The specific font name x-symbol is introduced in ODF with no definition or source for a definition provided.

This situation applies in section 15.4.18 of ODF 1.0, ODF 1.0 (second edition), and ODF 1.1. In ODF 1.2 cd01-rev06 The situation arises in section 16.17.1.10 textEncoding, 17.482 style:font-charset, 18.258 style:font-charset, 18.259 style:font-charset-asian, and 18.260 style:font-charset-complex. It is related to public comment #336 (http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/office-comment/200812/msg00019.html).

ANALYSIS

The literal attribute value `x-symbol` is usable for specifying a font character set as the value of any of the style:font-charset, style:font-charset-asian, and style-font-charset-complex. The only information provided by this is that the characters of the x-symbol "font" have Unicode code points U+F000 to U+F0FF.

Those Unicode code points are in the primary Private Use Area. The interpretation of these code points is not specified in the Unicode standard and the use depends on private agreement among cooperating users. The ODF specifications provide no definition for the font character set named x-symbol and a source for a definition is not provided.

By convention, according to the Unicode 4.0 specification, those code points in range U+E000 up through U+F8FF (including the x-symbol range) are an end user subarea.

Section 15.4.18 also refers to section 4.4.3 of [XML 1.0]. In accordance with section 4.4.3, the "x-" prefix used for "x-symbol" signifies that the x-symbol font character set is not one registered with IANA as a character-set encoding.

So x-symbol is an unregistered character-set encoding that employs private-use Unicode code points U+F000 through U+F0FF, without further definition of any kind.

The ODF Specification provides no guidance on what the assumed character set is for the x-symbol "font." Although I think this is a Minor situation, it is Major in the sense that it is impossible to support x-symbol in an implementation by relying on information provided in the specification itself.