Introduction to XML Expansion Packs [Office 2003 SDK Documentation]
An XML expansion pack is the group of files that constitutes a smart document. You package one or more components that provide the logic needed for a smart document by using an XML expansion pack. These components may include any type of file, such as but not limited to: XML schemas, Extensible Stylesheet Language Transforms (XSLTs), dynamic-link libraries (DLLs), and image files, as well as additional XML files, HTML files, Microsoft® Office Word 2003 or Microsoft Office Excel 2003 documents, and text files.
The key component to building an XML expansion pack is writing an XML expansion pack manifest file. By creating this file, you specify the locations of all files that make up the XML expansion pack, as well as information that tells Office how to set up the files for your smart document. The XML schema for a valid manifest file (including a sample) is contained in the XML Expansion Pack Manifest Schema reference.
An XML expansion pack manifest file manages all the components and files that are part of a smart document. The XML expansion pack manifest file specifies the location and names of the components that Microsoft Office 2003 needs to install in order to make a smart document functional. In addition, the XML expansion pack manifest file may specify setup information related to these files, including the information Office 2003 needs to install and register COM components.
You create an XML expansion pack manifest file by using an XML schema. (For more information about both the schema and how to create an XML expansion pack manifest file, see the XML Expansion Pack Manifest Schema reference.) Then you attach the XML expansion pack to a Word 2003 document or an Excel 2003 worksheet.
Office 2003 has built-in security for XML expansion packs to handle the code components for a smart document. By default, Office 2003 has XML expansion pack security checking enabled. Therefore, Word and Excel will not load any XML expansion pack if it is unsigned. For more information about the XML expansion pack security process, as well as other security issues related to smart documents, see Understanding Security and Privacy.
The following topics will help you understand XML expansion packs and how they function within Office and the host application: