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List:       koffice
Subject:    another suggestion for writing new filters
From:       Marco Zanon <info () marcozanon ! com>
Date:       2002-07-07 21:17:03
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Hi,

since KOffice 1.3 is going to move towards OpenOffice format at 
least for KWord, I tell you all an idea that I already exposed to 
David Faure some weeks ago (he didn't like it very much :).

Since we would have to rewrite the filters from scratch or the 
like, why not changing the idea behind them and create simple 
command-line programs, instead of libraries?
We could have, for instance:
word97-2-openwriter
rtf-2-openwriter
wp-2-openwriter
and so on... Those filters would return the converted file to 
stdout, and that would be read by KWord.

My idea is to group those filters into an external project 
(hosted by Sourceforge?).

The advantages:
a) filters made this way would be simpler to create, even for 
beginners (like I am: I'm not saying that creating an actual 
KWord filter is impossible, but a simple command line application 
is better :)
b) therefore, there would be more programmers (->manpower) 
interested in writing filters made this way, because
c) not only this project would be useful for KOffice, but also 
for other apps (OpenOffice, AbiWord, etc.), and also
d) the application themselves would be quicker to load (for 
example, OpenOffice would not have to load the filters).

(Obviously, everything I said before could be done gradually, 
first with KWord - which is the most used app.)

bye :)

Marco Zanon [http://www.marcozanon.com]

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