RE: [Mozoffice] MozOffice

[Rob Campbell]

Title: RFC0001: Word Processor Specification

Chris Shaffer wrote:

<< begin quote >>

Tom,

 

I don't know if you're monitoring the mozoffice mailinglist any more, but I've
created a sourceforge project for MozOffice.  I just like what sourceforge has
to offer.  Do you have a sourceforge login?  When you get one, let me know what
it is, and I'll add you to the project.  Of course, this is all asuming your
still interested in working on this project

 

Attached is a peliminary spec (RFC0001) for the Word Processor component.  I
will create a similar document for the PIM, DB frontend, and Form manager.

 

Any thoughts, or comments?  Before we start looking for other developers, I'd
like to have a basic version roadmap setup (maybe v0.1, v0.2, and v0.3), and
have a 'team' structure in place.

 

Let me know.

<< end - quote (see spec at end) >>

 

I orginally signed up for the MozOffice list because I'm interested in cross-platform software.  I'm not a likely developer.

 

I don't recall the exact goal of the project.  Is it to create an office "embedded" in Mozilla, or to create a cross-platform office using XUL as a framework?  I think the latter should be the goal.  If you had a standalone office based on XUL, it would have a wider audience and would still be easy to roll it into a "Mozilla environment" a la OEOne.  In either case, I think AbiWord is the logical code base.

 

If the goal is to create an embedded word processor, OEOne Corporation has already done it.  The necessary changes (which are minimal) are available under the GPL.

 

If the goal is a cross-platform office (and, first, a word processor) using XUL, AbiWord is designed to support this.  Most of the word-processing specific code is factored out into portable, platform independent C++.  The GUI and other code that requires knowledge of the target platform (e.g., parts of the layout code) are factored out into platform-specific code.  To create a XUL-based word processor - XUL look-and-feel (whatever that is), XUL services (printing? I don't know what XUL provides along these lines), etc. - would "just" require writing the nonportable classes using the XUL toolkit.

 

There is value in the competition that another viable, cross-platform toolkit would provide.  In that way, the MozOffice project could benefit the related Mozilla projects as well as competing office projects, not to mention end users.  But writing a word processor is a massive undertaking.  These benefits could be had by working with the AbiWord project to create a new target platform.

 

Rob Campbell

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

 

<< spec begin >>

Introduction
    This document, RFC0001, will serve as the primary design document for the Word Processor component of mozOffice.  Updates will be made as progress is made towards version 0.1.

 

1.  Name
    Until a better suggestion is given, the Word Processor component of mozOffice will be refered to as mozWrite.

 

2.  Code Base
    Many suggegstions have been made.  Some options to base the code of mozWrite off of are:

 

Abiword
OpenOffice.org 
KOffice Kwrite
Mozilla Composer

 

3.  Features
    A list of features to be included into the first release of mozWrite (version 0.1).

 

Inline spelling check
Microsoft Word data compatiblity
Autocomplete (ala OpenOffice.org word processor)
Standard text formatting features

 

Bold
Italics
Underline
Alignment
Text Colors
Bullets
Indents
Standard document formatting feature
Columns
Tables

 

Headers

 

Footers

 

Margins
Open multiple documents
Tabbed window
Multipule windows
Online colaboration
Gather list data from datasource
4.  File Format
    File format is undiscussed at this time.

<< spec end>>