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Posted to user@poi.apache.org by Ryan Ackley <ry...@softartisans.com> on 2005/04/27 19:55:59 UTC
RE: State of the Union for HWPF
Andy,
You make a lot of good points about the state of Apache HWPF in this email.
That is why I am pleased to announce that SoftArtisans will be releasing
WordWriter v3 shortly. It is a fully-featured Java API for reading and
writing Microsoft Word documents. I feel like it is a better choice than
HWPF because it is the realization of what I wanted for HWPF. It addresses
all of your bullet points below. Including the ones about Junit tests,
Javadoc, and Documentation ;) In addition to that, we have taken it so much
farther in terms of features. Please check it out at
http://officewriter.softartisans.com/officewriter-312.aspx
-Ryan
> -----Original Message-----
> From: andy@superlinksoftware.com [mailto:andy@superlinksoftware.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 12:01 PM
> To: poi-dev@jakarta.apache.org
> Subject: State of the Union for HWPF
>
> So it looks like if I create a new document or even use one
> of the word office templates, I can add all the text I like
> and can even style it like existing text.
>
> However, it looks at the moment like:
>
> * Delete is horribly broken, this needs to be fixed
> * You can do things with HWPF that are really structurally unsound
> * The usage patterns for when to create a Section,
> Paragraph and CharacterRun isn't very well defined
> * WHOA MOMMMA there are a lot of methods and constants that
> you can set on any given "thing"
> * Ryan apparently did not believe in JavaDoc, Junit (very
> few tests), or Documentation (which is why I continually
> refused to let HWPF out of scratchpad, which is why the
> project floundered up until now -- gee Ryan...maybe thats why
> its hard to use).
>
> That being said:
> * It seems to be fairly functional even for somewhat
> complex documents especially in *reading*
> * SuperLink and its clients may put significant investment
> into HWPF in the near future to get it up to spec.
>
> The API needs several refinements:
>
> * add "cloneProperties" methods to Paragraph and
> CharacterRun - (done but not committed)
> * Why can't a characterRun be added to a paragraph?
> * Why can't a characterRun be deleted from a paragraph?
> * Groupings of similar properties should be broken down
> into compositions of objects rather than just one big Mega
> properties object.
> * Weird word structural abbreviations shouldn't be exposed
> to the usermodel
> * Unicode support.
>
> Question:
> * There are a couple of people here with some good Word knowledge..
> Can anyone give me some pointers on the difference between
> unicode text storage and non unicode text storage?
>
> Glen, Avik and Rainer are scared...commit messages directly
> from me again ;-)
>
> -Andy
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
> The Apache Jakarta POI Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/
>
>
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Re: State of the Union for HWPF
Posted by ac...@apache.org.
Ryan,
These types of messages are commercial advertising for a product that
attempts to compete with POI and is not welcome on this list. We are
lienient about advertising of products and services based on POI
provided they are not legally encumbered by NDAs with Microsoft.
-Andy
Ryan Ackley wrote:
> Andy,
>
> You make a lot of good points about the state of Apache HWPF in this email.
> That is why I am pleased to announce that SoftArtisans will be releasing
> WordWriter v3 shortly. It is a fully-featured Java API for reading and
> writing Microsoft Word documents. I feel like it is a better choice than
> HWPF because it is the realization of what I wanted for HWPF. It addresses
> all of your bullet points below. Including the ones about Junit tests,
> Javadoc, and Documentation ;) In addition to that, we have taken it so much
> farther in terms of features. Please check it out at
> http://officewriter.softartisans.com/officewriter-312.aspx
>
> -Ryan
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: andy@superlinksoftware.com [mailto:andy@superlinksoftware.com]
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 12:01 PM
>>To: poi-dev@jakarta.apache.org
>>Subject: State of the Union for HWPF
>>
>>So it looks like if I create a new document or even use one
>>of the word office templates, I can add all the text I like
>>and can even style it like existing text.
>>
>>However, it looks at the moment like:
>>
>> * Delete is horribly broken, this needs to be fixed
>> * You can do things with HWPF that are really structurally unsound
>> * The usage patterns for when to create a Section,
>>Paragraph and CharacterRun isn't very well defined
>> * WHOA MOMMMA there are a lot of methods and constants that
>>you can set on any given "thing"
>> * Ryan apparently did not believe in JavaDoc, Junit (very
>>few tests), or Documentation (which is why I continually
>>refused to let HWPF out of scratchpad, which is why the
>>project floundered up until now -- gee Ryan...maybe thats why
>>its hard to use).
>>
>>That being said:
>> * It seems to be fairly functional even for somewhat
>>complex documents especially in *reading*
>> * SuperLink and its clients may put significant investment
>>into HWPF in the near future to get it up to spec.
>>
>>The API needs several refinements:
>>
>> * add "cloneProperties" methods to Paragraph and
>>CharacterRun - (done but not committed)
>> * Why can't a characterRun be added to a paragraph?
>> * Why can't a characterRun be deleted from a paragraph?
>> * Groupings of similar properties should be broken down
>>into compositions of objects rather than just one big Mega
>>properties object.
>> * Weird word structural abbreviations shouldn't be exposed
>>to the usermodel
>> * Unicode support.
>>
>>Question:
>> * There are a couple of people here with some good Word knowledge..
>>Can anyone give me some pointers on the difference between
>>unicode text storage and non unicode text storage?
>>
>>Glen, Avik and Rainer are scared...commit messages directly
>>from me again ;-)
>>
>>-Andy
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
>>Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
>>The Apache Jakarta POI Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
> The Apache Jakarta POI Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/
> .
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
The Apache Jakarta POI Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/
Re: State of the Union for HWPF
Posted by ac...@apache.org.
Ryan,
These types of messages are commercial advertising for a product that
attempts to compete with POI and is not welcome on this list. We are
lienient about advertising of products and services based on POI
provided they are not legally encumbered by NDAs with Microsoft.
-Andy
Ryan Ackley wrote:
> Andy,
>
> You make a lot of good points about the state of Apache HWPF in this email.
> That is why I am pleased to announce that SoftArtisans will be releasing
> WordWriter v3 shortly. It is a fully-featured Java API for reading and
> writing Microsoft Word documents. I feel like it is a better choice than
> HWPF because it is the realization of what I wanted for HWPF. It addresses
> all of your bullet points below. Including the ones about Junit tests,
> Javadoc, and Documentation ;) In addition to that, we have taken it so much
> farther in terms of features. Please check it out at
> http://officewriter.softartisans.com/officewriter-312.aspx
>
> -Ryan
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: andy@superlinksoftware.com [mailto:andy@superlinksoftware.com]
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 12:01 PM
>>To: poi-dev@jakarta.apache.org
>>Subject: State of the Union for HWPF
>>
>>So it looks like if I create a new document or even use one
>>of the word office templates, I can add all the text I like
>>and can even style it like existing text.
>>
>>However, it looks at the moment like:
>>
>> * Delete is horribly broken, this needs to be fixed
>> * You can do things with HWPF that are really structurally unsound
>> * The usage patterns for when to create a Section,
>>Paragraph and CharacterRun isn't very well defined
>> * WHOA MOMMMA there are a lot of methods and constants that
>>you can set on any given "thing"
>> * Ryan apparently did not believe in JavaDoc, Junit (very
>>few tests), or Documentation (which is why I continually
>>refused to let HWPF out of scratchpad, which is why the
>>project floundered up until now -- gee Ryan...maybe thats why
>>its hard to use).
>>
>>That being said:
>> * It seems to be fairly functional even for somewhat
>>complex documents especially in *reading*
>> * SuperLink and its clients may put significant investment
>>into HWPF in the near future to get it up to spec.
>>
>>The API needs several refinements:
>>
>> * add "cloneProperties" methods to Paragraph and
>>CharacterRun - (done but not committed)
>> * Why can't a characterRun be added to a paragraph?
>> * Why can't a characterRun be deleted from a paragraph?
>> * Groupings of similar properties should be broken down
>>into compositions of objects rather than just one big Mega
>>properties object.
>> * Weird word structural abbreviations shouldn't be exposed
>>to the usermodel
>> * Unicode support.
>>
>>Question:
>> * There are a couple of people here with some good Word knowledge..
>>Can anyone give me some pointers on the difference between
>>unicode text storage and non unicode text storage?
>>
>>Glen, Avik and Rainer are scared...commit messages directly
>>from me again ;-)
>>
>>-Andy
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
>>Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
>>The Apache Jakarta POI Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
> The Apache Jakarta POI Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/
> .
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: poi-user-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
Mailing List: http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail2.html#poi
The Apache Jakarta Poi Project: http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/