On 7/12/2012 6:41 AM, Rob Weir wrote:
On Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 2:30 AM, Shenfeng Liu<[email protected]> wrote:
Considering this... Then I agree with Dennis that we should consult users
for ODF format.
But my concern is that it will look like Apache OpenOffice gives the same
weight of support to ODF and MS Office format. But the truth is not...
"Best Practice" is something like this;
1) In install program wizard have a dialog that lists the file formats
that AOO could handle, and and show the user which formats we
recommend should be controlled by AOO. Allow the user to modify that
list if they wish, before they confirm. It is fine to give a
recommendation/default here that prefers ODF. But we make sure the
user has the ability to change the defaults.
I think this requires a bit more detail work on the design. The
question should be asked, but in a user focused manner.
It should layered, for instance, with a few simple direct options on
top, and an 'advanced' button that takes them to full lists of all file
formats. The top layer might offer three check boxes with the first two
defaulting to checked:
Use OpenOffice as the default application for:
* All ODF documents on this computer
* All document types not associated with another application
* All document types which can be handled by OpenOffice
(the wording is not very polished, but I think the three categories are
correct)
2) Each time we we start up AOO check to make sure we are the default
handler for ODF files. If we are not, then prompt the user whether
they want to make AOO be the default handler. This protects the user
if another application takes over our file extensions. Also have an
option for the user to disable this check.
Maybe something to consider in 3.5 or 3.6?
-Rob
- Simon
2012/7/12 Andrew Douglas Pitonyak<[email protected]>
I agree with Dennis, if there is already an association, ask. I frequently
use computers with more than one application that uses ODF file formats as
the default format.
The problem, of course, is how to choose which to associate. For example,
off hand, the first thought is that you have an ODF for write, calc,
impress, base, and draw. Well, Write may be ODT or SXW (as an example).
On 07/11/2012 12:06 PM, Dennis E. Hamilton wrote:
I am concerned that a bad behavior is being suggested.
Considerations:
1. Apache OpenOffice does not "own" the ODF file-format extensions,
ODT, ODP, ODS, etc. (OpenOffice.org did not either.)
2. It is rude to take over those associations on install if they are
already associated with a different application.
3. In case that the associations are found to already exist and not be
for a version being updated, the associations should not be changed without
consulting the user. (This problem has already been encountered and
handled well in cases where common multimedia extensions are supported by
more than one application, such as Windows Media Player, Apple QuickTime,
and RealPlayer.)
There may be a way to register Apache OpenOffice as a secondary
application that can be selected easily by Windows Users even when the
default association is not to Apache OpenOffice.
- Dennis
PS: The handling of the associations that are customarily associated with
Microsoft Office file formats can be similar.
-----Original Message-----
From: Shenfeng Liu [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 07:52
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Suggestion - file format
My 2 cents:
1. OpenOffice should always associate the ODF files. No need to provide an
option for user to check off. We can notify it during installation.
2. We should provide a check box for users to decide if he/she want
OpenOffice to associate with MS Office format.
3. Setting MS Office format as default should not be encouraged (even
purely from technical perspective, our data modal does not well match the
MS Office format), but maybe we should keep the possibility in case any
customer really want it (e.g. during the IT transition phase...). We can
make it as a kind of customization that not as easy as you can find a
place
in UI to set it, but IT admin can config it before the deployment.
- Simon
[ ... ]
--
Andrew Pitonyak
My Macro Document:
http://www.pitonyak.org/**AndrewMacro.odt<http://www.pitonyak.org/AndrewMacro.odt>
Info: http://www.pitonyak.org/oo.php
--
Andrew Rist | Interoperability Architect
OracleCorporate Architecture Group
Redwood Shores, CA | 650.506.9847
