Convert SDM to ODC

Understanding SDM and ODC file formats

SDM files are typically associated with StarOffice Schedule or StarOffice Mail, which are legacy scheduling and email applications. These files may contain calendar data, schedules, or email messages. On the other hand, ODC files are Office Data Connection files used by Microsoft Excel and other Office applications to store connection information for external data sources, such as databases or web queries.

Purpose of converting SDM to ODC

Converting an SDM file to an ODC file is not a common or direct process, as these formats serve different purposes. However, if you need to migrate scheduling or contact data from an old StarOffice application to a modern Office environment, you may want to extract the data from SDM and create an ODC file to connect to the new data source.

How to convert SDM to ODC

There is no direct converter for SDM to ODC due to their different structures. The process generally involves two steps:

1. Extract data from SDM: Use StarOffice (if available) or LibreOffice to open the SDM file and export the data to a more common format such as CSV or Excel.
2. Create an ODC file: In Microsoft Excel, use the Data → Get Data → From Other Sources → From ODC File option to create a new ODC file that connects to your exported data source.

Recommended software for conversion

• LibreOffice: Can open some legacy StarOffice files and export to CSV or XLS.
• Microsoft Excel: Allows you to create and manage ODC files for external data connections.

Step-by-step conversion process

1. Open the SDM file in LibreOffice or StarOffice.
2. Export the data using File → Save As and choose CSV or XLS as the format.
3. Open Microsoft Excel and go to Data → Get Data → From File → From Workbook (if you exported to XLS) or From Text/CSV (if you exported to CSV).
4. Import the data and save your workbook.
5. To create an ODC file, go to Data → Get Data → From Other Sources → From ODC File and follow the prompts to set up your data connection.
6. Save the ODC file for future use.

Summary

While there is no direct SDM to ODC converter, you can extract data from SDM files using LibreOffice and then use Microsoft Excel to create an ODC file for connecting to the new data source. This two-step process ensures your legacy data can be accessed in modern Office environments.