odt.js is a Javascript library to convert odt to html and back.

Currently, setHTML only supports html as returned by getHTML, maybe with minor modifications such as changing text. Currently, this means setHTML will throw when given arbitrary html.

Currently, odt.js depends on the browser's XML parser, DOM parser and DOM serializer. If you want to use odt.js on the server, one way forward is to modify it to add support for pure javascript parsers. Keep in mind that for strictness parity with the in-browser parser, you need a DOM parser which breaks up the <p> in <p><div></div></p>.

Unsupported odt features:

• Features on which getHTML throws
  • Any encoding other than utf-8
  • Annotations
  • Tracked changes
  • Charts
• Features on which getHTML doesn't throw
  • Various types of images
  • Non-"manual" styles
  • Unordered lists
  • List styles (bullets,)
  • Strikethrough
  • Underlined text nested inside non-underlined text
  • Underline-color
  • Loads of other styles

And much more.

Warning: currently, the following goes only within a single version of odt.js. So you can't getHTML, store the html, setHTML with another version of odt.js and expect a correct odt.

getHTML throws when otherwise a getHTML -> set html -> get html -> setHTML roundtrip would not produce the original odt file (barring xml encoding and zip file changes). This is the case for most unsupported odt features, except unsupported text styles.

getHTMLUnsafe probably won't produce html that's totally useless, since browsers are very forgiving. It might produce html which does not accurately represent the odt, though getHTML will also do that for unsupported styles.

setHTML throws when otherwise a setHTML -> getHTML roundtrip would not produce the original html (barring style and html encoding changes). This is the case for most unsupported html features, except unsupported text styles. The hope is that it means the resulting odt is not broken, but it's no guarantee.

setHTMLUnsafe might produce completely broken odt files.

<script src="jszip.js"></script>
<script src="lib/odt.js"></script>

var html;
try {
	html = new ODTDocument(odt).getHTML();
} catch(e) {
	alert("Couldn't parse odt file.");
	throw e;
}

If you definitely want html while caring less about whether or not it is correct:

var html = new ODTDocument(odt).getHTMLUnsafe();

If you want fallback html:

var odtdoc = new ODTDocument(odt);
var html = odtdoc.getHTMLUnsafe();
try {
	html = odtdoc.getHTML();
} catch(e) {
	console.error('html is probably broken');
}

As mentioned in Limitations, this example is currently non-functional for arbitrary html.

var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.open('GET', 'res/empty.odt');
req.responseType = 'arraybuffer';
req.addEventListener('load', function() {
	var empty = req.response;
	
	var odtdoc = new ODTDocument(empty);
	try {
		odtdoc.setHTML(html);
	} catch(e) {
		alert("Couldn't generate odt document.");
		throw e;
	}
	var odt = odtdoc.getODT();
});
req.send();

If you definitely want odt while caring less about whether or not it is a valid odt file:

	var odtdoc = new ODTDocument(empty);
	odtdoc.setHTMLUnsafe(html);
	var odt = odtdoc.getODT();

If you want a fallback odt:

	var odtdoc = new ODTDocument(empty);
	try {
		odtdoc.setHTML(html);
	} catch(e) {
		odtdoc.setHTMLUnsafe(html);
		console.error('odt is probably broken');
	}
	var odt = odtdoc.getODT();

var iframe = document.createElement('iframe');
var odtdoc = new ODTDocument(odt);
var html = odtdoc.getHTMLUnsafe();
try {
	html = odtdoc.getHTML();
} finally {
	iframe.contentDocument.write(html);
	iframe.contentDocument.close();
}
iframe.contentDocument.documentElement.addEventListener('input', function save() {
	try {
		odtdoc.setHTML(iframe.contentDocument.documentElement.outerHTML);
	} catch(e) {
		alert("Generating ODT file failed.");
		throw e;
	}
	odt = odtdoc.getODT();
});

new ODTDocument(String|ArrayBuffer|Uint8Array|Buffer odt[, Object options]) -> ODTDocument | Error

Initialize an ODTDocument.

For arguments and errors, see the JSZip documentation.

ODTDocument#getHTML() -> html | TypeError | Error

Convert the odt document to html.

Throws TypeError if JSZip or DOMParser is undefined or if DOMParser does not support parsing text/xml and text/html.

Throws Error if the odt uses unsupported features (it doesn't throw on unsupported text styles, though). For more details, see Strictness above.

ODTDocument#getHTMLUnsafe() -> html | TypeError

Throws TypeError if JSZip or DOMParser is undefined or if DOMParser does not support parsing text/xml and text/html.

ODTDocument#setHTML(String html) -> undefined | TypeError | Error

Throws TypeError if DOMParser is undefined or if DOMParser does not support parsing text/xml.

Throws Error if the html uses unsupported features. For more details, see Strictness above.

ODTDocument#setHTMLUnsafe(String html) -> undefined | TypeError

Throws TypeError if DOMParser is undefined or if DOMParser does not support parsing text/xml.

ODTDocument#getODT([Object options]) -> String|ArrayBuffer|Uint8Array|Buffer | Error

Generate an odt file from the ODTDocument.

For options and errors, see the JSZip documentation.

odt.js is very strict towards its own code (except the Unsafe functions, that is). getHTML throws when a odt 2 html 2 odt roundtrip doesn't produce exactly the same odt file, and also when it produced invalid html (it's not as strict about the latter, though, e.g. it throws when you produce one <p> inside another).

One way to go about adding features to odt.js is to use getHTMLUnsafe and iterate until that generates something sane.

Another way is to use getHTML and set a breakpoint on the line that throws, diff (using a word-granular diff tool) the two things that were different, and work backwards from there.

It also helps to decide in advance on a strategy for producing html from which the original odt can be derived losslessly.

Keep in mind that the html produced should be useful on both screen and print media.

Please follow the code style of surrounding code, so single quotes unless the string contains a single quote, if( instead of if (, etc.

If you want to modify odt.js for use outside the browser, see tips in Limitations.