1">
  Annual Report 2025
</text:h>
<text:h text:outline-level="2">
  Financial Summary
</text:h>
<table:table table:name="Financials">
  <table:table-row>
    <table:table-cell>
      <text:p>Quarter</text:p>
    </table:table-cell>
    <table:table-cell>
      <text:p>Revenue</text:p>
    </table:table-cell>
  </table:table-row>
  <table:table-row>
    <table:table-cell>
      <text:p>Q1</text:p>
    </table:table-cell>
    <table:table-cell>
      <text:p>$1.2M</text:p>
    </table:table-cell>
  </table:table-row>
</table:table>

Example 3: Policy Document for Government Office

Input DOCX file (policy.docx):

Word document containing:
- Title: "Data Retention Policy"
- Version and date information
- Heading: "Scope"
- Description paragraph
- Heading: "Requirements"
- Numbered list of policy items
- Heading: "Compliance"
- Table with retention periods
- Footer with document reference number

Output SXW file (policy.sxw):

SXW archive containing content.xml:

<text:h text:outline-level="1">
  Data Retention Policy
</text:h>
<text:p>Version 2.0 | March 2026</text:p>
<text:h text:outline-level="2">
  Scope
</text:h>
<text:p>
  This policy applies to all digital
  records maintained by the agency.
</text:p>
<text:h text:outline-level="2">
  Requirements
</text:h>
<text:ordered-list>
  <text:list-item>
    <text:p>All records must be
    classified within 30 days.</text:p>
  </text:list-item>
  <text:list-item>
    <text:p>Sensitive data requires
    encrypted storage.</text:p>
  </text:list-item>
</text:ordered-list>

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the SXW format?

A: SXW is the native document format of StarOffice Writer (versions 6 and 7) and OpenOffice.org 1.x. Developed by Sun Microsystems, it is a ZIP-based archive containing XML files that describe the document content, styles, and metadata. SXW was the predecessor to the ODT format and was widely used in the early 2000s as an open-source alternative to Microsoft's DOC format.

Q: Is SXW the same as ODT?

A: No, although they are closely related. SXW was the proprietary format used by StarOffice/OpenOffice.org 1.x, while ODT (OpenDocument Text) is the standardized OASIS format adopted from OpenOffice.org 2.0 onward. ODT evolved from SXW with significant changes to the XML schema, namespace, and features. While structurally similar (both are ZIP archives with XML), they use different specifications and are not directly interchangeable.

Q: Why would I need to convert to a legacy format?

A: The most common reason is backward compatibility. Some organizations, particularly government agencies and educational institutions, still operate legacy systems running StarOffice or early OpenOffice.org. Converting to SXW allows these users to open modern documents with their existing software. Document archiving is another reason -- preserving files in the format matching the original authoring environment.

Q: What software can open SXW files today?

A: LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice maintain backward compatibility and can open SXW files. LibreOffice is the recommended modern application for working with SXW files, as it supports both reading and writing in this format. Some older installations of StarOffice (6.0, 7.0) and OpenOffice.org (1.x, 2.x, 3.x) also natively support SXW.

Q: What DOCX features are preserved in the conversion?

A: The conversion preserves core document elements: paragraphs, headings (all levels), bold, italic, and underline formatting, numbered and bulleted lists, tables with cell content, hyperlinks, and basic page layout. Advanced DOCX features like SmartArt, track changes, advanced table formatting, and embedded OLE objects may not have direct SXW equivalents and may be simplified or omitted.

Q: Should I use SXW or ODT for OpenOffice compatibility?

A: For modern versions of OpenOffice.org (2.0+) or LibreOffice, use ODT instead of SXW. ODT is the current standard and offers better feature support. Only use SXW if you specifically need compatibility with StarOffice 6/7 or OpenOffice.org 1.x. For all other purposes, ODT is the recommended open document format.

Q: How does SXW handle images from the DOCX?

A: Like DOCX, SXW is a ZIP archive that can contain embedded image files. Images from the DOCX document are extracted and re-embedded in the SXW archive's Pictures directory. The XML content references these images using relative paths within the archive. Most common image formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF) are supported.

Q: Is the SXW format still maintained or developed?

A: No. The SXW format has been deprecated since 2005 when OpenOffice.org 2.0 adopted the OASIS OpenDocument Format (ODF) as its default. Sun Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle, then transferred to Apache) stopped developing the SXW specification. However, LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice continue to support reading and writing SXW files for backward compatibility purposes.