This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --===============21116618285891886== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0033_01C38D16.1DF861C0" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0033_01C38D16.1DF861C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello, First a warning : my programming is very rusty, I'm sort of starting all = over again with KDE. I'm only taking my first steps though, but working = through the turorials, I'm happy to see that some of my former knowledge = regarding C++ is still there :-) Anyway, I find the whole Koffice project, and Kspread in particular very = inspiring. I have been browsing through the code (WEBCVS because my linux pc is not = online, first I have to iron out some WLan issues :-( ) and one of the = areas that I would like to be involved in is the functions-area. I read the old (8/4/02) post by Ariya concerning functions. I understand = since then some 100 functions have been added, so the library is already = well developed. Some questions that I have. 1. About Excel compatibility...In order to be compatible with Excel the = functions should be the same, same name, same parameter list. Right? Or = is there another route already followed by the filter? Or should we = provide for a series of "Excel" functions (this could be a separate = category in the picklist) just to provide compatibility and ease of use = for exel users. They could then continue to use their old functions, = just by adding E_ at the front or something like that. I remember Excel = having lotus123 compatibility (duplicating the menu structure) at a = certain point. 2. Excel provides translation of the functions in the different = languages that are supported, but I don't know if internally they are = tokenized. I'll test that in the coming days. Do we, should we provide = translations of the function names? 3. What about copyrights on mathematical numerical methods. Does anyone = have experienxe with this. I have some expertise in the financial area = myself, and I would like to develop some advanced financial functions. I = found a library (written, no code) of financial functions on the web ( = http://finance.bi.no/~bernt/gcc_prog/ ) that would be very useful. In = this case they are explicitely under GNU licence, so usable, right. But = what about the scores of published methods? Does the book copyright = prevails, or does the character of the thing change as soon as I = transform it into an algoritm? 4. As I am new, I suppose that I have to submit possible patches or code = to some of you more experienced guys...but don't expect things very = soon. First I have still a lot of studying to do, and I am very busy = professionaly as well...but I'd like to get involved very much. Regards Marc ------=_NextPart_000_0033_01C38D16.1DF861C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable