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List:       abiword-dev
Subject:    Re: ATTN: 2.2 roadmap
From:       Randy Kramer <rhkramer () fast ! net>
Date:       2003-07-31 20:01:11
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On Monday 28 July 2003 01:01 am, Dom Lachowicz wrote:
> Please review this list. Ask questions about it.
> Constructively criticize it. Propose additions or
> deletions. Clarify and refine bits. Volunteer to do
> parts.

Ok. ;-)

Aside: Is "assignedle" a word? (as in "strengthening of our architecture as a 
assignedle.")

Question 1: 
leadin: I think the reference to PERL, Python, Scheme might have been added 
after my first reading, but looking at the bit about "Use above C API/ABI to 
expose ourselves to the outside world.", I realized that maybe there is such 
a thing as external scripting and internal scripting.  

question: In any case, my question is about being able to write "internal" 
macros that would let me do one of the (non-programming) approaches to 
collapsible outlining.  (Basically, internal macros would need to be able to 
distinguish different text styles (with heading attributes at various levels 
vs. without heading attributes at all) and apply and unapply a hidden text 
attribute to the text to be collapsed.  Is the macro capability to support 
that envisioned in 2.2?

(Aside: Ideally, another hidden text attribute should be created for this 
purpose, so that hiding and unhiding text for collapsible outlining does not 
interfere with (unhide) text hidden for other reasons.)

Question 2;
leadin: Another approach to achieving collapsible outlining without 
programming would be by creating multiple templates or stylesheets -- one 
would show only Level 1 headings (everything else hidden), another would show 
only Level 1 and 2 headings, and so on.  I meant to research the means of 
applying a new template / stylesheet to a document, but have been 
out-of-town.  

question: Is there a way to apply a new template to an ABiWord document  (to 
change multiple styles simultaneously)?

I assume that, worst case, it can be done by editing an AbiWord file with a 
text editor and changing the reference to the template?

Just for completeness, I'm not 100% sure which approach I favor -- if AbiWord 
supports one and not the other, I'll go with the approach that AbiWord 
supports.  

Either approach will probably benefit from an additional hidden text attribute 
dedicated just to collapsible outlining.  (I'm not quite as sure it's 
necessary for the template / stylesheet approach.)

Both approaches can benefit (downstream) from changes to the GUI.  

Creating the necessary styles for the second approach is probably more work, 
or requires imposing more discipline on the user (to format text only using 
styles (lock styles will help) and to limit the number of styles used to 
minimize the work in creating up to ten variations of the template / 
stylesheet).

Randy Kramer


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