Extensions development

OOo Extensions project Please view the wiki usage guidelines before contributing.
Categories: Extensions Pages: Index Repository Development
Extensions on the main site View or edit this template.
Extensions in other languages: ES - FR - IT - JA - NL - OC - 中

Developing extensions is an efficient way to bring value to Apache OpenOffice without diving into core sources. Obviously all developers willing to develop at Apache OpenOffice sources level are welcomed.

Apache OpenOffice enables third party tools creation through UNO bridges, allowing using many languages.

The principle is to create UNO packages that can be listed in the Apache OpenOffice Extensions repository and installed by end-users easily.

This section gives newcomers as well as experienced developers some hints for developing Extensions in various languages and provides tools and frameworks to facilitate that development.

Popular Extensions may be integrated into Apache OpenOffice, so it is important to follow common policies from the beginning to ease this merging.

Finally, extension developers are invited to join our API mailing list to ask questions and share ideas.

Starting in a language

Addons can be written in various languages. Each section gives starting information to help you create your addon. Each section is dedicated to a language. It deals with specific points concerning the Extensions aspect. Resources regarding the Apache OpenOffice API can be found on the API project and the UNO bridge language issues are at UDK project. The OpenOffice Developer's Guide is a valuable source of information as well.

The translations of these pages are welcomed and guidelines are available.

• Starting in Python
• Starting in Basic and Documentation BASIC Guide
• Starting in Java
• Introduction to C++ and UNO and Using C++ with OOoSDK
• Starting in Visual FoxPro (French)
• Non programmatic Extensions
• Extensions packaging
• Extensions Integration into Installation Set
• Adding Spellchecker Extensions into Installation Set
• Import and Export filter extensions using code or xslt

Articles, Tutorials & Reference Information

• Generic UNO Interfaces for complex toolbar controls

• Addon Menu Toolbar Merging

• Popup Menu Controller

• Statusbar Controller

• DevGuide -- Extensions

Books on OpenOffice Basic Programming

• OpenOffice.org Macros Explained by Andrew Pitonyak
• OpenOffice.org Basic Crash Course by Dmitri Popov
• Learn OpenOffice.org Spreadsheet Macro Programming by Mark, Alexander Bain
• Makros in OpenOffice.org 2.3 von Thomas Krumbein (in German)
• Programmation OpenOffice.org et LibreOffice de Bernard Marcelly, Laurent Godard (in French)

Tools & Frameworks

• Code snippets available in many languages DEPRECATED
• Code snippets in the Wiki (Sample extensions, etc.)
• Translation framework
• Extensions Packager - BasicAddonBuilder - Extension Compiler
• Predefined wizards
• Introspection Tools: discover the API
• OpenOffice.org Eclipse Integration - OpenOffice.org development with Eclipse
• OpenOffice.org NetBeans Integration - plug-in for NetBeans providing some nice features to simplify the development with and for OpenOffice.org (highlevel wizards, UNOIDL and xcu syntax highlighting, code completion, integrated API reference, …)
• Extension Development with IntelliJ IDEA: simple introduction how you can use the IntelliJ IDEA to develop OpenOffice.org extensions.
• OpenOffice.org Maven 2 integration - Maven plugin to build OpenOffice.org extensions.
• OpenOffice.org CMake integration - CMake module for development of OpenOffice.org extensions and other OpenOffice.org-relate projects.

Best Practices

• How to write OO.o GUI Extensions today

Project: Enhancing the Extensions Infrastructure of OpenOffice.org

• Project Proposal (agreed by the Community June 2006)
• Project Status

Improving the Extension Manager

• Feature ideas