Re: Word Processors

[Rebecca Ore <rebecca ore op net>]

On Tue, 15 Sep 1998, Reklaw wrote:

>
>I think we can (or rather should) agree on the following...
>The "Solution" should be able to read and write RTF like it was
>born to do it. Word 6/95/97/2000 should be a high on list but I'm
>think we may chase our tails in closed formats on that one.

Rft is good.  All other formats lie about what they do and don't import/export
to other formats (except for .txt).

XEmacs has an rtf but it's not the authentic one.

>
>A windows version should be low on the list (or not on it at all). 

Yes.  

>
>Plugins and Macros make sense from a development standpoint. Easier
>for programmers to extend the WP if they don't have to learn the internals of the app. 
> Read up on the logic of plugins on the Saig site.
>
><personal bais>
>PW has a quirky interface. By Gnomeifiation, I would hope that the 
>programmers would strive to make it standardized and customizeable.
>PW has support for plugins (that can save inside the file) and a few
>macro langs. PW has an open file format.Don't get me wrong, it needs
>more features (I really want labels -- I hacked a postscript file the
>last time I needed to print some).Header and footer were also missing
>last I looked.
>
>GWP could be extended in much the same way. It supports plugins. Macros
>could be added.
></personal bais>
>
>Whatever is choosen it needs a spell checker (in balsa too) <grin>.
>
>
>I think the best course of action for anyone wanting to work
>on an open source WP is to add RTF import/export to your fav.
>
>Get the core functionality going and worry about UI later.

	Standard key bindings, either emac or WP/Word, please.  Preferably an
easy way to switch to either out of the box.

	My personal preference is to have at least two ways
to do common repetitive tasks other than straight keyboarding and space bar
(for that you've got two thumbs).


	One of the terrors for technical typists is having programmers come up
with custom keybindings.  Fun for the programmer and carpel tunnel/boredom
nightmare for the technical typists.   ("No, we want to learn standard Emacs
key-bindings; no, we don't to have that easy a way to do things 4,000 times an
hour, sorry.").  We actually had that discussion with a programmer when I was
doing technical editing (search and replace) for a hypertext company.

	Let's do think about the UI  early on,  please.  

-- 
Rebecca Ore