> What I want to do is an export filter for Excel 97.
> Is there a good reason to have all the MS filters in the olefilters
> directory? 
IIRC because it allows easier OLE filters which can handle embedding stuff. 
For example, MS Excel sheet inside MS Word will be imported as KSpread sheet 
embedded in KWord document.

For your export filter, I suggest to put it in filters/kspread/excel97.

> Anyway, I don't have write access to cvs, so I will post a patch
> on this list, is that the way to go?
You can also send it to me. 

> I will go ahead and start the export filter from scratch.
> That will eliminate any licensing issue.
> Also that means it will not be in sync with other projects (Apache POI,
> Gnumeric).
> I work on other projects too, so don't expect it to be a fast developement.
Just take your time :-)

> By the way, I believe Gnumeric has an export filter for Excel. Is it under
> GPL? Anybody ever looked into this?
It's more or less tighted in Gnumeric itself. Feel free to look for ideas or 
"steal" some code :-P

Another problem: writing Excel export filter will require OLE storage library. 
All MS Office document is stored this way. KLaola which is used in 
koffice/olefilters can only _read_ OLE document. You have two choices: 
libole2 or libgsf (have a look in GNOME CVS). Well, there's third one: my own 
(unfinished) POLE. At the moment, it supports reading and already used in 
StarWriter import filter (and _perhaps_ libwv2). I'll finish OLE writing 
support once I'm bored with this RTF filter.

OTOH, I also suggest you to look at Apache POI (actually it's the HSSF that 
deals with Excel stuff more or less). Design-wise, it's just very nice. Feel 
free to flood my mailbox if you want to discuss the architecture in details.
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