On Document Formats

As I prepare my course materials for my return to full-time teaching, I am faced with documents in various formats, accumulated through the years. I have course materials typed using MS Office (.doc, .ppt), LaTeX (.tex) and HTML editor (.html). I have to decide which format I will eventually use, taking in consideration the current formats I have, the types of material (handout, problem set, presentation, quiz, etc.), future-proofing, accessibility to my students, and portability (in case I shift from one material type to another; for example, from paper quiz to online quiz).

MS Office formats are out of the running. I have decided to convert all documents away from these formats. I will likely have problems in the area of future-proofing whenever I use proprietary software. This decision is also a statement against the business practices of Microsoft.

I am choosing between LaTeX and OpenOffice.org. I am considering LaTeX primarily because of (1) its superb handling of Math elements (equations, fractions, radicals), (2) the many conversion tools to other formats (to PDF, HTML, etc.), (3) the many document classes available (for handouts, slides, quizzes, etc.), and the fact that Moodle can use TeX to render Math elements. In addition, LaTeX will allow me to create beautiful graphs for Discrete Mathematics classes.

Would you believe if I tell you that I was once a TeXpert, having designed about six years ago a document class still used by Math students of DLSU-Manila for their thesis/dissertation writing? However, probably because I am more of a visual person now, I prefer a WYSIWYG tool. I am looking more closely at OpenOffice.org. I have been using it regularly and am attracted to the fact that (1) it is an open source project, (2) it is free, (3) it runs on various platforms (Windows, Linux, OSX, Solaris), (4) it handles OpenDocument format (ODF; an open, ISO-approved standard), and, (5) since version 2.0.4, has an Export... > LaTeX 2e option. The last one is the clincher. It allows me to "have my cake and eat it too" -- the power of LaTeX and the WYSIWYG convenience of OpenOffice.org. As for the graphs, I can create them in LaTeX and insert them as graphics in my OpenOffice.org documents.

So I am choosing OpenOffice.org.

Let the conversions begin!