[libreoffice-l10n] Fwd: Approaches to enable international number format import/export in Calc

FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Samphan Raruenrom <samphan@osdev.co.th>
Date: 2011/3/7
Subject: Approaches to enable international number format import/export in
Calc
To: libreoffice@lists.freedesktop.org
Cc: kyoshida@novell.com, Tantai Thanakanok <tantai@osdev.co.th>


 Surprisingly, Calc doesn't support or even handle import/export from/to
Excel international number format, result in lost of information from dates
in non-western locale when convert.

For example, these dates in Excel (see
i18ndate.xls<https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B__gfZ8MHOEoMDg2YjQ2ZmQtNTlkZi00NDZkLTk4ZGMtNWU4ZmQyMTdjMWUy&hl=en>file)


When import to Calc will become


The reason is that Excel international number format (LCID) is completely
different from Calc's.
See
https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/creating-international-number-formats-HA001034635.aspx

The correct import would generate the following in Calc (see manually-fixed
i18ndate.ods<https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B__gfZ8MHOEoYTc5NzY1NjEtZDUyNS00NjBlLWEzODMtOWU4MmNjNzZhYjY5&hl=en>
)

(note: still see difference in how Excel and Calc interpret Hijri calendar)

See LibO bug
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=33089
and the original OOo issue
http://openoffice.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=93503

In bugzilla, I and Kohei have made a discussion about the approaches to fix
this problem :-
1) When import from Excel, convert Excel LCID (4-8 hex digits) to Calc's
natnum and calendar specifier. When export reverse the process to generate
the appropriate Excel LCID.
2) When import form Excel, maintain Excel LCID as-is in Calc number format.
When export use the LCID already there.

Since this is a feature that effect many non-western locales. Each with
specific details in how they handle local calendars and natnums. I think we
should make this important decision first, before we start to implement it.
This will benefit every non-western locales with natnums and/or local
calendars. I know because this is the top-priority bug in Thai, to convert
date in buddhist calendar from Excel. Other non-western locales must have
faced similar problems.

So what do you think?

-- 
_/|\_ Samphan Raruenrom.  Osdev - Open Source Development Co., Ltd.
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-- 
_/|\_ Samphan Raruenrom. Open Source Development Co., Ltd.
Tel: +66 38 311816, Fax: +66 38 773128, http://www.osdev.co.th/

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