Hi Ariel,

> Let me quote Regina in http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=4499
> *****************************************************************************************
> You can start with the template
> http://specs.openoffice.org/collaterals/template/2.0/OpenOffice-org-Specification-Template.ott
> (see http://specs.openoffice.org/)
> 

In my very personal opinion, the specification template is nothing a
newcomer should be slain with.

Or, to say it less rigid ...

The basic idea behind the specification template is that when you design
a feature in the application, you should *beforehand* think about how it
looks like, how it normally behaves, and, important, how it behaves in
rare circumstances. Especially the latter is something which is often
forgotten by "Just Do It (TM)" hackers.

I definitely appreciate this idea behind the specification
template/process, but the template itself is only _one_ means to reach
that goal, it helps you by giving you a structure which is considered
(and actually often is :) useful.

Another means, at least equally important, is *communication*. That is,
when you plan a new feature, do it in public, open your plans for
discussion, and incorporate the feedback you get. If you want to do this
by using the specification template - fine. If you want to use a Wiki -
also fine. If you want to schedule weekly multimedia conference calls
with all interested parties - fine, too. Just ensure all people which
can contribute get an early opportunity to do so.

That said, I - who I have written specifications using the template, and
specifications in the Wiki - personally prefer the Wiki. It's a pain
when it comes to slightly complex formatting (especially tables simply
suck), it has a higher entry barrier for some features (especially for
those where you *know* how to do that in Writer, but need to learn how
to do that in MediaWiki), but it's unbeaten when it comes to doing small
quick (and perhaps collaborative) changes to The Plan. In particular,
versioning control with .odt documents is no fun at all, it effectively
doesn't exist.

So, I suggest not bothering with the specification template, but setting
up a Wiki page.

Ciao
Frank
-- 
- Frank Schönheit, Software Engineer         [EMAIL PROTECTED] -
- Sun Microsystems                      http://www.sun.com/staroffice -
- OpenOffice.org Base                       http://dba.openoffice.org -
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