Convert SXW to ORG

Why Convert SXW to ORG?

Converting SXW to Org Mode transforms legacy StarOffice/OpenOffice.org Writer documents into the powerful Emacs Org Mode format. Org Mode combines document authoring with task management, scheduling, and literate programming capabilities, making it an ideal destination for documents that need to become part of an active workflow.

SXW documents are static files locked in a legacy format. By converting to Org Mode, the content becomes a living document that can be enhanced with TODO items, deadlines, tags, properties, and executable code blocks. This transforms passive documents into actionable project plans and knowledge bases.

Org Mode's plain text format is ideal for version control, making it easy to track changes to converted documents over time. Unlike the binary SXW format, Org files produce meaningful diffs in Git, enabling collaborative editing with proper change tracking.

Our converter extracts the document content and structure from the SXW archive and generates clean Org Mode markup with appropriate heading levels, lists, emphasis, and metadata. The output is immediately usable in Emacs and can be exported to HTML, PDF, LaTeX, and ODT from within Org Mode.

Key Benefits of Converting SXW to ORG:

• Productivity Integration: Combine document content with TODO items and scheduling
• Plain Text: Version-control friendly, editable with any text editor
• Multi-Format Export: Export to HTML, PDF, LaTeX, and ODT from Org Mode
• Literate Programming: Add executable code blocks alongside documentation
• Extensible: Customize and extend through Emacs Lisp
• Legacy Migration: Convert old documents into an active workflow system

Practical Examples

Example 1: Project Plan

Input SXW file (project_plan.sxw) containing:

Website Redesign Project

Research Phase
Analyze current user behavior
Review competitor websites
Conduct user interviews

Design Phase
Create wireframes
Design mockups
User testing

Output ORG file (project_plan.org):

#+TITLE: Website Redesign Project

* Research Phase
  - Analyze current user behavior
  - Review competitor websites
  - Conduct user interviews

* Design Phase
  - Create wireframes
  - Design mockups
  - User testing

Example 2: Technical Specification

Input SXW file (spec.sxw) containing:

Database Schema Specification

Users Table
Fields: id, username, email, created_at
Primary key: id
Indexes: username, email

Orders Table
Fields: id, user_id, total, status
Foreign key: user_id references Users

Output ORG file (spec.org):

#+TITLE: Database Schema Specification

* Users Table
  - Fields: id, username, email, created_at
  - Primary key: id
  - Indexes: username, email

* Orders Table
  - Fields: id, user_id, total, status
  - Foreign key: user_id references Users

Example 3: Research Notes

Input SXW file (research.sxw) containing:

Literature Review

Smith et al. (2003)
Found significant correlation between
open-source adoption and productivity.

Johnson (2004)
Proposed framework for evaluating
document format standardization.

Output ORG file (research.org):

#+TITLE: Literature Review

* Smith et al. (2003)
Found significant correlation between
open-source adoption and productivity.

* Johnson (2004)
Proposed framework for evaluating
document format standardization.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is an SXW file?

A: SXW is a document format from StarOffice and OpenOffice.org Writer. Introduced in 2002, it stores documents as a ZIP archive containing XML files. It was superseded by ODT (OpenDocument Text) in 2005.

Q: Do I need Emacs to use Org files?

A: While Emacs provides the best Org Mode experience with full features like agenda views, code execution, and export, Org files are plain text and can be edited with any text editor. VS Code has an Org Mode extension, and Vim has vim-orgmode. Pandoc can also process Org files for format conversion.

Q: How are SXW headings mapped to Org headings?

A: SXW heading levels are converted to Org headings using asterisks. A first-level heading becomes * Heading, second-level becomes ** Heading, and so on. The document hierarchy is preserved in the Org output.

Q: Can I add TODO items after conversion?

A: Yes. Once converted to Org format, you can add TODO keywords to any heading (e.g., * TODO Review document), set deadlines, add tags, and use all Org Mode productivity features. This is one of the key benefits of converting to Org format.

Q: Are tables from SXW preserved?

A: Yes. Tables from SXW documents are converted to Org Mode table syntax using pipe characters (|). Org tables support alignment, formulas, and can be used as spreadsheets within Emacs.

Q: Can I export the Org file to PDF?

A: Yes. Org Mode has built-in export capabilities. You can export to PDF (via LaTeX), HTML, ODT, plain text, and many other formats using Emacs' export dispatcher (C-c C-e). This makes Org an excellent intermediate format for multi-output publishing.

Q: What happens to images in the SXW document?

A: Images are referenced using Org Mode's link syntax ([[file:image.png]]). The image files need to be extracted separately and placed in the appropriate location for inline display in Emacs.

Q: Is the Org output compatible with Pandoc?

A: Yes. Pandoc has a built-in Org Mode reader and writer, so the converted Org file can be further processed by Pandoc for conversion to DOCX, EPUB, HTML, and other formats. This provides maximum flexibility for downstream format conversion.