Convert XML to SXW

Why Convert XML to SXW?

Converting XML files to SXW format transforms machine-readable structured data into formatted word processing documents compatible with StarOffice and OpenOffice environments. While SXW is a legacy format superseded by ODT, many organizations and government institutions still maintain systems that require SXW compatibility. This conversion enables data from XML sources to be consumed by these legacy document management systems.

This conversion is essential for environments that still rely on StarOffice or early OpenOffice installations. Government agencies, educational institutions, and organizations with long-established IT infrastructure may have document workflows built around the SXW format. Converting XML data exports to SXW allows these systems to continue operating without requiring costly migration to modern formats.

Our converter maps XML structures to SXW document elements: root elements become document headings, nested elements become subsections, attributes are formatted as key-value text, text content is preserved as paragraph text, and repeated child elements become bulleted or numbered lists. The resulting SXW file includes proper styles, page layout, and formatting metadata.

Since SXW is internally an XML-based format (a ZIP archive containing content.xml, styles.xml, and meta.xml), the conversion from XML is particularly natural. The source XML data is restructured into the office namespace XML format that SXW uses internally, wrapped with appropriate style definitions, and packaged into the standard SXW ZIP container. The result opens natively in LibreOffice and OpenOffice.

Key Benefits of Converting XML to SXW:

• Legacy Compatibility: Produces documents compatible with StarOffice and early OpenOffice systems
• Formatted Documents: XML data becomes a properly structured document with headings and lists
• LibreOffice Support: Modern LibreOffice opens and converts SXW files seamlessly
• XML-Based Internals: SXW's XML foundation ensures clean data transformation
• Archive Compliance: Generates documents in formats required by legacy archival systems
• Print Ready: Output includes page layout and formatting for immediate printing
• Migration Path: SXW files can be batch-converted to ODT via LibreOffice when ready to modernize

Practical Examples

Example 1: Government Report Data

Input XML file (report.xml):

<report>
  <title>Quarterly Budget Report</title>
  <department>Finance</department>
  <period>Q1 2024</period>
  <sections>
    <section name="Revenue">
      <amount>1250000</amount>
      <change>+5.2%</change>
    </section>
    <section name="Expenses">
      <amount>980000</amount>
      <change>+2.1%</change>
    </section>
  </sections>
</report>

Output SXW file (report.sxw) - rendered view:

Quarterly Budget Report

Department: Finance
Period: Q1 2024

Revenue
  Amount: 1,250,000
  Change: +5.2%

Expenses
  Amount: 980,000
  Change: +2.1%

Example 2: Institutional Directory

Input XML file (directory.xml):

<directory>
  <office location="Building A, Room 101">
    <name>Admissions Office</name>
    <phone>+1-555-0100</phone>
    <hours>Mon-Fri 8:00-17:00</hours>
  </office>
  <office location="Building B, Room 205">
    <name>Registrar</name>
    <phone>+1-555-0200</phone>
    <hours>Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00</hours>
  </office>
</directory>

Output SXW file (directory.sxw) - rendered view:

Directory

Admissions Office
  Location: Building A, Room 101
  Phone: +1-555-0100
  Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00-17:00

Registrar
  Location: Building B, Room 205
  Phone: +1-555-0200
  Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00

Example 3: Legacy System Export

Input XML file (inventory.xml):

<inventory>
  <item code="ITM-001" category="hardware">
    <name>Desktop Computer</name>
    <quantity>45</quantity>
    <status>In Stock</status>
  </item>
  <item code="ITM-002" category="hardware">
    <name>Monitor 24-inch</name>
    <quantity>30</quantity>
    <status>Low Stock</status>
  </item>
  <item code="ITM-003" category="software">
    <name>Office License</name>
    <quantity>100</quantity>
    <status>Available</status>
  </item>
</inventory>

Output SXW file (inventory.sxw) - rendered view:

Inventory

ITM-001 - Desktop Computer [hardware]
  Quantity: 45
  Status: In Stock

ITM-002 - Monitor 24-inch [hardware]
  Quantity: 30
  Status: Low Stock

ITM-003 - Office License [software]
  Quantity: 100
  Status: Available

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is XML format?

A: XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a W3C standard for structuring, storing, and transporting data. It uses custom tags with a strict hierarchical tree structure. XML is used in enterprise integration (SOAP), configuration files (Maven pom.xml, Spring, Android), document formats (XHTML, SVG, DOCX internals), financial data (XBRL), and healthcare (HL7). Unlike HTML, XML tags are self-describing and user-defined.

Q: What is SXW format?

A: SXW is the native document format of StarOffice Writer and early OpenOffice.org Writer (versions 1.x). Developed by Sun Microsystems, it is a ZIP archive containing XML files for content (content.xml), styles (styles.xml), and metadata (meta.xml). SXW was introduced with StarOffice 6.0 in 2002 and was superseded by the OASIS OpenDocument Format (ODT) in OpenOffice 2.0 (2005). Modern LibreOffice and OpenOffice can still open SXW files.

Q: Why would I need to create SXW files?

A: SXW files may be needed for compatibility with legacy systems that require the StarOffice format. Some government agencies, educational institutions, and organizations with long-established IT infrastructure still maintain document management systems built around SXW. Additionally, SXW may be needed for archival purposes where historical document format consistency is required.

Q: Can LibreOffice open SXW files?

A: Yes, modern LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice both open SXW files seamlessly. LibreOffice automatically recognizes the SXW format and renders the document with full formatting. You can then save it in any modern format (ODT, DOCX, PDF) if needed. LibreOffice's command-line interface can also batch-convert SXW files to other formats.

Q: How does SXW differ from ODT?

A: SXW and ODT are both ZIP archives containing XML files, but they use different XML namespaces and schemas. ODT follows the OASIS OpenDocument Format standard (ISO 26300), while SXW uses the older StarOffice XML format. ODT offers more features, better standardization, and wider software support. SXW is essentially the predecessor that influenced ODT's design.

Q: Can I convert the SXW output to other formats?

A: Yes, once you have the SXW file, you can use LibreOffice to convert it to ODT, DOCX, PDF, HTML, or any other supported format. The command-line tool (soffice --convert-to docx file.sxw) makes batch conversion straightforward. Our converter also supports direct conversion to these other formats from XML.

Q: How are XML elements structured in the SXW document?

A: The converter maps XML structures to SXW document elements: root elements become document titles, nested elements become section headings at appropriate levels, attributes are formatted as key-value text paragraphs, text content is preserved as body text, and repeated child elements become bulleted lists. Styles are applied for headings, body text, and lists.

Q: Is the SXW format still being developed?

A: No, SXW is a legacy format that is no longer actively developed. Sun Microsystems (later Oracle, then Apache Foundation) moved to the OpenDocument Format (ODT) as the default starting with OpenOffice 2.0 in 2005. However, the format remains fully supported for reading in LibreOffice and OpenOffice, ensuring long-term accessibility of existing SXW documents.