OpenOffice.org

[Victor Kane-2]

On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 12:38 PM, Nedjo Rogers <nedjo@...> wrote:

My interest  here is to see if there is interest in developing an OpenDocument  Format filter for Drupal or (better yet) some ways of integrating or  at least linking OOo to Drupal

These look like two distinct issues:

A. Importing OpenDocument to Drupal. See this relevant discussion: http://groups.drupal.org/node/9929

B. Publishing directly from OOo to Drupal. Here we have on the Drupal side two potential starting places I think.

1. The existing Blog API module in Drupal core. This would involve writing a Blog API client extension in OpenOffice.

Right, this would not involve adding anything to off the shelf Drupal: see John VanDyck's post:

Using Word 2007 Blog functionality to post to Drupal via the MetaWeblog API

http://www.sysarchitects.com/node/64
 

2. As suggested by others, the Services module (not part of Drupal core). This would involve writing a Drupal Services client extension for OpenOffice. Here there would be more potential for customization, but the development would be tied to a contrib Drupal module's APIs.

Let's assume that the existing server alternatives (XMLRPC, etc.) suffice. Then the question remains about implementing a special service. This has much more to do with the content of the message rather than the fact that it is coming from OpenOffice.

Well, some needs could be met off the shlef by using the existing node services perfectly well.
Title and Body would be all you would need to upload an article, it could be the client's job to opt for HTML output directly.

Of course, more sophisticated _services_ could be written whose job it would be to map metadata or some structure transmitted by the client to complex cck defined fields of a given content type. That's where the use cases will have to find their implementation.

I think it would be best to have an open set of tools (services for Services module and clients for OpenOffice) pointing in that direction, for example, the Drupal community's familiarity with how to construct a client using an OpenOffice plugin that thinks it's talking to an OpenOffice server.

Victor
 

Of the two, the Blog API seems to me the first option to look at. A key advantage is that the extension would not need to be Drupal-specific.

Nedjo Rogers

[Louis Suarez-Potts]

On 2008-05-15, at 11:07 , Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:

> I see where this is going.
>
> If this fleshes out in to a good usable product, then it can be a  
> Microsoft Sharepoint
> killer.

bingo. :-)

> Sharepoint's strong selling point is the ability to create documents  
> in Word,
> Excel, ...etc. and publish them directly to the web.

yep, though I'd modulo it with, "supposed"

>
>
> If what we are discussing materializes, then the same could be done  
> with OpenOffice
> and Drupal. You get a powerful and usable front end that only  
> requires word processing
> skills, and a powerful back end for web publishing, and both are open.
>
> We have a winner here...

that's what I have been thinking. Ideally, a filter could also work  
with other compatible and free/open CMSs, just as it could also work  
with other ODF implementations, eg, KOffice. My goal is really to make  
the product a flexible one. (Alfresco has gone some distance, I  
believe, along these lines, but lacks Drupal's presence and plugin  
ease.)
>
> --
> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
> 2bits.com, Inc.
> http://2bits.com
> Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.


best,
Louis

[Liam McDermott-2]

It's about time I replied to this, as have been planning something
similar, just haven't had the time to implement it. I'm worried by the
lockin Sharepoint gives Microsoft, and am seeing first hand how people,
corporations and institutions are jumping on it. They truly think it's a
great thing.

 From Drupal's perspective Sharepoint is not only gaining traction as a
document portal, but as a platform for building Web sites. This worries me.


Louis Suarez-Potts wrote:
> How is integration imagined? It could be close or it could be even
> something as simple as an extension.

I've got a battle plan. :)

> If people are interested, let's talk. My guess is that an obstacle to
> good intentions is reality: shortage of resources.

Well, here's what I dreamed up a while ago:

  * Firstly, create a CCK field that transforms an ODF file attachment
into HTML, using the ODF2html stylesheet (or whatever it's being called
these days). http://xml.openoffice.org/sx2ml/ and stores it in the
Drupal database. I did think of doing this as a content type, but
attaching to a node, using CCK and file attachments, allows the author
to add metadata about the document and store multiple documents on the
same node. It also keeps the document separate from the node, so users
don't get confused when they can't edit it online. Initially I do not
expect users to be able to edit documents online, they will need a
thick-client editor like OOo, or KOffice.

  * Next, make our ODF CCK field store 'revisions' (in Drupal-speak),
according to ODF 'versions' (ODF-speak, I'll call revisions and versions
this from now on) stored in the document. I've investigated how the
versions are stored in ODF, splitting them out doesn't seem too
difficult. CCK information is not stored in node_revisions, so we'll
need our own revisions table for this field.

  * Add GUI elements allowing users to view the versions stored in the file.

  * Use the diff module ( http://drupal.org/project/diff ) as a basis
for a version viewer, that allows people to see the differences between
files online.

  * In order to get write-access to files stored in the document portal,
we'll need to point people to other FLOSS technologies, instead of
re-inventing the wheel (in my opinion). WebDAV is the most likely
candidate I've seen, even Windows supports it (not sure about Vista though).

  * Add an edit link on the CCK field that points OOo to the file stored
in WebDAV. An edit should 'lock' the file for editing, in both Drupal
and in the file system.

  * Add an 'update' or 'check in' link that re-imports the file:
splitting out the versions, converting them to HTML and saving the
versions to the CCK database. This is kludgy, but fixes two problems: 1.
stopping multiple users editing the same file; 2. knowing when a file
has been updated in the repo.

  * Write tutorials on how to turn your Drupal into a document portal.
Include instructions on WebDAV (maybe including WebDAV and SVN with
autoversioning) and useful Drupal modules, such as Workflow (
http://drupal.org/project/workflow ). For bonus points, create packages
for popular GNU+Linux distros: 'apt-get odf-portal' being the aim.

  * For more than just bonus points, create a business selling servers:
Document-portal-in-a-box, or rental services. For bonus marketing
points, create a budget Document Portal Server that ships complete for
less than the price of a Windows 2008 + Sharepoint *license*.


I already asked Slashdot about an ODF Document Portal last year, didn't
receive much feedback, but here's the thread:
http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/09/0036216 Already had
Drupal in my mind as the best way to implement this, but wanted to see
if anyone could come up with a better plan. The best was Alfresco, I
tried and found it lacking compared to Drupal.

Further research, know your enemy:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101687261033.aspx I'm on
GNU+Linux, but that ran fine in a VM running Windows XP. Last time I
looked Sharepoint was in that demo.

It would take precious little time to get this project going, most of
what's required is already in place IMO. This is the biggest advantage
we have over Microsoft: cannibalising code and services from other projects.

I would be very happy to take this idea further, but can't afford to
work for free at the moment. If this plan makes any sense, feel free to
use it. Otherwise, if nothing happens and I do get some free time, I
might try this myself.

Feel free to contact me with questions or what not.

Kind Regards,
Liam McDermott.

[Piermaria Maraziti]

On Fri, May 16, 2008 00:53, Liam McDermott wrote:

>  From Drupal's perspective Sharepoint is not only gaining traction as a
> document portal, but as a platform for building Web sites. This worries
> me.

Yep - a document portal would be useful for various business (or not)
sites. However I suppose that a real interest would be in creating a
website using OOo and Drupal as an "integrated system". Suppose to be able
to publish a "book" (drupal term) using a single document that will split
in chapters and the like. Or similarly organzing a structured knowledge
base or an ecommerce listing and then publish (and manage!) a whole set of
nodes with a "single click" (ok, it will never be "one" but I suppose the
concept is clear).
This should be the target, IMNSHO. Something like this could "sell" - I
mean: obviously not the product itself (free to dowload and use and the
like) but support to it, courses on best practices and the like. I might
have customers interested in it, I will investigate.

Ciao!

--8<-----------------------------------fnord-----
Piermaria Maraziti piermaria@... KALLISTI
ICQ744473  MSN:kallisti@...  +3934735GILDA
www.gilda.it   www.eridia.it   www.hovistocose.it

[Matt Galvin-3]

On the topic of using the Blog API, which is an idea I like, I came
across a non-free product developed by SUN that seems to do something
like this already...

Sun Weblog Publisher:

http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/extensions.jsp#weblog

I am uncertain about its details since I have had no reason to buy it
and try it... but it seems that since you work at SUN you may be able to
dig deeper into it. It says it works with MetaWeblog which I believe is
the same way Office 2007 can talk to Drupal. Might it be possible to
look at the Sun Weblog Publisher as a start on your side?

Just something I remember coming across that might be worth looking
at...

Hope this helps.

Best,

Matt

On Wed, 2008-05-14 at 21:35 -0400, Louis Suarez-Potts wrote:

> [This is a re-send of a message I sent originally to the  
> infrastructure list.]
>
> Hello all!
>
> Allow me to introduce myself: I'm the community manager of  
> OpenOffice.org, a role I've held for the last 7.5 years. My interest  
> here is to see if there is interest in developing an OpenDocument  
> Format filter for Drupal or (better yet) some ways of integrating or  
> at least linking OOo to Drupal. The reason? Lots, including both  
> public and private enterprises, want a CMS + productivity suite (such  
> as OOo) combo. Drupal has huge market share and is flourishing; so  
> does and is OOo.
>
> How is integration imagined? It could be close or it could be even  
> something as simple as an extension. We have now many extensions, and  
> there is no reason why everything has to be a single package--this is  
> the Internet age, not the isolated desktop age.
>
> If people are interested, let's talk. My guess is that an obstacle to  
> good intentions is reality: shortage of resources. But I also am  
> relentlessly optimistic and hopeful, and believe if we can present a  
> good case then companies may want to allocate those resources, which  
> is to say, people and money.
>
> Ciao,
>
> Louis
>
>
> --
> Louis Suarez-Potts, PhD
> Community Manager, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
> OpenOffice.org
>