The task panel in LibreOffice

LibreOffice has a very little known feature called the task pane. You might already be familiar with the navigator and the Styles and formatting dialogues. These dialogues are dockable whitch means that you can glue the dialogues to the border of the LibreOffice window.

It is however possible to create your own dockable dialogues. The dialogue becomes dockable through the so called task panel.

The task panel is only visible when you actively choose to show it and besides that you can only show it if it has content. In the view menu you might find the menu item “Task panel”. But as mentioned its only present in the menu if the task panel has an active content. When its visible it can be docked to one of the sides of the window or it can be floating. You can move it around and put it where you find it best for you.

In my case I have transformed an existing extension – the “Lorem Ipsum Generator” to show up in the task panel. As the task panel has a very little prominent occurrence in LibreOffice I decided to keep the Lorem Ipsum icon in the tool bar but now it only toggles the task panel on and off.

The result is that the tool becomes available at all times. Not open and close the dialogue any more. Just put the cursor wherever you want some dummy text and click the button in the task panel.

Usability

In the discussion about usability and “the new GUI” I think this could be the beginning. Of course the whole concept must have an overhaul as there are still some problems. First of all I don't think it's possible to use a localizable dialogue in the task panel. Therefore I had to keep the dialoque in English only but I hope that this will be only for a short time until I find out how to localize it. Another problem is that its not a trivial task to transform a dialogue into a a task panel item. I don't even think its possible to do with basic alone. i think it should be possible to generate an extension with dockable dialogues as its possible to generate extensions with the extension packager.

Anyway. I believe that the task panel could easily become a very important step into a new GUI. Not alone but followed by other efforts. Also we need to discuss if some of the existing built in dialogues in LibreOffice could easily be transformed into dockable tools. One thing I personally would like to see is the word count dialogue made dockable. Since 3.5 this dialogue has been modal witch means that it can be open while you type. It would be an obvious decision to put that dialogue in the dock.

What do you think? Would it be a good idea to continue to work on the task panel idea?

If you want to try my extension you can find it here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9348527/LoremIpsum.oxt but please have in mind that its not yet completely finished.

Now you can buy LibreOffice merchandise

You can buy several merchandise products from the LibreOffice shop at libreoffice.spreadshirt.dk.

Silent installation - following up

In my earlier post about administrative installation of LibreOffice i described how its possible to use the program ORCA to manipulate the msi-file by creating a new mst-file.

Unfortunately this subject is not very well documented from the developers. if you are a developer and find that I am giving wrong or inaccurate information then please notify me ASAP.

Lately I have investigated some more details and possibilities in the installation process.

I have found that its possible to pass all the parameters directly to the installation without using a mst-file. The mst is like bundling the parameters in a container and in some situations this can be convenient e.g., if you need to distribute or publish a specific installation.

Overall I have found two interesting features. Basically I looked into the msi-file using ORCA and I found that the tables Feature and Properties include the most interesting parameters. All these can be manipulated as parameters at installation time.

Feature
The installed features are core components and it pretty much corresponds with the the page in the dialog that is only available if you select Custom installation from the gui.



If you want to manipulate the installed components with parameters you must first either identify every single component you want to install or better: install everything with the parameter ADDLOCAL=ALL and then define everything you don't want. This is done with the REMOVE parameter. Be aware that evetything you want to remove must be specified in one string with comma as separator and no space. E.g.,

REMOVE=gm_o_Testtool,gm_o_Xsltfiltersamples,gm_o_jf_Palm,gm_o_jf_Pocketpc

Predefined extensions can be removed like this:

REMOVE=gm_o_Extensions_PRESENTER_SCREEN,gm_o_Extensions_REPORTDESIGN

You can also remove dictionaries. Dictionaries are also installed as predefined extensions but in the installer process these are categorized as Dictionaries, so you need to add an extra part to the REMOVE like this:

REMOVE=gm_Dictionaries,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Af,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Pt

Please note the first value: gm_Dictionaries

Property
Another very important thing you can do during installation is setting some properties. The list is not complete, but only some examples:

• ALLUSERS (default=1) - performs a per-user installation or per-machine installation depending on the access privileges of the user
• CREATEDESKTOPLINK (default=1) - Create desktop shortcut icon
  
• INSTALLLOCATION - specify installation directory
• ISCHECKFORPRODUCTUPDATES (default=1) - Check for updates – I think this property is deprecated.
• REGISTER_ALL_MSO_TYPES (default=0) - Use LibreOffice as the default application for Microsoft Office file formats
• REGISTER_NO_MSO_TYPES (default=0) – Dont use LibreOffice as default application for any Microsoft Office file formats
• REGISTER_DOC (default=0) - Use LibreOffice as the default application for Microsoft Word file format .doc (You can use similar for .xls, .ppt etc.)
• IS1033 (default=1) – Unfortunately all languages are installed as default so you must specify each language that you DONT want to install. In the following example only Danish will be installed:

IS1033=0 IS1078=0 IS1025=0 IS1101=0 IS1610=0 IS1059=0 IS1026=0 IS2117=0 IS2121=0 IS1150=0 IS1603=0 IS5146=0 IS1027=0 IS32771=0 IS1029=0 IS1106=0 IS1030=1 IS1031=0 IS1604=0 IS2129=0 IS1032=0 IS2057=0 IS7177=0 IS1553=0 IS1034=0 IS1061=0 IS1069=0 IS1065=0 IS1035=0 IS1036=0 IS2108=0 IS1084=0 IS1110=0 IS1095=0 IS1037=0 IS1081=0 IS1050=0 IS1038=0 IS1057=0 IS1039=0 IS1040=0 IS1041=0 IS1079=0 IS1087=0 IS1107=0 IS1099=0 IS1042=0 IS1111=0 IS1120=0 IS1574=0 IS1108=0 IS1063=0 IS1062=0 IS1605=0 IS1071=0 IS1100=0 IS1104=0 IS1112=0 IS1102=0 IS1109=0 IS1044=0 IS1121=0 IS1043=0 IS2068=0 IS1580=0 IS1132=0 IS1154=0 IS2162=0 IS1096=0 IS1094=0 IS1045=0 IS2070=0 IS1046=0 IS1048=0 IS1049=0 IS1569=0 IS1103=0 IS1606=0 IS1113=0 IS2074=0 IS2133=0 IS1051=0 IS1060=0 IS1052=0 IS3098=0 IS1579=0 IS1072=0 IS1053=0 IS1089=0 IS1097=0 IS1098=0 IS1064=0 IS1054=0 IS1074=0 IS1055=0 IS1073=0 IS2200=0 IS1058=0 IS1091=0 IS1075=0 IS1066=0 IS1076=0 IS2052=0 IS1028=0 IS1077=0

I found a list of numeric language codes here: http://www.science.co.il/language/locale-codes.asp

This is an example of an installation with Danish language and only danish spellchecker (I don't remove gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Da) with a few more details:

msiexec /qn /i libreoffice34.msi /L* ../Log/logfile1.txt TRANSFORMS=trans_da.mst SELECT_WORD=1 SELECT_EXCEL=1 SELECT_POWERPOINT=1 CREATEDESKTOPLINK=0 IS1033=0 IS1078=0 IS1025=0 IS1101=0 IS1610=0 IS1059=0 IS1026=0 IS2117=0 IS2121=0 IS1150=0 IS1603=0 IS5146=0 IS1027=0 IS32771=0 IS1029=0 IS1106=0 IS1030=1 IS1031=0 IS1604=0 IS2129=0 IS1032=0 IS2057=0 IS7177=0 IS1553=0 IS1034=0 IS1061=0 IS1069=0 IS1065=0 IS1035=0 IS1036=0 IS2108=0 IS1084=0 IS1110=0 IS1095=0 IS1037=0 IS1081=0 IS1050=0 IS1038=0 IS1057=0 IS1039=0 IS1040=0 IS1041=0 IS1079=0 IS1087=0 IS1107=0 IS1099=0 IS1042=0 IS1111=0 IS1120=0 IS1574=0 IS1108=0 IS1063=0 IS1062=0 IS1605=0 IS1071=0 IS1100=0 IS1104=0 IS1112=0 IS1102=0 IS1109=0 IS1044=0 IS1121=0 IS1043=0 IS2068=0 IS1580=0 IS1132=0 IS1154=0 IS2162=0 IS1096=0 IS1094=0 IS1045=0 IS2070=0 IS1046=0 IS1048=0 IS1049=0 IS1569=0 IS1103=0 IS1606=0 IS1113=0 IS2074=0 IS2133=0 IS1051=0 IS1060=0 IS1052=0 IS3098=0 IS1579=0 IS1072=0 IS1053=0 IS1089=0 IS1097=0 IS1098=0 IS1064=0 IS1054=0 IS1074=0 IS1055=0 IS1073=0 IS2200=0 IS1058=0 IS1091=0 IS1075=0 IS1066=0 IS1076=0 IS2052=0 IS1028=0 IS1077=0 REGISTER_DOC=1 ADDLOCAL=ALL REMOVE=gm_o_Testtool,gm_o_Xsltfiltersamples,gm_o_jf_Palm,gm_o_jf_Pocketpc,gm_o_Quickstart,gm_o_Extensions_PRESENTER_SCREEN,gm_o_Extensions_REPORTDESIGN,gm_o_Extensions_MEDIAWIKI,gm_o_Extensions_MINIMIZER,gm_Dictionaries,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Af,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Pt,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Ca,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Hr,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Cs,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Nl,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Et,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Fr,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_De_AT,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_De_DE,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_De_CH,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_He,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Hu,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_It,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Ku_Tr,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Lt,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Ne,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_No,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Oc,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Pl,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Ro,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Ru,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Sr,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Sk,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Sl,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Es,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Sv,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Th,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Uk,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Vi,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Zu

If you take a look in the log file you can see some details about how the installation process was. You can also see most of the properties that you can set in the installation.

Thanks to my colleague and good friend Beemen Beshara for valuable input.

Administrating LibreOffice

Professional use of LibreOffice requires the ability to manage and control the installation from the IT department. I have written earlier on how to install LibreOffice silently http://lodahl.blogspot.com/2011/02/silent-installation-of-libreoffice-on.html .

In many organizations restrictions is made enforcing that no data can or may be stored on the local hard drive, so all documents and other data are stored on the network. There can be many different reasons for this, and the most often used excuse is that its easier to back up the data from a server on the network, but its also much easier to exchange the local hardware without consequenses for the user.

LibreOffice stores quite a lot of information on the local harddrive under ..\[username]\Application Data \LibreOffice\3\user\… . This is among many things the users own settings, autotexts and user dictionaries. Not all these settings and data can be redirected in Tools - Options - Paths, but it is possible to redirect the whole user catalog to e.g. a personal drive on a network server.

It's done by changing the content of the file “Bootstrap.ini” (on Linux “bootstraprc”) that is found in the program folder (E.g.. C:\Program files\LibreOffice\program\bootstrap.ini”). The file is a text file like this:

[Bootstrap]
BaseInstallation=${OOO_BASE_DIR}
InstallMode=
ProductKey=LibreOffice 3.3
UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/.libreoffice/3
[ErrorReport]
ErrorReportPort=80
ErrorReportServer=

The line “UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/LibreOffice/3″ kcan be replaced by e.g., “UserInstallation=File:///p:/Application Data/LibreOffice/3″.
If this change takes place in conjunction with a first time installation you don't need to do more than changing the path. But if LibreOffice has been installed (or is installed), you must remember to copy or move the user library from the local harddrive to the new position on the network.

I have noticed that this method can result in errors if you are using a Citrix Terminal server with Roaming profiles. In this case you can exerience an errer; “fatal error. The Application cannot be started. [context="user']Caught Unexpected Exception!“.
If anyone can tell me the reason for this and perhaps also a solution, I would be happy to hear from you.

Macroprogramming with Python

I've been doing some investigations on how to do macroprograming with Python. I was so lucky to find a instant word counter from https://bitbucket.org/yawaramin/oo.o-live-word-count/overview and started to hack on it. Hacking other peoples code is a very good way to get into new areas of coding.

I succeeded to improve the macro by adding a graphical progress bar.

The code will of cause be added to upstream ;-)