Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 61452
Ribbons in OOo?
Last modified: 2019-08-23 09:19:01 UTC
Microsoft plans to integrate ribbons (i.e. adaptive toolbars) into its next package; MS Office 12 (currently in beta 1 testing phase). One of the developers, Jensen Harris, maintains a blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/category/10923.aspx) that discusses this "new" development. There is also a nice "short" 70-slide presentation outlining this at http://www.baychi.org/podcast/20051213/baychi-20051213-20.pdf (I will copy this data into an .odt document and upload it). Ribbons are "adaptive toolbars" ie. depending on where you click the toolbars change and the result is a different toolbar of icons that shows what possible options you can now follow e.g. if you click in a cell then the toolbars change and the toolbar displayed now has macros and icons for inserting a row, column, deleting a row, column, inserting a cell, deleting a cell, etc. I know this functionality was built into the Object toolbar but my real concern is that the new Microsoft method is definitely impressive. Would it be possible to integrate this functionality as an option for a future release of OOo after MS Office 12 is released, or even to provide something that goes beyond?
Sorry, am unable to upload the document as file size exceeds 1MB (.odt is 3.18MB, .pdf is 1.73MB).
TM-requirements: please have a look, thanks !
Created attachment 34058 [details] Document of the original presentation from the Internet
Created attachment 34059 [details] Previous versions of MS Word (including the current MS Word 2003)
Created attachment 34061 [details] Planned new version for MS Office 12
Okay, I've split the original file into three subfiles. The original file contained a number of images; one set pertains to previous versions (as well as the current MS Word 2003 version) of MS Word and the other second set concerned the newer version (MS Office 12). These two image sets have been combined into two .pdf documents (these are referred to in the original document as companions). The first set of images dealing with previous versions of MS Word is called "Ye Olde Museum Of Office Past" (even though it only displays Word) and the second set dealing with the newer MS Office 12 is called "The New UI Framework". Please note that all three documents are based on original copyrighted material so they should only be viewed by the developers for the purpose of enhancing OpenOffice.org as well as other users viewing this issue i.e. these are not documents for public display. Thank you
*** Issue 61452 has been confirmed by votes. ***
As of version 2 (and to a lesser degree before that), OOo already has context sensitive toolbars. This is a request for a feature that the product already has, and as such is invalid.
@ed2 I very much beg to differ. It is not just about context sensitive toolbars, but about their design and functionality. Please read the attachments.
@lalf I have read all the attachments, an nowhere in any of these attachments is any indication of what you are proposing OOo should do! All I can deduce is that you think OOo should have context sensitive toolbars, which it already does. As this request doesn't even state anywhere what it is a request for, it is completely meaningless!
It's a request for a redesign of the UI og OoO. How does one file a such. /lalf
A first step in filing any request has to be to state what is being requested. This issue does not do this. Nowhere does this issue state what specific changes are being requested. This issue can never be resolved. Without having the slightest idea what you are asking for, no one can possibly act on your request.
Specifically requested is a redesign of the UI of OOo. Asked for: A similar interface as the one described in the enclosed documents outlining the functionality of the MS2007 ribbon-interface. I know that such a request requires much more than what you can do by yourself. But please: How is one else to start an initiative aimed at redesigning the UI of OOo? /lalf "A first step in filing any request has to be to state what is being requested. This issue does not do this. Nowhere does this issue state what specific changes are being requested. This issue can never be resolved. Without having the slightest idea what you are asking for, no one can possibly act on your request."
Would it be possible to implement some of these results? http://www.arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/08/30/mono-developer-brings-the-ribbon-interface-to-linux
Are you suggesting that we delete all the code currently in OOo and replace it with a slavish exact copy of the latest version of MS Office?
Please read what I wrote. I asked for this as an option for users i.e. I don't want OpenOffice code replaced, but added to. I'm merely suggesting that if people want to use a Ribbon-like toolbar, then they should be able to. And the fact that something similar has been coded for a linux desktop suggests that it is not impossible to implement. I'm not asking for the entire GUI to be replaced with this. I'm suggesting that a user should be able to switch between a classic view of OOo as it is now, and the new GUI, if they want to.
@ed2 At the moment we are already imitating the UI of Office2003. Why not see this an opportunity to make some radical adjustments to the current one. With the momentum Google Docs are getting at the moment, we need to be able to provide something more than just a free alternative to MS Office. I second Jayze's proposal on making it an optional way of organizing menus and functionality. /lalf
I'm glad to see, as lalf wrote, that OpenOffice.org plans to look at this issue quite seriously. They've developed the Renaissance Project (http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Renaissance) which, if I follow correctly, will not imitate the Ribbon interface (which is being patented by Microsoft) but produce something better. Just what this will be, we will have to see.
Personally i hate MS ribbons and i hate this ribbon(rubbish)-like new GUI that OOo developers are trying to build with poject Renaissance. I think the day OOo will try to force me to use ribbons I'll stop using OOo
the new Renaissance GUI seems to be not much loved... even a petition against it has been started: http://www.petitionspot.com/ petitions/stoprenaissance/
*** Issue 128182 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Well, just my two cents, so, feel free to round file it if you want. I'm just starting to take classes for accounting, the class uses Office 2016, having previously used Office 97 and now AOO for years, I was seriously floundering trying to find where M$ hid everything. Knowing that feeling, if someone was using M$ at work / school but wanted to do stuff at home with AOO, they too would be floundering as the UIs are so radically different. It would be *useful* if the UI could be switched to what ever the user is comfortable using, if they're comfortable with the "classic" look then they can use it, if they've been taught the 'new' look and is comfortable with it, then they can switch to that and use it. This would give users options and choices, so that would be a good thing. Yeah, the new UI sucks, agreed, but if it's what students are being taught and it's what's being used by industry there isn't a whole lot us old timers can do but adapt or switch careers / college majors to something that doesn't use Office. :(