Mathias Bauer <nospamforMBA <at> gmx.de> writes:
Hi Kevin,
Kelvin Eldridge wrote:
> Hi,
>
> It would be appreciated if I could receive a candid and open response
to
the
> question, "should I consider the HTML editor to be end of life?"
The HTML editor of OOo is quite outdated and lacks a lot of features
that nowadays are expected from a good HTML editor. OTOH it is indeed a
very nice tool to quickly create some HTML documents.
We definitely will keep the ability of OOo Writer to import, edit and
save HTML documents. It is unclear if we should keep Writer/Web as an
own module. Writer/Web more or less is the same as Writer with some UI
options and features removed. It's open for debate wether the small user
benefit (not being able to do things with the document that can't be
exported to HTML) justifies the effort to maintain the additional code.
We haven't made up our minds about that until now and we are open for
user feedback. I take your mail as a sign that at least one user is
there who uses Writer/Web.
Did you ever try to edit your HTML documents with Writer instead of
Writer/Web (of course with "Web Layout" switched on)? Perhaps you can
give us some feedback if you consider this to be enough.
Ciao,
Mathias
Hi Mathias,
I haven't recently tried using Writer to create web pages. In the past
if I
recall correctly, saving a document created in Writer did not produce the
results I wanted. (I should add neither did using MS Word.)
I am happy to put time in as required on this issue to help you guys
decide,
or at least provide one person's feedback.
I will try everything you suggest and give feedback. I will try to keep
an
open mind as my only desire is to find a tool which I feel is good
enough for
future users.
I can appreciate the extra effort and resources required to keep the
separate
module. For me HTML Editor is one of modules which drew me to
OpenOffice.org
three years ago and I still think it is one feature which makes
OpenOffice.org different from MS Office and in this area, better. I
think that
is an advantage for OpenOffice.org which I feel would be sad to lose.
Although I can also understand that not many people probably even know
about,
or use HTML Editor. To me it is a hidden gem.
Perhaps I should state where I am coming from.
I have a background as an IT Consultant. I look for ways clients can do
things
themselves. I started down the path to promote OpenOffice.org HTML
Editor as a
tool for end users to create their own web pages and websites.
End users don't know or want to know HTML. They just want to create
pages.
I spent considerable time learning the quirks of HTML Editor, produced a
online course and started training people. Then OpenOffice.org appeared
to
change direction and in fairness to current and future clients, I
shelved this
area of my work.
The client who created his own site www.Open-BookManagement.com
completed the
online course and now maintains his own site with very little
assistance. He
regularly thanks me because the DIY approach has saved him thousands of
dollars and made changing his website quick, because he can make changes
when
he wants.
So the tool albeit with quirks, and the process works.
Even as I write this response I am again looking for a product which will
enable micro and small businesses to easily create and maintain their
own web
pages.
OpenOffice.org Html Editor is a good product to get started with.
I really find it almost impossible to find a viable alternative. NVU is
dead,
Composer is coming, Seamonkey is an entire package.
Html Editor provides the user pretty much WYSIWYG editing with in-line
spell
checking. For me any package that does not provide Australian English
spell
checking is immediately ruled out.
So right now I can't find a single other product which is free, runs on
PCs,
and is good as HTML Editor.
The next stage for me is to look for a low cost commercial package and
that is
what I am doing right now because I am not certain of the future of HTML
Editor.
I do however think OpenOffice.org has something of value in HTML Editor.
But
of course that is just my point of view.
With regards to using Writer instead of HTML Editor to create and
maintain web
pages, I feeling is it is not the right tool. It is was I would have
used it
years ago.
I had never thought to try using the Web Layout in Writer so thanks for
that
suggestion. I learn something every day.
To perform the first task you suggested I tried to open an "index.html"
file
using OpenOffice.org it always opens with Writer/Web. I eventually
settled for
Insert -> File. Not a particularly clean way to work.
Right now to edit a html file I right click on the file and select Open
using
OpenOffice.org. Very clean and quick.
When I saved using Writer I was promoted with the Yes/No for saving as
Html.
Again not that clean. It also created and saved another copy of an image
which
I had in an images folder. So at first glance this was also a problem.
I suspect using Writer as the interface is not particularly good as it
gives
users options which do not apply to web pages. The HTML Editor is good
because
it gives the user only what they can do. (I read yesterday on the users
list
where a person tried to do a cross reference which they said doesn't
work for
web pages.)
However I should say the above is based on the way I currently work. It
may be
possible with some thought to approach the work from another direction.
For me
however this would not be worth the time and effort.
The unfortunate position you are in is most of the feedback you will get
from
users is they don't like HTML Editor because it screws up the source
code.
This is valid from a technical users point of view. From an end users
point of
view (which is what an Office suite is all about) this really is a non
issue
for basic web pages. It does become an issue if people want to add
features
(eg forms in very specific places), but not for basic web pages (which
can by
the way be quite elaborate as long as people work within the
restrictions of
the tool).
Thanks Mathias for your as always helpful approach.
If you want or need for me to do anything else please ask.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
PS. Yes you are correct, but may I add there are at least two happy
users. I
would have had many more by now except for the uncertainty.
