Weblog:		Opening the potential of OpenOffice.org
Subject:		OpenOffice.org, Java, and the Web
Date:		2005-09-18 20:55:30
From:		openserve
OpenOffice.org is indeed one of the most important F/OSS projects with regards to the future of Linux and Open Source movement. However, traditional desktop software is not the future of computing. The very concepts of word processing documents, spreadsheets, and self-contained databases (Access/Base) are terribly dated in today's web-connected world. I see OpenOffice.org and the OpenDocument formats primarily as a transition tools towards open platforms rather than as an end in themselves. While I hope that OpenOffice.org gets the resources it desperately needs, I believe that it is even more important to begin developing the next generation of web-based document production systems that will someday obsolete both MS Office and OpenOffice.org. Think of the lessons we have learned from web content management systems and then apply these to the future software that will replace "office suites" as rich-web applications. Imagine: forget trying to integrate "office suites" with your enterprise software. Web-based document production systems can become an integrated whole with enterprise software! <BR/> As per the subject line, how does Java play into this? Simple: Unlike C/C++, Java is re-usable on the web. Any component of OpenOffice.org that is developed using Java can be re-used in Java or Mono/.NET web applications. I would go as far to say that all new OpenOffice.org development should be in Java and that old code that needs re-written should be re-written in Java wherever feasible. Those who are worried that Java isn't "free" enough should direct their attention and resources to the Apache Harmony project, which working on a fully Open Source J2SE 1.5 runtime and class library. GCJ is a workable compromise for now.

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• OpenOffice.org, Java, and the Web
  2005-10-03 02:53:49  fitheach [View]
  
  

  Well, I highly agree with your first paragraph as OOo is not the end of the development, but the right way to head. I also think, that more and more office work will be done online. At least as soon as we can online catch up with the desktop apps. Or at least provide the right components the people really need. All the previous movements in this direction sucked completely and never got much attention.

  
  
  

  What I highly disagree with is the Java paragraph. Sorry, but the way OOo is integrating Java sucks completely. And I say this as a Java user and advocate. The move was useless, cause I can't see much market for OOo Base and secondly it requires OOo to utilize Java in some weird locations - Wizards!!

  
  
  

  And will we really get a reuseable framework? Or even components to use on the web? And how do you want to reuse it in Mono? IKVM? Ever tried it? Sorry, I don't see here much possibility for reuse that is capable to attract users and customers. The backend stuff can be used nicely on the server part.

  
  
  

  Well, as I lead a team developing a WYSIWYG layout system for print papers, I can tell you, that writing such a thing is not easy in Java and a lot of boulders are thrown at you from Java, too. Such a tool has to be snappy, responsive, fullfeatured and so on and so on.

  
  
  

  I personally don't believe, that it is a good idea to develop anything inside OOo in Java. Start thinking about the stuff after OOo. Integrating Java code inside existing C++ apps can be/is PITA. The currently visible results (OOo Base) prove that. And GCJ? OOo is running much slower on Linux using GCJ/GIJ compared to Suns JDK.

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