> Graham, > Thanks for your comments! > > I also feel sorry that some of the features in Symphony can not be > contributed out directly, because they were implemented based on Java XPD. > But there are still a lot of valuable UX features in the code contributed, > e.g. the sidebar, Numbering&Bullet enhancement, DataPilot, and many small > UX enhancements. One thing I want to set every one's expectation is that > even for the features/enhancements in the current contributed Symphony > code, there will still be a lot of work for us to do to integrate them into > our AOO build in the future releases. It can not simply happen tomorrow, > unfortunately. > > But my point is, as far as we set the clear targets, we will move > forward. MDI, Mail merge... all those can bring big value to AOO users, we > can do. What we need are only more time and more contributors. :) Let's > work together to make them happen! > > - Simon
Indeed, let's do that. The Symphony Mail merge does do one good thing for us: It shows a really good way to go, a target iteration if you will. There are a few small UX issues with it but we can make the AOO version better as a result. Cheers G > > 2012/5/19 Graham Lauder <[email protected]> > > > > The Male Merge interface is implemented in Java. So it is not part of > > > the contribution. > > > > OK so neither MDI or Mail merge is available. Does that mean that none > > of the > > GUI elements are part of the contribution. The question then bears > > asking what is in the contribution that we didn't have before that would > > be obvious > > to this poor simple enduser. It seems to me that it is less. It doesn't > > work > > with OOo extensions, there is no draw component. We have been told that > > those > > GUI elements of Symphony are what won it awards. And these awards are > > one of > > the reasons we should be happy because those elements can go into AOO, > > but now > > we are told this is not the case. I'm a tad confused. > > > > > In this code base, the mail merge function was > > > updated with OO.o 3.x code. > > > > This maybe so, but it is still a very bad User Experience example. In my > > corporate training it is the single biggest barrier to change in > > Marketing and > > Event Management departments. In the advertising and publishing space it > > is > > the biggest single barrier amongst sales departments. > > > > The Symphony Mail Merge is intuitive, quick to learn and doesn't require > > addressing data sources before getting started. > > > > One of the difficulties that OOo suffers from is that it costs nothing. > > So the change back to MSO does not necessitate the abandoning of any > > investment. > > The high cost of MSO is actually a barrier to uptake of OOo because > > businesses > > are reluctant to abandon any previous investment in MSO to make the > > change. > > > > What this means is that AOO has to be as good and/or better at everything > > it > > does, than the opposition or at least in those particular functionalities > > that > > individual businesses or departments use. > > > > This is because if there is an issue, there is no incentive to open a > > bugzilla > > instance when the lowest cost solution is simply to go back to MSO. > > > > I thought that getting the Symphony code on board was going to help with > > this, > > but it appears not. > > > > If I have misinterpreted this please feel free to correct this > > > > Cheers > > GL > > > > > On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 11:12 AM, Graham Lauder <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Though MDI is not in the current Symphony contributed code, but if > > > >> people really like it, I suggest we to think about how to make it in > > > >> AOO, maybe 4.0 or later... > > > >> > > > >> - Simon > > > > > > > > My hands are up for another lover of Symphony's MDI... :) > > > > > > > > One of the other cool things in Symphony that I would love to see in > > > > AOO, > > > > > > is Symphony's Mail Merge interface. Is that part of the > > > > contribution? > > > > > > > > Cheer > > > > GL > > > > > > > >> 2012/5/17 zhangjf <[email protected]> > > > >> > > > >> > On Wed, May 16, 2012 at 11:35 PM, Alexander Thurgood > > > >> > > > > >> > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > Le 16/05/12 09:26, Yue Helen a écrit : > > > >> > > > > > >> > > Hi Helen Yue, > > > >> > > > > > >> > >> http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Contribution > > > >> > >> > > > >> > >> Here you can find a document to describe what's inside this > > > >> > >> code contribution, by highlighting some additional features > > > >> > >> beyond what's in Apache OpenOffice 3.4. The feature list > > > >> > >> includes enhancements on performance, usability, > > > >> > >> functionality, interoperability, as well as globalization, > > > >> > >> accessibility and more. > > > >> > > > > > >> > > I actually really like the MDI UI and the context-based dockable > > > >> > > properties panes. > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > Alex > > > >> > > > > >> > The MDI feature is not included in the contributed code, while the > > > >> > sidebar feature is in. The MDI feature in fact is from another > > > > product > > > > > >> > IBM Lotus Expeditor which Symphony is integrated on. > > > >> > > > > >> > zhangjf
