Update: features in new build of OpenOffice.org

Subject: Update: features in new build of OpenOffice.org
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 17:18:38 -0700


For those on the list who are interested in OpenOffice.org, developer's build 643 has just been announced.No word on when the next official version will be out, but I'd suspect it would be less than a month.

I'm downloading as I type, so I haven't tried the new build yet, but the feature list looks interesting. For tech-writers, the new build includes several juicy features, including:

- new import/export features to DocBook and XHTML: If this checks out, then writers may have the GUI for XML that we've been waiting for.

- native PDF export capabilities: I'm not sure what this means, since you could print to PDF before - and produce very clean PDF. It may just mean that you can save as PDF. However, if it means that you can set bookmarks and links, then it is a major increase in functionality for those on non-Windows platforms. For those on Windows, it could mean that you no longer need to buy Adobe Acrobat.

- macro recorder: This was one of two areas in which MS Word had an edge on OpenOffice (the other was a grammar checker,which nobody should use anyway). There's less need for macros in OpenOffice, since you don't need workarounds for basic actions such as autonumbering, but it's still very welcome, all the same.

All builds of OpenOffice.org are free for the download at www.openoffice.org. You can download versions for Linux, Solaris and Windows.

I'll post more as I explore.

(In passing, I note that the official release of this build will be the second new version since 1.0 was released in May 2001, which makes it a good sample of what open source development methods can do - and proof that there can be incentives for excellence when there's no money involved :-) )

--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield

"Someday I must read this scholar Everyone . . . He seems to have written so much - all of it wrong."
- Tamora Pierce


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Buy ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 6.0, the most powerful SINGLE SOURCE HELP
AUTHORING TOOL for MS Word. SAVE $100 on the full version and $50 on the
upgrade. Offer ends 10/31/2002 (code: DTH102250).
http://www.componentone.com/d2hlist1002

All-new RoboHelp X3 is now shipping! Get single sourcing, print-quality
documentation, conditional text and much more, in the most monumental
release ever. Save $100! Order online at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.



Previous by Author: Re: Joing STC and breaking into Technical Writing
Next by Author: Re: Can you teach someone how to learn?
Previous by Thread: RE: ambiguous sentences - Bush
Next by Thread: RE: ambiugous sentences:OT


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads