Ariel Constenla-Haile wrote:
IIRC you said you where thinking about moving the whole extension to
Java, sure you know the advantages of this, with the NetBeans IDE
plug-in everything is easier:
* easier and cleaner to debug, because when you debug the extension it
creates a new user directory inside the project's folder
* easier to re-package,: if you do any change, then you simple right
click and create the oxt (AFAIK with the BasicAddonBuilder you have to
do everything again)
* with the NetBeans IDE code is easier to maintain (it has refactoring,
local history, code completion, etc.), so there is no point of
comparison with the poor Basic IDE
* most important, you can use Java API to fill black holes in OOo API
If you don't want to move to Java, you can do as you said: wrap the Java
API in a UNO component and use it from OOo Basic ... but IMHO this will
duplicate your work: you will have to maintain the Java code and the
Basic code.
Saludos Ariel,
Ok my friend
Java(x) is more powerful the OOoBasic - I concede that point.
The NetBeans IDE has a bucket full more features then the OO.o Basic IDE
- I concede that point. It is almost comical just to type that
sentence actually.
So - if we pose the question: "I am going to write a full blown report
management utility, for use in a business setting. Which should I use
Java via NetBeans or the built in OOoBasic support?
Answer: Java/netBeans" - I will concede that point.
( in the next email let's deal with the actual extension...but for now )
Let's put this in a different perspective.
User_A poses a question - I would like to automate the ability to run a
report and save it to a pdf file for my co-worker. User_A is a pretty
bright guy, in his field, but writing software is not his field.
Not a problem someone says you can do that. It is pretty easy. Exhibit 1
- the current Report Builder...to be honest it is barely past trivial in
its functioning. This functionality really should be withing the reach
of the average office automation task. Let's help him do this with Java.
Here is what you do...go download NetBeans....wait, do you have the Java
Development Kit?
@User_A When I installed OpenOffice.org it installed Java.
That was the Java Run-time Environment, you need the Java Development
Kit. You can download both it and the NetBeans IDE as a bundle..
@User_A Cool! - ( User_A goes off and downloads the 109 Meg file )
@User_A I am done installing NetBeans, now what?
You need to install the OpenOffice.org plugin for Netbeans...( explain
to the user how to do this )
@User_A Cool! - ( User_A goes off and installs the plugin - remember he
is a bright guy)
@User_A Hi - I installed the plugin now what?
OK - create a new OpenOffice.org project in NetBeans, you want to create
an Addon project.
@User_A Allright ( User_A starts a new project...oops )
@User_A HI - It says I have to include a path to the OpenOffice.org
Software Development Kit?
OH - Yeah...you can download that from htt://download.openoffice.org
@User_A Jees, OK I'll do that. ( User_A goes and gets the SDK and
installs it )
@User_A It's all installed - how do I create the dialog box for the UI?
* I will stop this story here *
Here is a very real scenario.
HI I have a form, it has a date control and I would like it to default
to todays date, how do I make it do that?
You show them an example of the 4 lines (Total) of oooBasic required to
do this.
Usual next question.
Thanks - but - I have never written a macro before, where do I actually
put all that?
Like I said..the next email will be about the extension - just wanted to
put this discussion back into the world of the - and I'll use a term
that I saw on GullFOSS recently (with the quotes, what ever they mean)
"nothing but users".
Drew
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