Marco Fioretti wrote:

> A macro is a small program written in some _language_. It is NOT
> the code _and_ its interpreter. The latter, yes, is definitely not
> portable. 

But a large part of the language is also not portable, the "API" based
part. Of course you can write macros without using this, but then these
macros can't do anything on the document, only "external" work like
copying/deleting/moving file, starting tools etc.

> This is what I'm thinking about:
> 
> 1) Python interface for opendocument, ie set of function definitions
>    that read/write odt files and their elements

That sounds easier than it is. The best way to achieve that would be
using XML based APIs of the document (like the SAX API) because they
make use of the standardized format. Unfortunately they are much too
complicated for the average end user.

So another API needs to be provided, but this means: it has to be
standardized and implemented. And there is still no guarantee that
macros created in OOo will use only this "standardized" API because we
still will have our current API (because we guarantee that macros
written today also will run in the future), so users can (and will) use it.

> Before I forget: if this does make sense, why not add it to the
> list of "google summer of code" OO.o projects? Just in case
> somebody felt like doing it?

That wouldn't fit. The Google projects last for 3 months, a new API more
fits to 3 years. ;-)

Best regards,
Mathias

-- 
Mathias Bauer - OpenOffice.org Application Framework Project Lead
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