Hi Leonard,
Leonard Mada wrote:
*Scripting Chart*
Hi,
One of the major limitations of the Chart module is the inability to
script and automate many of its processes. A direct consequence of this
is the inability for common users to easily extend the functionality of
Chart.
Maybe you are not aware that the Chart offers an UNO API (see
::om::sun::star::chart )? You can access this API via OpenOffice.org
Basic macros for example and thus automate tasks (see
http://api.openoffice.org/docs/DevelopersGuide/DevelopersGuide.pdf for
more details).
CURRENT LIMITATIONS
====================
- monolithic code: everything is hardcoded inside Chart
This issue is addressed already with the chart reimplementation. See new
module chart2 on CWS chart2mst3.
- inability to write scripts for Chart
-- no possibility for automation
Please make yourself familiar with UNO scripting via OpenOffice.org Basic.
- inability to easily extend functionality
-- this can be performed only by hardcoding new functions inside OOo
Again, have a look at the UNO API please. Furthermore it depends on the
kind of functionality you want to add.
-- only a limited number of programmers can do this
This is always the case. Having a scripting language people need to
learn that first also. And they need to be willing to share their
results and they need to be able to share their results. So providing a
scripting language does not heal all problems.
-- it takes eons to implement a new feature
Be fair. This highly depends on the feature itself, on the current state
of the affected code and on the availability of resources.
-- when implementing new functionality: code becomes bigger, more
complicated
Implementing additional features via extensions will also produce more
code. There is no real difference in the amount.
-- therefore we have to deal with the many limitations of such code
(difficult to debug and maintain)
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to argue against extensions, but I
doubt that it is in principle easier to debug scenarios with extensions.
There is the additional problem of different languages and you often
cannot be sure in the beginning on which side the error is caused. Is it
in the extension or is it in the framework? This is an additional
problem for debugging and maintainance and not a solution for those
problems.
SOLUTION
=========
- break monolithic structure
Already done within the chart reimplementation. A beta version will be
provided soon.
- layer the Chart module (Virtual Machine/ internal scripts)
What exactly do you want to say here? The reimplemtation of the chart
already makes heavy use of UNO API also internally.
- implement a powerful scripting engine
Please check the Chart UNO API and provide further details about what
you are missing.
- implement the various functions as internal scripts
Please provide more specific use cases. I asume you don't want just a
clone of R or gnuplot, otherwise you just could use them. So it's hard
to estimate what you are asking for.
Thanks for your interest,
Ingrid
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