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OPENOFFICE.ORG NEWSLETTER
Volume 05 - Issue 08 - 02/2008
Please send news clippings to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Contents
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1. Announcements
================
* OpenOffice.org Annual Conference - voting opens
* Seasons with sponsored open-source Work
* OpenOffice.org and StarOffice at CeBIT 2008
* Developer's Guide is now in the Wiki
2. Success Stories
==================
* 26,000 Linux boxes in education in the Philippines
* About OpenOffice.org usage in India
* Dutch "government ISV" adds ODF support
* Government offers computer software for 2 Euro
* Users demand support for OpenOffice.org
3. Featured News
================
* OpenOffice.org on CNET TV
* OpenOffice.org runs on OLPC
* New StartCenter replaces StartModule
* OpenOffice.org at FOSDEM 2008
* Top OpenOffice.org Extensions
4. Tips & Tricks
================
* Impressive Eye Candy: 3D OpenGL Transitions
* PDF/A Support in OpenOffice.org
* Table2Clipboard Firefox Extension
* Links about the usage of MySQL with OpenOffice.org
* Solveig talks about SUMIF function
* OpenOffice.org 3.0 and cooperation with the RedFlag 2000 framework team
* Intermediate OpenOffice.org API Plugin for NetBeans 6
* Built-in SVG import
5. ODF News
===========
* Introducing Document Freedom Day
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Want to help OpenOffice.org? Find out hot to contribute or see our
To Do List!!
http://contributing.openoffice.org/index.html
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/To-Dos/index.html
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Announcements
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OpenOffice.org Annual Conference - voting opens
===============================================
"If you were a registered member of the OpenOffice.org community on January
1st 2008 then you are entitled to vote. Please read the details of each
venue carefully, and decide where you would like to attend OOoCon in 2008.
Once you have made your choice, please cast your vote.
For full details, please visit:
http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2008/cfl
Voting closes at midnight UTC on February 29th., and the winner will be
announced shortly afterwards once all the votes have been verified."
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=announce&msgNo=352
Seasons with sponsored open-source Work
=======================================
"Starting in Winter 2007/2008 we are participating in the Community
Innovation Awards Program sponsored by Sun. Please review the official
rules for OpenOffice.org and submit your proposal!
And now it starts to feel like spring. Google announced the start of
the preparations for Google Summer of CodeTM 2008."
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/seasons_with_sponsored_open_source
OpenOffice.org and StarOffice at CeBIT 2008
===========================================
"I'll attend this year's CeBIT 2008 trade fair in Hannover, Germany
from March 4th to March 9th.
If you like to visit our OpenOffice.org booth then please come to the
"Business Solutions Park" in hall 5, E57.
This trade fair event at CeBIT 2008 is planned by OpenOffice.org
Deutschland e.V. and there are following exhibitors: OpenOffice.org
Deutschland e.V., SCAI, O³Spaces, Mobility Office Solutions AG and
last but not least Sun Microsystems. Azul Coffee, Duden and LinuxHotel
are supporting our activities."
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/openoffice_org_and_staroffice_at
Developer's Guide is now in the Wiki
====================================
"The OpenOffice.org Developer's Guide is now available online in the
OpenOffice.org Wiki. The main purpose of moving the guide into the wiki
is for maintenance reasons and the hope to get more contributions. We
also hope to get a localized version of the guide to reach more
users/developers all over the world."
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/developer_s_guide_is_now
Success Stories
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26,000 Linux boxes in education in the Philippines
==================================================
If I understood this Spanish article correctly, the government in the
Philippines has already deployed 13,000 Linux computers in education and
will now add another 10,000 boxes with Ubuntu software preloaded. It does
not say explicitly, but I guess most of these boxes will run
OpenOffice.org as well.
http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/26_000_linux_boxes_in
About OpenOffice.org usage in India
===================================
"Coming to Open Source on the desktop, while desktop Linux remains
kludgy, OpenOffice.org is doing just fine. Various estimates put
it at anything between 10 and 20% of the market. I think that usage
is higher. In India, at least, many large organizations have put
the bulk of their users on OpenOffice restricting Microsoft Office
to a handful of people who interact with the outside world."
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20080211/edit01.shtml
Dutch "government ISV" adds ODF support
=======================================
If I understood this Dutch article correctly, the Dutch ISV Centric,
which seems to very active in the public sector, is adding ODF
support to their applications. Apparently the adoption of ODF by the
City of Heerenveen and the City of Groningen had some impact on the
decision.
http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/dutch_government_isv_adds_odf
Government offers computer software for 2 Euro
==============================================
"The scheme offers StarOffice 8 Sun Microsystems software, which
includes StarWriter (word-processor), StarCalc (spreadsheet),
StarImpress (digital presentation), StarDraw (for painting) and
StarBase (database).
Students, teachers and disabled persons may register for the software
by downloading the application forms from www.thesmartisland. gov.mt.
These will be accepted until 11 April."
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=64786
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080214/local/government-to-help-families-buy-new-computers
Users demand support for OpenOffice.org
=======================================
I just came across the following announcement which clearly shows the
strong momentum around OpenOffice.org, i.e. user demand is driving
vendor support for OpenOffice.org:
"QualityLogic (www.qualitylogic.com), a provider of leading-edge QA and
QC test tools and services for the imaging and telecom industries, has
released test files for the first of several planned applications found
in OpenOffice.org 2. Test files are now available for "Writer" and
"Draw." "Impress" is in development, and additional applications
are planned.
QualityLogic has been developing test files for popular Windows
applications for over 20 years. These files are used by printer
companies to ensure compatibility between their printers and the
applications their customers use, and by software companies whose
applications convert one file format to another. They are also used by
Fortune 1000, government, education and healthcare companies to help
make printer and software purchasing decisions. The popularity of the
OpenOffice.org office suite has created a need within these companies
for sophisticated test files similar to those QualityLogic has
developed for Windows applications."
http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/users_demand_support_for_openoffice
Featured News
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OpenOffice.org on CNET TV
=========================
OpenOffice.org is being mentioned as the top download of 2007 in this
CNET TV video. Really cool!
http://www.cnettv.com/9742-1_53-32195.html
OpenOffice.org runs on OLPC
===========================
Great news from J. David Eisenberg! He just successfully tested
OpenOffice.org on an OLPC.
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/odf-adoption/200802/msg00002.html
New StartCenter replaces StartModule
====================================
"After a hectic week of discussion, implementation and rewriting we now
have a new initial window when you start OpenOffice.org without a
document. This up to now brought up a large window (so large because it
defines the size of the document that will replace it) in "battleship gray"
as some call it. On most platforms you don't see this window so often,
because system integration will usually leave you with an application
window (Writer, Impress, Calc, ...) instead. On Mac however the so
called StartModule is the norm rather than the exception. So we put a
long planned overhaul of the StartModule in motion. The first plan was
to use a dialog replacing the StartModule, however that would lead to
questions about modality, startup and exit behavior due to the modal
event loop and similar issues.
So in the end we decided to improve the existing StartModule instead,
turning it into the new StartCenter. The StartCenter contains a host
of labeled buttons (natively themed where available of course) that
allow the user to create a new document or open an existing one.
It also shows the same menu entries as before, so additional features
like the recent file list are still available."
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/new_startcenter_replaces_startmodule
OpenOffice.org at FOSDEM 2008
=============================
"Like Jurgen Schmidt and Luis Suarez Potts (but other agreed), my
conclusion about FOSDEM is simple: FOSDEM IS the place for
OpenOffice.org developers, and I strongly invite people to join
next year, for FOSDEM2009. OpenOffice.org Project must be preent to
answer questions.
Last but not least, mainly two sort of people attend: some are students,
and don't know well the project. Other have high level skills, and are
profesional of code ( but do not represent the majority)."
http://eric.bachard.free.fr/news/2008/02/some-words-about-fosdem-2008.html
"The only sad thing: I never had time to actually attend any of the
talks and sessions I wanted to go to. Instead, I met many I had wanted
to meet up with and otherwise helped out Sophie G. and Leon M. at the
stand. My thanks to them: They set up and manned the booth all day
Saturday and, in Sophia's case, Sunday. We gave out hundreds of
brochures Frank P. and Stella had created (and Jürgen had printed up)
and probably over a hundred t-shirts. And we could have given away many
times more that number, I am sure, as our DevRoom was in the AW
building, and not the obvious main building, where the food was and
Mozilla was."
http://ooo-speak.blogspot.com/2008/02/fosdem-2008.html
Top OpenOffice.org Extensions
=============================
Most Recent
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* Pagination
* ParaDTP -- DTP tool for paragraphs in OOWriter
* Writer's Tools
* OpenCards - A free flashcard learning extension for Impress
* Merge Spreadsheet Rows by Match Keys
* DrawingTags
* Writer to Palm eReader export macro
* Alternative dialog Find & Replace for Writer
* BasicAddonBuilder - The Extension's packager
* ooo templates by sean
Most Popular
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* Professional Template Pack - English
* Sun Report Builder
* eFax for StarOffice and OpenOffice.org
* OxygenOffice Extras - Gallery
* Writer's Tools
Highest Rated
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* Sun Report Builder
* Sun Presentation Minimizer
* eFax for StarOffice and OpenOffice.org
* Professional Template Pack - Italian
* Professional Template Pack - German
http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/
Tips & Tricks
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Impressive Eye Candy: 3D OpenGL Transitions
===========================================
"PowerPoint's old push-down transition has done its 15 years of service,
and it's time for it to retire. Do the sleepy faces in your meetings
agree? OpenOffice.org Impress 2.4 has the answer in the form ten 3D
OpenGL-rendered transitions:
* Flipping tiles
* Outside turning cube
* Revolving circles
* Turning helix
* Inside turning cube
* Fall
* Turn around
* Iris
* Turn down
* Rochade"
http://www.oooninja.com/2008/02/eye-candy-3d-opengl-transitions-impress.html
PDF/A Support in OpenOffice.org
===============================
The first release candidate for OpenOffice.org 2.4 has just been
release. One of the key new features is the built-in PDF/A export
capability. The new Chart features are very cool as well! Please
check if the release candidate is good enough for being promoted
to a final version!
http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/pdf_a_support_in_openoffice
Table2Clipboard Firefox Extension
=================================
"Make copying tables from web pages to offline office apps easier with
Table2Clipboard, a free Firefox extension. The low-key app simply adds
a single item to the Edit and right-click context menus, "Copy whole
table," that retains a table's formatting and makes it far easier to
paste and manipulate in Microsoft Word or Excel, OpenOffice.org and
other programs."
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/02/15/copy_tables_and_keep_their_formatting_with_table2clipboard-2.html
Links about the usage of MySQL with OpenOffice.org
==================================================
"Here is what I have found so far:
* MySQL meets OpenOffice.org
* Connect OpenOffice.org to MySQL
* Database Specific Problems
* Connect MySQL and Base
* Connect to MySQL in OpenOffice.org
With respect to potentially using MySQL as an alternative to Microsoft
Access,
people might find the following links useful, too:
* Migrating from Microsoft SQL Server and Access to MySQL
* Access To MySQL
* Migrating a Microsoft Access application to MySQL using
ActiveGrid Studio
* Building a Java Desktop Database Application
* Connecting to a MySQL Database in NetBeans IDE
* Connecting a GUI to a Java DB Database with NetBeans IDE
* Creating a Simple Web Application in NetBeans IDE Using MySQL
* DBForms from MS Access to PHP + MySQL"
http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/links_about_the_usage_of
Solveig talks about SUMIF function
==================================
"You want to add up all the items that are in one particular category
since you want to know how much you're spending on music festivals; how
much on climbing related purchases; etc. But the items are entered like
this. Not really well categorized. ... If you'd like to play with the
spreadsheet, here it is. Right-click on the link and choose to save it
to your computer."
http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2008/02/a-nice-little-c.html
OpenOffice.org 3.0 and cooperation with the RedFlag 2000 framework team
=======================================================================
"Today I want to give you a new overview on what features and
enhancements we are working on in cooperation with the RedFlag 2000
framework team.
We enhanced the “Change Icon” dialog again to enable user to import
images more easily. Currently users have to scale their images to the
two supported icon sizes (16x16 for small icons and 26x26 pixel for
large icons) before they can import these images. Although this solution
enables users to use their own tool set to scale images it sets a high
hurdle for others. Sometimes users just want to import images and use
them as quick as possible. The new import images implementation now
automatically scales images, while preserving their aspect ratio.
The next picture gives you an impression how the new scaling
implementation works."
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/openoffice_org_3_0_and
Intermediate OpenOffice.org API Plugin for NetBeans 6
=====================================================
"We still have one little issue that is no real error but it is
definitely not nice. But the plugin works and is completely functional
and because of many requests we decided to provide an intermediate
version 1.1.1 on api.openoffice.org."
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/intermediate_openoffice_org_api_plugin
Built-in SVG import
===================
"Two weeks ago, I had the privilege to work on a fun project using
company time - it was Novell HackWeek again. So I teamed up with
friend & colleague Fridrich to finally get OOo its long-deserved
built-in SVG import - in fact, this is the most voted-for feature of
the whole project."
http://blog.thebehrens.net/2008/02/28/built-in-svg-import/
ODF News
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Introducing Document Freedom Day
================================
"The Document Freedom Day (DFD) is a global day for Document Liberation
with grassroots action for promotion of Free Document Formats and Open
Standards in general. The DFD was initiated and is supported by a group
of organisations and companies, including, but not limited to the Free
Software Foundation Europe, ODF Alliance, OpenForum Europe, IBM, Red Hat
and Sun Microsystems, Inc.
On 26 March 2008, the Document Freedom Day will provide a global
rallying point for Document Liberation and Open Standards. It will
literally give teams around the world the chance to "hoist the flag":
A "DFD Starter Pack" containing a flag, t-shirt, leaflets and stickers
is in preparation and is planned to be sent out in the first weeks of
March to the first 100 teams that sign up. Sixteen teams already signed
up during the preparation phase of the DFD prior to this release.
Sign your team up now!
"We're proud to support this global effort to encourage open and
inclusive information exchange," said Marino Marcich, Managing
Director, OpenDocument Format Alliance. "Document freedom means
creating, exchanging, and preserving your electronic documents
without having to buy software from a particular vendor.""
http://documentfreedom.org/News/20080220
Newsletter Archive
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Past issues of the OpenOffice.org Newsletter can be found in the archive
of the announce mailing list:
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/SummarizeList?listName=announce
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