Convert Textile to SXW

Why Convert Textile to SXW?

Converting Textile markup to SXW format is necessary when you need to produce documents compatible with legacy StarOffice or early OpenOffice.org (1.x) installations. While SXW has been superseded by the ODT (Open Document Format), some organizations and government institutions maintain legacy systems that still require SXW format for document processing and archival compliance.

SXW files use a ZIP-compressed archive structure containing XML for content, styles, and metadata. This was an innovative approach in 2000 and became the foundation for the OASIS Open Document Format (ODF) standard. The SXW format supports full word processing features including text formatting, tables, images, headers/footers, and page layout, making it capable of representing all Textile content elements.

The conversion from Textile to SXW preserves document structure by mapping Textile headings to SXW heading styles, text formatting to character styles, lists to SXW list structures, and tables to SXW table elements. This produces a proper word processing document from your Textile markup that can be opened and edited in LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, or other compatible applications.

Modern LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice can still read and write SXW files, making this conversion useful for creating documents that need to work with both legacy and current installations. For most new projects, consider converting to ODT instead, but SXW remains the appropriate choice for legacy system integration.

Key Benefits of Converting Textile to SXW:

• Legacy Compatibility: Works with StarOffice and OpenOffice.org 1.x
• Full Formatting: Preserves headings, bold, italic, lists, and tables
• Compressed Format: ZIP compression keeps file sizes small
• XML-Based: Structured content in XML inside ZIP archive
• LibreOffice Support: Current LibreOffice can read and edit SXW files
• Document Features: Headers, footers, page numbering available
• Archival Use: Suitable for document archives requiring SXW format

Practical Examples

Example 1: Business Report

Input Textile file (report.textile):

h1. Quarterly Business Report

h2. Executive Summary

Revenue increased by *15%* compared to last quarter.
Customer satisfaction scores remain _above target_.

h2. Key Results

|_. Department |_. Target |_. Actual |_. Status   |
| Sales        | $500K    | $575K    | Exceeded   |
| Support      | 90%      | 92%      | On Track   |
| Development  | 6 sprints| 5 sprints| Behind     |

h2. Next Steps

# Review development velocity
# Hire additional engineers
# Expand sales team

Output SXW file (report.sxw):

StarOffice Writer document with:
✓ Formatted heading styles
✓ Bold and italic text preserved
✓ Table with aligned columns
✓ Numbered list for next steps
✓ Opens in LibreOffice Writer
✓ Compatible with OpenOffice.org 1.x
✓ Print-ready formatting

Example 2: Policy Document

Input Textile file (policy.textile):

h1. IT Security Policy

h2. Purpose

This policy establishes *information security standards*
for all employees and contractors.

h2. Scope

* All company employees
* External contractors
* Third-party vendors with system access

h2. Password Requirements

# Minimum 12 characters
# Must include uppercase and lowercase
# Must include numbers and symbols
# Change every 90 days

Output SXW file (policy.sxw):

Formal policy document with:
✓ Professional heading hierarchy
✓ Bold emphasis on key terms
✓ Bullet list for scope items
✓ Numbered list for requirements
✓ Editable in LibreOffice/OpenOffice
✓ Suitable for legacy document systems
✓ Archival-ready format

Example 3: Project Documentation

Input Textile file (project.textile):

h1. Project Charter

h2. Project Name

_Database Migration Project_

h2. Objectives

* Migrate from MySQL to PostgreSQL
* Zero data loss during migration
* Maximum 4 hours of downtime

h2. Timeline

|_. Phase      |_. Start    |_. End      |
| Planning     | Jan 15     | Jan 31     |
| Development  | Feb 1      | Mar 15     |
| Testing      | Mar 16     | Mar 31     |
| Deployment   | Apr 1      | Apr 7      |

Output SXW file (project.sxw):

Project document with:
✓ Charter title as main heading
✓ Italic project name preserved
✓ Objectives as bullet list
✓ Timeline table with dates
✓ Compatible with legacy systems
✓ Editable in modern office suites
✓ Structured document layout

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is SXW format?

A: SXW is the native document format of StarOffice and OpenOffice.org Writer 1.x. It uses a ZIP-compressed archive containing XML files for document content, styles, and metadata. SXW was the precursor to the ODF (Open Document Format) standard and was replaced by ODT when OpenOffice.org 2.0 adopted OASIS ODF in 2005.

Q: Can modern software open SXW files?

A: Yes, LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice can both open and save SXW files. Microsoft Word can import SXW files through converter plugins. However, since SXW is a legacy format, some advanced features may not be fully supported. For new documents, ODT (Open Document) or DOCX is recommended.

Q: What is the difference between SXW and ODT?

A: SXW is the legacy StarOffice/OpenOffice.org 1.x format, while ODT is the international ODF (Open Document Format) standard adopted by OpenOffice.org 2.0 and later. ODT was based on SXW's architecture but was standardized by OASIS and ISO. ODT offers better features, wider compatibility, and active development. Use SXW only for legacy system compatibility.

Q: Will my Textile formatting be preserved?

A: Yes, Textile formatting is mapped to SXW document styles. Headings become SXW heading styles, bold and italic text use character styles, lists become SXW list structures, and tables are converted to SXW table elements. The document maintains the visual structure of your original Textile content.

Q: Why would I need SXW instead of ODT?

A: SXW is needed when working with legacy systems that specifically require this format, such as older government installations, archived document management systems, or organizations still running StarOffice or OpenOffice.org 1.x. For all other cases, ODT or DOCX is the better choice.

Q: Is SXW an open format?

A: Yes, SXW is based on XML and the specification was publicly available, though it was not an official international standard. It was developed by Sun Microsystems for StarOffice and shared with the OpenOffice.org project. The format's open nature eventually led to the creation of the OASIS ODF standard.

Q: Can I convert SXW to other formats later?

A: Yes, SXW files can be converted to other formats using LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. You can open the SXW file and save it as ODT, DOCX, PDF, RTF, or other supported formats. LibreOffice also supports batch conversion through command-line tools for processing multiple files.

Q: How does SXW handle embedded images from Textile?

A: Textile image references (!image.png!) are converted to embedded image elements in the SXW document. The images are stored inside the SXW ZIP archive alongside the XML content. This ensures images remain part of the document and travel with it when shared or archived.