File formats that should be supported by Scribus (wish list)

Below is a list of file formats users think should be supported by Scribus. This doesn't mean that they will be actually supported, but the list will save numerous bug reports/RFEs. Feel free to add your suggestions.

=Import=

DTP

 * Acorn !Impression (Cf. http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=115).
 * A spec (sort of) can be found here.
 * Code to read files (Python), as well as a description of the binary format can be found here.
 * Apple Pages IN PROGRESS
 * FrameMaker Interchange Format (MIF). The spec is available (PDF) from Adobe.
 * InDesign Exchange files (INX) ABANDONED
 * InCopy Markup Language (ICML).
 * InDesign Markup Language (IDML) (fschmid) DONE
 * InDesign Document (INDD) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * InDesign Template (INDT) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * InDesign Book (INDB) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * Microsoft Publisher (PUB). (fschmid) DONE
 * PageMaker Document (PM*) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * PageMaker Template (PMT) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * PageStream (PGS). A file format spec is available here
 * QuarkXPress Document (QXD) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * QuarkXPress Template (QXT) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * QuarkXPress Project (QXP) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * QuarkXPress Book (QXB) – reverse-engineering in progess (external)
 * QuarkXPress Tags – documentation available here and here (PDF) or rather [here (as of dec 2013) http://82.110.252.182/wp/xpress-tags/] (fschmid) IN PROGRESS
 * Xtags
 * Quark QXML files. No spec available.
 * Serif PagePlus PPP files (the new XML-based version). No spec available.
 * VivaDesigner XML files (fschmid) DONE
 * Xara Page & Layout Designer (XAR) (fschmid) DONE

Text

 * AbiWord (initial, but maybe outdated info here and here. Contact the AbiWord developers for further information)
 * AmiPro/WordPro (KWord has an import filter for SAM files, OO.o can import LWP files). See also here.
 * AppleWorks (libmwaw provides import filters for most or all pre-OS X word processor formats used on Apple's platform).
 * Applix Word (KWord and AbiWord have an import filter for AW files). See also here and here.
 * DocBook (AbiWord has an import filter for XML and DBK files). References can be found here and here.
 * KWord *KWord is now Calligra Words and uses Open Document as its default format, so *.kwd has become a legacy format. (AbiWord has an import filter for KWD files). See also here.
 * LaTeX (might be possible via plasTeX to DocBook)
 * LyX
 * MHTML (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MHTML, http://people.dsv.su.se/~jpalme/ietf/mhtml.html)
 * Better MS Word import (formatting, styles) via wvWare
 * Microsoft Compiled HTML Help Files (CHM) via CHMLIB. See: http://code.google.com/p/htmlhelp/wiki/CHM
 * MS DOCX (Libre Office and Calligra Words have DOCX importers)
 * MS Works (using libwps)
 * MS Write (AbiWord has an import filter for WRI files.) See also here.
 * Papyrus: No public spec available. Ask R.O.M. Logicware for the necessary information.
 * RTF Should be a priority.
 * StarOffice Writer 3x-5x (AbiWord has an import filter for sdw files). Basic information can be obtained here and here. ABANDONED
 * TextMaker: No public spec available. Ask Softmaker for the necessary information (They will answer!).
 * WordPerfect: See http://libwpd.sourceforge.net/

Bitmap

 * Corel Photopaint (CPT) – CPT files are based on TIFF, so that an import filter shouldn't be hard to write, according to Boudewijn Rempt.
 * GIMP (XCF) – The GIMP developers have specifically recommended against using XCF as an interchange or import as some of the format relies on GIMP internals. Export TIFF or PNG. DONE (GSoC 2008, GraphicsMagick)
 * IMG/IMG GEM (legacy format used by Corel Ventura Publisher)
 * Kodak Photo CD See here. DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicsMagick)
 * Krita (KRA): According to Boudewijn Rempt from Krita, "the pixel data is 64x64 blocks of as many bytes as needed for a pixel, and the rest is xml and self-explanatory."
 * Apple PICT (fschmid) DONE
 * Open Raster (ORA) – Once a reliable spec is available ... (See: http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/OpenRaster)
 * PaintBrush Image (PCX) DONE (GSoC 2008, GraphicsMagick)
 * PaintShop Pro (GIMP has an import filter), See here, here and here.
 * Photoline
 * Picture Publisher (PPF)
 * Progressive Graphics File (PGF) (fschmid) DONE
 * Sun Rasterfile DONE (GSoC 2008, GraphicsMagick)
 * Truevision Targa (TGA/VDA/ICB/VST) DONE (GSoC 2008, GraphicsMagick)
 * WebP See here
 * Windows Bitmap (BMP, RLE) DONE (1.3.9+)

Vector

 * Acorn Draw (AFF) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * Adobe Illustrator (fschmid) DONE
 * Autocad Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * Calamus Vector Graphics (CVG) (fschmid) DONE
 * Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) (fschmid) DONE
 * Corel Draw DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * Corel Presentation Exchange Format DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * Dia (See http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/dia/trunk/doc/)
 * DXF DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * Enhanced Metafile - libEMF is a LGPL library.
 * Karbon14 (KARBON) from KOffice
 * KChart (CHRT) from KOffice
 * Kivio (FLW)
 * Macromedia/Adobe FreeHand. See: libfreehand
 * Micrografx/Corel Designer (DSF)
 * Micrografx Draw (DRW) (fschmid) DONE
 * OpenDocument charts (ODC)
 * OpenDocument Graphics (ODG) – The current import filter is very basic and needs an update.
 * Open XML Paper Specification (OXPS) (fschmid) DONE
 * Apple PICT (fschmid) DONE
 * Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (PLT) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * StarOffice Draw 3x-5x – Use OO.o code? --C schaefer 02:19, 16 February 2008 (CET) ABANDONED
 * Skencil/Sketch/sK1 (SK and SK1) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
 * MS Visio (vsd) and Visio XML (vdx). See libvisio, supporting all versions of Visio by now.
 * MS Visio Stencils, i.e.: clipart (VSS/VSX) Supported by libvisio.
 * WebCGM (CGM) (fschmid) DONE
 * Windows Metafile (jghali) DONE
 * WordPerfect Graphics (fschmid) DONE
 * Xara Xtreme (XAR) (fschmid) DONE
 * Xfig (FIG) (fschmid) DONE
 * XML Paper Specification (XPS) (fschmid) DONE

Tables/Spreadsheet

 * Comma Separated Values (CSV). Implemented for text frames but not for tables.
 * MS Excel (XLS). http://libxls.sourceforge.net/ provides the necessary functions.
 * Gnumeric (GNM, GNUM, GNUMERIC).
 * Office Open XML (XLSX)
 * OpenDocument Spreadsheet (ODS)
 * OpenOffice.org spreadsheet (SXC)
 * PlanMaker (PMD)
 * Quattro Pro (QWP)

Resources

 * Swatches (see the format documentation)
 * Adobe formats (ACB, ACBL, ACF, ACO, ACT, ASE, BCF, CLR) (fschmid) IN PROGRESS ACB and ACO done.
 * AutoCAD (ACB) (fschmid) DONE
 * Corel formats (CPL, PAL)
 * dtp studio CIE L*a*b* palettes (BCS)
 * Generic (EPS, AI) (fschmid) DONE
 * GIMP (GPL) (fschmid) DONE
 * OpenOffice.org (SOC) (fschmid) DONE
 * PageStream Color Library
 * Quark (QCL)
 * sK1 (fschmid) DONE
 * Swatchbooker (SBZ)
 * VivaDesigner (XML) (fschmid) DONE
 * Xara Palettes (JCW)


 * Gradients
 * GIMP gradients (GGR) (fschmid) DONE
 * OpenDocument gradients (SOG) (fschmid) IN PROGRESS
 * Photohop gradients (GRD) (fschmid) IN PROGRESS
 * Illustrator gradients (AI/EPS)


 * Patterns
 * Illustrator vector patterns (AI/EPS)
 * Photoshop patterns (PAT)
 * GIMP patterns (PAT) (fschmid) DONE
 * OpenDocument hatching (SOH)
 * OpenDocument pattern table (SOB)


 * Symbols
 * Illustrator Symbol libraries (AI, EPS)

Other

 * Apple Keynote
 * OpenOffice.org Presentation
 * OpenDocument Presentation
 * PowerPoint 95
 * PowerPoint 97-2003
 * StarOffice Impress 3x-5x

The difficulty with presentation file formats is they often have embedded objects beyond the native graphics.


 * ChordPro (see http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=3408)


 * InDesign Proof Profiles (IDPP)

=Export=

Page Description Formats

 * PDF/X-1a DONE
 * PDF/X-4 DONE
 * PDF/X-5
 * XPS (fschmid) DONE
 * OXPS (fschmid) DONE

DTP Exchange Formats

 * IDML

Formatted Text

 * ICML
 * ODT
 * RTF
 * XPress Tags
 * Xtags

eBook Formats

 * ePUB (a-l-e) IN PROGRESS ?
 * KF8