The first major release of the Document Foundation in 2026 focuses on performance, compatibility, and file formats, addressing the issues that genuinely hinder workflow rather than adding flashy features or, more importantly, chasing the hype around AI as other office suites do.
New features:
- LibreOffice 26.2 allows importing and exporting files in Markdown format (.md), including via the clipboard. During Markdown import, you can also use ODT/DOCX templates for instant content formatting according to a specific style.
- Base, the database from LibreOffice, now truly supports multi-user mode. You can work on databases simultaneously with other users without encountering annoying file lock issues that force you to edit data "in turn."
- Thanks to support for the BIFF12 clipboard format, Calc allows inserting large data sets from Excel without size limitations. Now XLSX files are saved by default in the "Excel Spreadsheet 2010â365" format, so you don't have to select it manually each time you want to share a file.
- The sorting dialog has been enhanced with natural sorting options, allowing items like version numbers and an IP address, to be sorted in a logical order rather than numerically. For instance, version 1.2.10 is correctly sorted after 1.2.9, not before 1.2.2. Your sorting preferences are also saved in the file.
- In Writer the change tracking system handles "interdependent editing" conflicts more efficiently, allowing you to decide which changes to accept without guessing for you and causing document disruptions with missing paragraphs and a convoluted revision history.
- In Writer alignment options for paragraph beginnings and endings have also been added, adapting to text direction. This simplifies the reuse of styles in documents in different languages. Additionally, a new auto-detect feature has been introduced that changes text direction as you type.
Source: linux.org.ru
