Difference between revisions of "Notes2"

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'''Please note that this wiki page is re-organized at the moment.''' You will find links to further proposals in the section [[#Status and Proposals|Status and Proposals]].
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| style="background:#d3dee8" |'''Hi! You just want to see the highlights?'''
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| style="background:#e2eaf1" |
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* What will it finally look like? Go to [[#Mockups_and_Screenshots|Mockups and Screenshots]].
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* Want a test drive? Tough users try the [[#Development_Releases|Development Releases]]!
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* You love detailed specifications? Look at [[#Status_and_Proposals|Status and Proposals]].
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==Introduction==
 
==Introduction==
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[[Image:team_notes.png|center]]
 
[[Image:team_notes.png|center]]
  
Notes2 is a new project started as one accepted project in Google's [[Summer_of_Code_2007|Summer of Code 2007]] (GSOC). It will be also worked on after the GSOC is over.
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Notes2 addresses the revision of the notes functionality in OpenOffice Writer to improve its usability and accessibility. Main goal is to resolve the main issues of the current implementation, which are reported by users. Furthermore, the notes implementation should at least provide the functionality of the competitors in the same class. In long term considerations, it is intended to consistently implement the notes functionality in the other {{AOo}} modules. The main target audience is the Small-Business-User.
 
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Notes2 addresses the revision of the notes functionality in OpenOffice.org Writer to improve its usability and accessibility. Main goal is to resolve the main issues of the current implementation, which are reported by users. Furthermore, the notes implementation should at least provide the functionality of the competitors in the same class. In long term considerations, it is intended to consistently implement the notes functionality in the other OpenOffice.org modules. The main target audience is the Small-Business-User.
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Please note that the information in this Wiki is work in progress and may change.  
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Notes2 is a project which has been started as one accepted project in Google's [[Summer_of_Code_2007|Summer of Code 2007]] (GSOC).
  
 
The team working on the feature (in alphabetical order):  
 
The team working on the feature (in alphabetical order):  
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| mba
 
| mba
  
| GSOC Mentor, Development
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| Development
  
 
|-
 
|-
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| cj
 
| cj
  
| Mentor, User Experience
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| User Experience
  
 
|-
 
|-
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| mod
 
| mod
  
| GSOC Student, Development
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| Development
  
 
|-
 
|-
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Please note that the information in this Wiki is work in progress and may change.
  
 
==Requirements==
 
==Requirements==
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* Provide direct and easy editing of notes to get rid of the old notes editing window.
 
* Provide direct and easy editing of notes to get rid of the old notes editing window.
 
* Establish good accessibility for disabled users by providing keyboard shortcuts or using appropriate colors.
 
* Establish good accessibility for disabled users by providing keyboard shortcuts or using appropriate colors.
* Integrate the new functions in the existing functionality, e.g. the OpenOffice.org Navigator.
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* Integrate the new functions in the existing functionality, e.g. the OpenOffice Navigator.
 
* Respect the needs for advanced text editing, e.g. spell checking, rich-text formatting or sorting/filtering of notes.
 
* Respect the needs for advanced text editing, e.g. spell checking, rich-text formatting or sorting/filtering of notes.
 
* Create both fresh and usable visual design of the notes.
 
* Create both fresh and usable visual design of the notes.
 
More detailed requirements have been collected and will be published here later.
 
  
 
=== Issues and Requests for Enhancements ===
 
=== Issues and Requests for Enhancements ===
 
The work will address the issues and request for enhancements:  
 
The work will address the issues and request for enhancements:  
[http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=767 767], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=1981 1981], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=4964 4964], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=5487 5487], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=6193 6193], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=9776 9776], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=23465 23465], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=32232 32232], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=45788 45788], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=48150 48150], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=62625 62625], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=63759 63759], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74157 74157], [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=61644 61644] and
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{{Bug|767}}, {{Bug|1981}}, {{Bug|4964}}, {{Bug|5487}}, {{Bug|6193}}, {{Bug|9776}}, {{Bug|23465}}, [{{Bug|32232}},
[http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=80135 80135].
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{{Bug|45788}}, {{Bug|48150}}, {{Bug|62625}}, {{Bug|63759}}, {{Bug|74157}}, {{Bug|61644}}, {{Bug|80135}}, and {{Bug|94514}}.
  
You can use a [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/buglist.cgi?Submit+query=Submit+query&issue_type=DEFECT&issue_type=ENHANCEMENT&issue_type=FEATURE&issue_type=PATCH&issue_status=UNCONFIRMED&issue_status=NEW&issue_status=STARTED&issue_status=REOPENED&issue_status=RESOLVED&email1=&emailtype1=exact&emailassigned_to1=1&email2=&emailtype2=exact&emailreporter2=1&issueidtype=include&issue_id=767%2C+1981%2C+4964%2C+5487%2C+6193%2C+9776%2C+23465%2C+32232%2C+45788%2C+48150%2C+62625%2C+63759%2C+74157%2C+61644%2C+80135&changedin=&votes=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=&chfieldvalue=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=allwords&long_desc=&long_desc_type=allwords&issue_file_loc=&issue_file_loc_type=fulltext&status_whiteboard=&status_whiteboard_type=fulltext&keywords=&keywords_type=anytokens&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=&cmdtype=doit&namedcmd=accessibility&newqueryname=&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time   Issue Tracker query] to see all issues.
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You can use a [https://bz.apache.org/ooo/buglist.cgi?Submit%20query=Submit%20query&cmdtype=doit&emailassigned_to1=1&emailreporter2=1&emailtype1=exact&emailtype2=exact&field0-0-0=noop&issue_file_loc_type=fulltext&issue_id=767%2C%201981%2C%204964%2C%205487%2C%206193%2C%209776%2C%2023465%2C%2032232%2C%2045788%2C%2048150%2C%2062625%2C%2063759%2C%2074157%2C%2061644%2C%2080135&issue_status=UNCONFIRMED&issue_status=NEW&issue_status=STARTED&issue_status=REOPENED&issue_status=RESOLVED&issue_type=DEFECT&issue_type=ENHANCEMENT&issue_type=FEATURE&issue_type=PATCH&issueidtype=include&keywords_type=anytokens&long_desc_type=allwords&namedcmd=accessibility&order=Reuse%20same%20sort%20as%20last%20time&short_desc_type=allwords&status_whiteboard_type=fulltext&type0-0-0=noop  Issue Tracker query] to see all issues.
  
 
=== Competitive Analysis ===
 
=== Competitive Analysis ===
  
 
Competitor software is discussed on the separate page [[Notes2_CompetitiveAnalysis|Competitive Analysis for Notes]].
 
Competitor software is discussed on the separate page [[Notes2_CompetitiveAnalysis|Competitive Analysis for Notes]].
 +
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=== Requirements Derived from Use Cases ===
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More detailed requirements have been collected and are published at [[Notes2_RequirementsFromUseCases|Requirements from Use Cases]] (partly German).
  
 
===Definition of Terms===
 
===Definition of Terms===
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The following picture shows some examples for the terms defined above:
 
The following picture shows some examples for the terms defined above:
 
[[Image:Notes2 DefinitionOfTerms.png|414px|thumb|center|Definition of Terms]]
 
[[Image:Notes2 DefinitionOfTerms.png|414px|thumb|center|Definition of Terms]]
 
'''Please note that some of the following sections do not make use of the defined terms.''' The corresponding sections will be updated soon; in the meantime the different wording should not have negative impact on the understandability.
 
 
== Proposals/Discussion ==
 
 
===Look and Feel===
 
 
 
 
====Distribution of Notes Windows in the Side Pane====
 
 
=====General Goals=====
 
Generally, the notes windows contain text (notes user data) and belong to a portion of the Writer document (indicated by the notes anchor). As previously described, the notes windows will be shown in the notes side pane. This section covers the distribution of the notes windows in the side pane area.
 
 
So, what are the general goals for the distribution of notes windows?
 
*Don't bother the user and let him concentrate on his work on the Writer document (e.g. jumping windows, blinking, flickering)!
 
*Show him as much information in the notes as possible.
 
*If you move or edit the Writer document (e.g. scrolling, inserting characters), try to keep the relative position of notes anchor and notes windows.
 
*If necessary, move notes if the text is moved too (e.g. inserting characters or scrolling the document).
 
*If possible, minimize the distance between notes anchor and notes window.
 
*If it's necessary to ellipse the text or to show scrollbars, use a smart logic to minimize further user interaction (by e.g. manual scrolling in too many notes)!
 
 
=====Proposed Algorithm=====
 
A first proposal for an algorithm:
 
* Notes have a maximum size that can't be exceeded, of course they can be smaller if there content fits into the smaller size.
 
* In case notes overlap if they get their default positions and maximum size they will be moved downwards or upwards to avoid overlapping. All notes anchored to a page should be evenly distributed on the page.
 
*The layout algorithm is iterative and always starts will all notes on their default position. In case of conflicts (overlap) it should try to resolve them, starting with the top most of them:
 
** move the upper note upwards until the conflict is resolved, but not more than a maximum distance (maximum distance won't be an issue in the first iteration) and not above the page border
 
** if this creates a new conflict move this note down again until the new conflict is resolved again; now move the lower note of the former conflict downwards until the conflict is resolved, but not more than a maximum distance and not below the page border (this can create a new conflict)
 
** in case conflicts still exists repeat these steps
 
* If not all conflicts can be resolved try to repeat this with a reduced maximum size.
 
 
=====Reduced Size of the Notes Windows=====
 
What if the size (height) of the notes window is reduced?
 
* Use scrollbars inside the notes windows to access the notes user data.
 
:The intention is to reduce the size of the notes windows. So it will be able to keep the smaller notes windows together and to minimize the distance to the notes anchors. At this point, the user will be able to see e.g. 3 lines of notes user data which should be enough to recognize notes, the user has already read before.
 
* If the height of the notes windows falls below a defined minimum then expand the side pane to make it possible to show all the smaller notes windows that belong to the corresponding Writer document page.
 
:Some of our competitors just ignore the fact that the number of notes can exceed the available height of the document page (and therefore their implementation of the notes side pane.) They simply disappear - an easy, but no robust design ;-)
 
 
Alternative: Instead of showing all the notes, future implementations of the notes functionality will make it possible to select the notes to be shown. The user may be able to select "show all notes since my last editing". Then, the user will get only those notes which were created, modified or which have a reply.
 
 
====Design of the Scrollbars====
 
 
In some cases, the space available in the side pane will not be sufficient to show all the notes information. At the moment it is proposed to first use scrollbars in the notes windows and - if many notes have to be presented - the height of the side pane will be adjusted accordingly (please refer to [[#Design of the Notes Side Pane]]). (A detailed proposal how to deal with that will be provided soon).
 
 
Due to the fact that the notes windows is scaled in the same way like the document page, it is necessary to scale the scrollbars too. Using "original" scrollbars of the graphical environment (e.g. Microsoft Windows) will lead to following disadvantages:
 
* Users are not used to scrollbars of the operating system that can be adjusted continuously.
 
* Scrollbars of the operation system are not designed to work at low scale (neither function nor look of scaled scrollbars).
 
* They may look alien. At the moment, it is proposed to use the notes windows' background color to represent the author of the note. So, gray or light blue scrollbars are not aesthetically pleasing.
 
 
Consequently, we propose an own implementation for the notes. But what are scollbars used for?
 
* There is some information that cannot be shown completely (existence of the scrollbar).
 
* Provide the functionality to scroll up or down (arrow buttons).
 
* Feedback on the position of the shown fragment (bar, active/inactive arrow buttons).
 
* Additional features (less related to the function itself): feedback on mouse over, feedback on mouse click, mouse wheel support, ...
 
 
{| class="prettytable" border="1"
 
| [[Image:Notes2_DesignProposal_Scrollbars.png|180px|thumb|center|Design Proposal for the Scrollbars]]
 
| The graphic shows the proposed scrollbar design with two alternatives for at low scales.
 
 
It shows:
 
* The same scrollbar at different scale factors in normal view (for users which are not visually impaired) and a proposal in high contrast (for e.g. visually impaired users).
 
** 100%, 75%: Scrollbars with arrow buttons and bar
 
** 50%: Simplified scrollbar with arrow buttons
 
** 25%, 10%: A placeholder which does not not have any functionality.
 
 
* It may be possible that the implementation of "placeholders" or "buttons only" are not accepted. An alternative is shown at the bottom of the graphic which shows a step sequence to show the functionality:
 
** Step 1: A button is shown with on inactive arrow (top position).
 
** Step 2: Click on the button.
 
** Step 3: A full-featured scrollbar is shown, similar to the one of 100% zoom level. It additionally contains a shadow to indicate that this is a "temporary" control for that notes window.
 
** Step 4: After finish the scrolling the button of Step 1 is shown again. In this example, the user has scrolled a bit down.
 
 
* It is proposed to show this alternative "scrollbar-button" if there is few space to use scrollbars that enable direct manipulation. In general, priority is given to the normal scrollbars (e.g. shown in 100% and 75% scale).
 
 
Please note: The option button below the scrollbar is intended to exemplary show the size and the distance between the controls inside a real note window.
 
|-
 
| [[Image:Notes2_ScrollbarsInsideNotes_NotesWindowsExample.png|180px|thumb|center|Mockup of Notes Window ]]
 
| The mockup shows a notes window at 100% zoom level.
 
|}
 
 
Due to the high implementation effort, the proposed scrollbar design may eventually not be provided in the first release of the implementation (we have to ensure that e.g. accessibility is guaranteed).
 
 
====Design of the Anchors and the Connector Lines====
 
 
The proposal for anchors and connector lines is not finished yet. In the meantime, please refer to the mockups graphics in section [[#Mockups and Screenshots|Mockups and Screenshots]].
 
 
===== Note Connector Lines=====
 
 
The Note Connector Lines represent the relationship between Notes Anchor and Notes Window. Ideally, that first line of Notes User Data starts at the same height of the first line of text contained/marked by the Notes Anchor. So, the user's line of sight may just move on a horizontal line until he "hits" the Note. The visual style does consider the author of the Note (color) and if it currently has the focus.
 
 
* Position and Size:
 
** The Note Connector Lines are drawn in the foreground (assuming that the Document Content is the background).
 
** The Note Connector Line start next to the Anchor and is drawn horizontally below the text line.
 
** If the horizontal distance between horizontal section of Note Connector Line and Notes Window is 0,5 cm (reference: 100% scale of Document), the Notes Connector Line continues directly to end at the top left edge of the Notes Window (for left-to-right text).
 
** If several Note Anchors are in the same line of text, the Note Connector Lines are drawn (and layered) according to the text reading direction.
 
 
* Visual Representation:
 
** Line width: 1px (Please note: It has to be decided if it makes sense to draw the lines at all - even very small - scale levels. In Writer, the red underlining for the spell-checker disappears at low scale levels. It may make sense to look at the code.)
 
** Note has the focus (e.g. is currently edited): The Note Connector Line uses the "accent color" of the note's author in line style "strike through".
 
** Note does not have the focus (e.g. is viewed): The Note Connector Line uses the "accent color" of the note's author in line style "fine dots". The rest of the Notes Connector Line (the space between the dots) is filled up with the color "background dark".
 
 
===== Anchors (Preliminary) =====
 
 
{| class="prettytable" border="1"
 
| [[Image:Notes2_2007-09-05_marker-proposal-cj.png|232px|thumb|center|Some ideas for the visualization of Anchor Area]]
 
| The image shows some ideas for the visualization of Anchor Areas. It shows:
 
* a group of Anchor Areas next to each other
 
* a very small Anchor Selection of one character
 
* some grips to resize the Anchor Areas by using the mouse (will presumable not be realized)
 
* an Anchor Area which was created by block selected text (will presumably not be realized)
 
|}
 
 
===Working with Notes===
 
 
==== Creating or Editing Notes ====
 
 
This section contains the description of how the Notes Functionality behaves if Notes are inserted or edited.
 
 
Please note that the subsequent text refers to the number of text lines representing the Notes User Data. This is a bit unclear, because the inserted text may be formatted in (e.g.) a larger font size and may lead to some unwanted effects. Therefore we should initially focus on Notes User Data text in standard formatting.
 
 
* Creation of Notes
 
** If a Note is created, the Notes Functionality must insert the newly created Note Window at a position given by the rules of “Distribution of Notes Windows in the Side Pane”.
 
**: '''Example''': refer to the graphic below, Example D, Step 1.2
 
** If a Note is created, the Notes Functionality must sets the height of the newly created Note Window to a value that makes it possible to insert three lines of Notes User Data without resizing the Notes Window. (newly created Note Window: does not contain any Note User Data)
 
**: '''Rationale''': If there is few space available (e.g. for one line of text), some users “fear” that this will not be enough and will initially entering some blank lines to get some more room. We prevent this by providing enough space right from the start.
 
**: '''Example''': refer to the graphic below, Example A, Step 1.2
 
** If a Note is created and the Note Window is not completely visible on the screen, the Notes Functionality must pan the view port area to completely show the Note Window inside the Writer Document window.
 
**: '''Rationale''': The user wants to see the newly created object.
 
** If a Note is created, the Notes Functionality must set the focus to the newly created Note Window and places the cursor inside the Note Window. (inside: the area reserved for the Notes User Data)
 
**: '''Rationale''': The user may want to just start typing.
 
** If a Note is created, the Notes Functionality must create the Notes Window with the obligatory elements shown in “Structure of the Notes Window”. (elements: e.g. Notes Property Data, option button)
 
** If the keyboard button ESC is pressed directly after creating a Note, the Notes Functionality must reverse the action of creating the Note. (directly after creating a note: e.g. the user did not leave the note or added any information; reverse: the state of the Document before creating the Note is restored)
 
**: '''Rationale''': The user may want to revert the action of an accidentally inserted Note.
 
**: Please note: The reversion should be undo-able with the function Undo.
 
* Inserting or Editing Notes User Data
 
** If the user inserts Notes User Data in a Note Window and there is enough both free and visible space below the Notes Window, the Notes Functionality must expand the Notes Window to fit to the amount of Notes User Data. (visible: the space visible for the user; space: space in the Notes Side Pane; expands: expands the height downwards)
 
**: '''Example''': refer to the graphic below, Example B, Step 1.3
 
** If the user inserts Notes User Data in a small Note Window and there is neither enough and/or visible space available, then the Notes Functionality must... (small: the height of the Notes is adjusted for less than three lines of Notes User Data; visible: the space visible for the user; space: space in the Notes Side Pane)
 
*** expand the Notes Window to fit to the amount of Notes User Data.
 
***: '''Example''': refer to the graphic below, Example C, Step 2.1
 
*** pan the view port area to completely show the Note Window inside the Writer Document Window.
 
*** '''Rationale''': This is a very '''special case'''. If we want to keep the position of the other Notes Windows stable during editing, we have to chose this kind of implementation (overlap parts of the subsequent note). Anyway, we should wait for some feedback from the user base.
 
** If less space is available for the Notes Window than it is required to completely display the Notes User Data and the Notes Window has normal size, the Notes Functionality must provide scrollbar functionality inside the Note Window. (space: space in the Notes Side Pane; normal size: the height of the Note Window fits to three lines of Notes User Data; scrollbar functionality: refer to “Design of the Scrollbars”)
 
**: '''Example''': refer to the graphic below, Example C, Step 2.3
 
 
{| class="prettytable" border="1"
 
| [[Image:Notes2 GeneralBehavior InsertAndEditNotes.png|349px|thumb|center|Inserting and Editing Notes]]
 
| The graphic shows:
 
* The insertion of Notes (Step 1.1 to Step 1.4) and the editing of Notes (Step 2.1 to Step 2.4) in different situations.
 
* The situations show different amount of Notes User Data and different count of already shown Note Windows.
 
 
Please note:
 
* The intention of this graphic is to start a discussion of the Notes behavior. Hopefully, the graphic is self-explanatory. If not, then more detailed information can be found in the text above this graphic.
 
* The situation in Step 2.4 of Example D is a bit simplified. Here, the size of the yellow note is the same like in the previous step although there is some more text in it. The real size is based on the amount of Notes User Data there and in the other notes.
 
|}
 
 
'''Open Points:'''
 
* What to do with notes bigger (e.g. higher) than the current ? I propose to not do any scrolling/panning if those notes get the focus (e.g. by viewing/editing). Then, the text cursor inside the Note Window should affect the scrolling behavior of the Document text and simultaneously the Notes Side Pane.
 
* Answer the question if the panning does annoy the user.
 
 
'''Realization:''' Realization required for first implementation of Notes.
 
 
'''Future work:''' At the moment we only focus on a static Notes Windows layout without any smooth animation and re-positioning. If animations were supported this would solve some problems and the described behavior should be revised.
 
 
===== Anchors =====
 
The Notes Functionality does provide a Notes Anchor to mark up the text portion which is related to the Notes Data. The kind of Notes Anchor depends on the status of Writer Document text selection when calling the command for inserting the Note.
 
 
*If the document has the focus and no document text is selected, then inserting causes the Notes Anchor to be dependent of the text next to the text cursor...
 
**If there is some kind of word or string, then the Notes Anchor Area will contain the whole word. (refer to Examples 1 ... 4)
 
** If no reasonable text can be detected next to the cursor, then a simple Note Anchor Point is inserted. (refer to Example 5)
 
* If the document has the focus and document text is selected, then inserting a note causes the Notes Anchor Area to span the current selection of the document text. (refer to Example 6)
 
 
In the following '''examples,''' symbols are used for the representation of other elements:
 
* Cursor is represented by '''|'''
 
* Anchor Area start is represented by '''>'''
 
* Anchor Area end is represented by '''<'''
 
* Anchor Point is represented by '''^'''
 
* Text selection start is represented by '''['''
 
* Text selection end is represented by ''']'''
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 1: The Notes Anchor Area for the text “This is some phone number 1030/73506|9495” would be “This is some phone number >1030/73506|9495<”.
 
</pre>
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 2: The Notes Anchor Area for the text “This is we|ird, isn't it?” would be “This is >we|ird<, isn't it?”
 
</pre>
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 3: The Notes Anchor Area for the text “This is weird|, isn't it?” would be “This is >weird|<, isn't it?”
 
</pre>
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 4: The Notes Anchor Area for the text “I do not think this is too good ..|.” would be “I do not think this is too good >..|.<”
 
</pre>
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 5 (with whitespaces): The Notes Anchor Area for the text “And then he said      |      nothing at all.” would be “And then he said      ^|      nothing at all.”.
 
</pre>
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 6: The Notes Anchor for such a selection “This is [some selected] text.” would be “This is >some selected< text.”.
 
</pre>
 
 
==== Viewing Notes ====
 
 
(proposal will be provided soon)
 
 
If in doubt, draw the notes elements according to their document text position (document text position: considering the reading direction of the document language)
 
 
==== Editing Document Text ====
 
Editing the document text may have influence on the Notes in general.
 
 
Editing the document text has influence on the Notes Anchors:
 
* In general, the Notes Anchors keep their position relative to the document text.
 
* The size of the Notes Anchor Area is dependent on the the text it includes. If the user edits the document text, which is included in the Note Anchor Area then the Note Anchor Area will be adapted accordingly.
 
** If characters are deleted inside the Note Anchor Area, then the Notes Anchor Area is reduced accordingly. (refer to Example 1)
 
** If characters are added inside the Note Anchor Area, then the Notes Anchor Area is expanded accordingly. (refer to Example 2)
 
** If the Note Anchor Area is reduced from on character to “zero” characters, then the Note Anchor Area is converted to a Note Anchor Point at the same position.
 
** If the Notes Anchor Point is deleted (e.g. by using the backspace key), then the Note is deleted too. (Todo: If necessary, move this point to Deleting notes.)
 
** A Note Anchor Point behaves similar to a normal character in the document text. This behavior is similar to the current implementation of the Notes Anchor in OpenOffice.org Writer.
 
** Please note: The kind of Notes Anchor cannot be explicitly altered afterwards by the user.
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 1: If the text “This is woonderful text.” is corrected to “This is wonderful text.” the Notes Anchor Area “This is >woonderful< text.” would be “This is >wonderful< text.”.
 
</pre>
 
 
<pre>
 
Example 2: If the text “This is wnderful text.” is corrected to “This is wonderful text.” the Notes Anchor Area “This is >wnderful< text.” would be “This is >wonderful< text.”.
 
</pre>
 
 
=== accessibility ===
 
 
Several items are implemented to improve ease of use and accessibility:
 
 
==== colors ====
 
Notes have different colors depending on their author, the color matches the color of the change tracking feature. [[http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Notes2#Colors_for_the_Notes]]
 
 
==== Notes Property Data ====
 
There is an additional place in the Notes Window where not only the creation date and time is shown, but also the author with its full name. Should the Notes Property Data not be shown due to space restrictions, the Notes Property Data is shown in a kind of tooltip when hovering over the Note Window.
 
 
==== keyboard navigation ====
 
 
CTRL - ALT - N (cursor inside the document)      create new note at current position or jump into note if there already is one
 
 
CTRL - ALT - N (cursor inside the note)          jump back into the document, cursor is placed after the notes anchor position to continue writing easily
 
 
CTRL - ALT – Page Up/Down (cursor inside a note) travel to previous/next visible note
 
  
 
== Status and Proposals ==
 
== Status and Proposals ==
The following table lists the topics currently worked on and refers to the more detailed design proposals.
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The following table lists the topics currently worked on and refers to the more '''detailed design proposals'''.
  
 
{| class="prettytable" border="1"
 
{| class="prettytable" border="1"
Line 461: Line 221:
 
! Description
 
! Description
 
! Status
 
! Status
! More Information...
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! Detailed Design
  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| General Interaction
 
| General Interaction
| Interaction with the notes anchors and windows inside the Writer document window. This includes design decisions to make the notes functionality be as robust as possible.  
+
| Interaction with the Notes Anchors and Note Windows inside the Writer document window.
| Proposal in discussion. Implemenation started.
+
| Implementation started.
| n/a
+
| [[Notes_Design_WorkingWithNotes|Working with Notes]]
 +
[[Notes_Design_NotePreview|Notes Preview]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Design of the Notes Side Pane
 
| Design of the Notes Side Pane
 
| The notes side pane will extend the document pages to contain the notes windows.  
 
| The notes side pane will extend the document pages to contain the notes windows.  
| Implementation started.
+
| Implementation finished.
| [[Notes2_Design_NotesSidePane|Notes2 Note Side Pane]]
+
| [[Notes2_Design_NotesSidePane|Note Side Pane]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Design of the Notes Windows
 
| Design of the Notes Windows
 
| The notes window will contain the notes text and further information like the author's name and time and date information.
 
| The notes window will contain the notes text and further information like the author's name and time and date information.
| Implementation started.
+
| Implementation started. If necessary, the window will be extended by a scrollbar for the text.
| [[Notes2_Design_NoteWindow|Notes2 Note Window]]
+
| [[Notes2_Design_NoteWindow|Note Window]]
[[Notes2_NotePropertyData| Notes2 Note Property Data]]
+
[[Notes2_NotePropertyData|Note Property Data]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
Line 486: Line 247:
 
| The Note Anchor is the markup inside the document text to show that there is some notes information present.
 
| The Note Anchor is the markup inside the document text to show that there is some notes information present.
 
| Proposal in discussion.
 
| Proposal in discussion.
| Please refer to the mockups at the end of this page.
+
| [[Notes2_Design_NoteAnchor|Note Anchor]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
Line 492: Line 253:
 
| The Notes Connector Line is the visual connection between the notes anchor and the corresponding notes window.
 
| The Notes Connector Line is the visual connection between the notes anchor and the corresponding notes window.
 
| Proposal in discussion.
 
| Proposal in discussion.
| n/a
+
| [[Notes2_Design_NoteConnectorLine|Note Connector Line]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
Line 498: Line 259:
 
| Colors for the Notes Windows. These colors are shared with the Writer change tracking feature.
 
| Colors for the Notes Windows. These colors are shared with the Writer change tracking feature.
 
| Implementation for Notes started. Implementation for the Writer change tracking feature finished.
 
| Implementation for Notes started. Implementation for the Writer change tracking feature finished.
| [[Notes2_Design_MainColors|Notes2 Main Colors]]
+
| [[Notes2_Design_MainColors|Main Colors]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Distribution of the Notes Windows in the Side Pane
 
| Distribution of the Notes Windows in the Side Pane
| Placement of the notes windows inside the notes side pane (e.g. size, position).
+
| Placement of the Notes Windows inside the Notes Side Pane (e.g. size, position).
| Proposal in discussion. Implemenation started.
+
| Proposal in discussion. Implementation started.
| n/a
+
| [[Notes2_Design_NoteWindowDistribution|Note Window Distribution]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
| Keybindings
+
| Menus and Keybindings
| Keybindings for the interaction with the notes (e.g. insert notes).
+
| Covers menu changes and keybindings (e.g. shortcut for insert notes) for the interaction with the Notes functionality.
| Proposal in discussion. Implemenation started.
+
| Proposal in discussion. Implementation started.
| n/a
+
| [[Notes2_Design_MenusAndKeybindings | Menus and Keybindings]]
  
 
|-
 
|-
Line 522: Line 283:
 
| The Note Windows of a currently viewed or edited Note is highlighted.  
 
| The Note Windows of a currently viewed or edited Note is highlighted.  
 
| Proposals in discussion. Preliminary implementation started.
 
| Proposals in discussion. Preliminary implementation started.
| [[Notes2_Design_Visualization_of_Focus|Notes2 Visualization of Focus]]
+
| [[Notes2_Design_Visualization_of_Focus|Visualization of Focus]]
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| Notes Printing
 +
| Notes can be part of a document, therefore it is desired to print the Notes information.
 +
| Proposals are being created.
 +
| [[Notes2_Design_Printing|Notes Printing]]
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| Reply to Note
 +
| An author can reply to an existing Note of another author. For such a case, Notes interaction and visualization is optimized.
 +
| Proposal in discussion. Implementation started.
 +
| [[Notes2_Reply|Reply to Note]]
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| Search in Notes
 +
| The contents of the notes are sometimes as important as the original text. Therefore the user should be able to search text inside notes also.
 +
| Proposal in discussion. Implementation started.
 +
| [[Notes2_Search|Search in Notes]]
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Roadmap ==
 
== Roadmap ==
The functionality will be implemented step-by-step. A first release of the revised notes functionality is planned for OpenOffice.org Beta 3.0 around April 2008, the corresponding [[Notes2 Specification]] is under development.
 
  
Functionality Expected in the First Release:
+
=== Development Releases ===
 +
 
 +
The functionality will be implemented step-by-step.
 +
 
 +
'''Development releases are available for testing at [[Notes2 Development Releases]]!''' Since developer milestone m248, the new Notes functionality has been continuously integrated into the main branch. Please test this functionality and provide feedback, as this helps us to improve the Notes functionality until it will be released officially. Please refer to the page [[Notes2 Development Releases]] for more information and download locations.
 +
 
 +
Information about the '''further development''' (including CWS status, issues and links) on what is planned can be found at [[Notes2_CWS | Notes2 CWS]].
 +
 
 +
=== Official Releases ===
 +
 
 +
Functionality available in the first release (OpenOffice.org 3.0):
 
* Viewing and editing notes next to the document page
 
* Viewing and editing notes next to the document page
 
* Accessibility support
 
* Accessibility support
 
* The functionality which is already available in current version of OpenOffice.org
 
* The functionality which is already available in current version of OpenOffice.org
 +
* solid foundation for further improvements
 
* Improved integration with the Writer change tracking feature (e.g. use the same colors for the authors of the document)
 
* Improved integration with the Writer change tracking feature (e.g. use the same colors for the authors of the document)
 
* Time information for the notes (besides the already available date information)
 
* Time information for the notes (besides the already available date information)
 
* Rich-text editing (e.g. bold text, numerations)
 
* Rich-text editing (e.g. bold text, numerations)
 
* Online help
 
* Online help
* Support for the OpenOffice.org [http://qa.openoffice.org/ooQAReloaded/AutomationTeamsite/ooQA-TeamAutomation.html Testtool]
+
* Support for the OpenOffice [http://qa.openoffice.org/ooQAReloaded/AutomationTeamsite/ooQA-TeamAutomation.html Testtool]
  
Functionality Expected in Later Releases:
 
* Improved printing
 
* Improved print preview
 
* Search for text inside of notes
 
* Spellchecker inside of notes (underlining with right click spell checking already available)
 
* Improved integration with the OpenOffice.org Navigator
 
* attaching comments to a selection of text (ODF 1.2 will support this feature)
 
  
A more detailed description (or let's say developer friendly version including CWS status and links) on what is planned can be found at [[Notes2_CWS]].
+
For functionality expected in later releases (OpenOffice.org 3.1 and beyond), please have a look here:
 +
[http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Notes2_CWS#planned_for_upcoming_CWS planned for upcoming versions]
  
 
===Other Ideas===
 
===Other Ideas===
 
 
Other ideas are discussed on the separate page [[Notes2_OtherIdeas|Other Ideas for Notes]].
 
Other ideas are discussed on the separate page [[Notes2_OtherIdeas|Other Ideas for Notes]].
  
 
==Mockups and Screenshots==
 
==Mockups and Screenshots==
 +
 +
This section contains mockups and screenshots:
 +
* ''Mockups'' are working models used for demonstration purposes. There is no real functionality at all, because the following pictures have been composed with graphic programs just to get a first impression how it will look like.
 +
* ''Screenshots'' show the behavior of the real development in OpenOffice.org Writer. Those pictures are updated more or less regularly.
  
 
{| class="prettytable" border="0"
 
{| class="prettytable" border="0"
Line 582: Line 368:
 
** the notes pane can be shown by the control element in the ruler bar
 
** the notes pane can be shown by the control element in the ruler bar
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Image:writer_prototype001.png|512px|thumb|center|Alpha version Writer]]
+
| [[Image:Notes2_Screenshot_CurrentVersion.png|512px|thumb|center|Notes in the current OpenOffice.org 3.0]]
 +
| Example for how the Notes2 functionality looks like on Ubuntu Linux 8.10 with "Clearlooks" visual theme.
 
|}
 
|}
  
[[Category:Writer]]
+
==Press Coverage and Comments==
 +
 
 +
This section lists some of the noteworthy blog posts, web news or press coverage for the new Notes2 feature.
 +
 
 +
* The '''German Linux magazine''' presents the new notes feature (along with the zoom slider and the multi-page view) in a short video (German): [https://www.linux-magazin.de/news/video_neues_in_open_office_writer_3_0 Linux-Magazin Online (Video: Neues in Open Office Writer 3.0)] (2008-09-26)
 +
* The German OpenOffice.org community contributed to the special magazine '''OpenOffice.org Spezial''' covering the release of OpenOffice.org 3.0. The article "Klebezettel ade! Die neuen Notizen im Writer" covers both the new features and the development. Here is the [http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Image:Notes2_Ooo-Spezial_Noack_notes2.pdf article (PDF)], and more information about the magazine [http://www.ooo-spezial.de www.ooo-spezial.de].
 +
* The I-Team presented the '''Making the New Notes - Community, Cooperation, Concepts''' at the '''OpenOffice.org Conference 2008'''. Please have a look at [http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2008/programme/friday.html OOoCon2008 Program Friday] where you can find the:
 +
** [http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2008/programme/friday_abstracts.html#a1397 session abstract]
 +
** [http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2008/programme/friday_1397.odp presentation slides in OpenOffice.org Impress format] (to be viewed best in the OpenOffice.org Impress presentation mode)
 +
** [http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2008/programme/friday_1397.pdf presentation slides in PDF format]
 +
** [http://users2.ooodev.org/~ooocon2008/friday_1397.avi video coverage in AVI format]
 +
* http://www.jonobacon.org/2009/01/28/writing-a-book-with-free-software/: ''In terms of editing, it is also performed in OpenOffice, making use of its change tracking and notes features. This functionality is more than suitable for working on a book. I am also pleased to see this is being further refined in OpenOffice.org 3.1 with the ability to reply to notes. Interestingly, one of my editors uses Microsoft Word to edit. This means that my original .odt file is converted to a .doc file, edits are made in Word (using change tracking and notes) and then saved back in .odt format. ...Pretty nifty, eh?''
 +
* I'm really encouraged by these developments. With the ability to add notes to Writer it is one small step to move the right hand margin in for the main text and put the notes just outside the margin. That makes a great tool for minutes of meetings as you can use the note for recording who has an action against the relevant sentence in the minute. That's important because when you later edit a minute early in the minutes then all the "Action: Joe" notes will move correctly and stay with their relevant lines. Export to pdf and that's a handy minute taking tool.
 +
''Do you have additional stuff for us? Tell us or add it to this section. Thanks!''
 +
 
 +
==Extensions related to Notes==
 +
 
 +
For related OpenOffice.org Extensions, see [[Notes2_Extensions]]
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Writer/Effort/Completed]][[Category:Notes2]]

Latest revision as of 11:17, 10 September 2022

Hi! You just want to see the highlights?

Introduction

Team notes.png

Notes2 addresses the revision of the notes functionality in OpenOffice Writer to improve its usability and accessibility. Main goal is to resolve the main issues of the current implementation, which are reported by users. Furthermore, the notes implementation should at least provide the functionality of the competitors in the same class. In long term considerations, it is intended to consistently implement the notes functionality in the other Apache OpenOffice modules. The main target audience is the Small-Business-User.

Notes2 is a project which has been started as one accepted project in Google's Summer of Code 2007 (GSOC).

The team working on the feature (in alphabetical order):

Name OOo Nickname Role
Mathias Bauer mba Development
Uwe Fischer ufi Documentation
Christian Jansen cj User Experience
Christoph Noack christophnoack User Experience
Maximilian Odendahl mod Development
Éric Savary es QA


Please note that the information in this Wiki is work in progress and may change.

Requirements

Scope of the Work

  • Provide direct and easy editing of notes to get rid of the old notes editing window.
  • Establish good accessibility for disabled users by providing keyboard shortcuts or using appropriate colors.
  • Integrate the new functions in the existing functionality, e.g. the OpenOffice Navigator.
  • Respect the needs for advanced text editing, e.g. spell checking, rich-text formatting or sorting/filtering of notes.
  • Create both fresh and usable visual design of the notes.

Issues and Requests for Enhancements

The work will address the issues and request for enhancements: Issue 767 , Issue 1981 , Issue 4964 , Issue 5487 , Issue 6193 , Issue 9776 , Issue 23465 , [Issue 32232 , Issue 45788 , Issue 48150 , Issue 62625 , Issue 63759 , Issue 74157 , Issue 61644 , Issue 80135 , and Issue 94514 .

You can use a Issue Tracker query to see all issues.

Competitive Analysis

Competitor software is discussed on the separate page Competitive Analysis for Notes.

Requirements Derived from Use Cases

More detailed requirements have been collected and are published at Requirements from Use Cases (partly German).

Definition of Terms

The following list contains some definitions used in the subsequent text (in alphabetical order):

Term Description Shown in Graphic Below
Author The user who edits or edited the Document. no
Document The Document is the file which contains the user's data. The type of the Document is dependent on the OpenOffice.org module used for editing, e.g. Writer text document, Calc spreadsheet document, Impress presentation document, Draw drawing document. no
Document Content The document content is dependent on the type of the Document. It includes e.g.
  • characters, strings, words, sentences, paragraphs
  • Sections (Writer)
  • Cells (Calc)
  • Slides (Impress)
  • Graphic Objects (Impress, Draw)
  • Input Fields (Base)
no
Document, Current The Current Document is the Document that the user uses at the moment. no
Note The Note refers to all elements and data which belong to the Notes Functionality (e.g. Note Anchor, Note Window, Note Property Data, Note Connector Line). Simplified, the Note contains all user visible elements. no
Note Anchor General name for the reference position of the Note Data which is located in the Document Content. For improved clearness, the Notes Data is not displayed inside the Document. Consequently, an Anchor is necessary to indicate the reference position. no
Note Anchor Area A special version of the Anchor which refers to a group of Document Content elements. The Anchor Area It is defined by a starting point and a end point according to the reading direction of the Document. yes
Note Anchor Point A special version of the Anchor which refers to a position inside the Document. The Anchor Point may be located between characters and therefore treated as character. yes
Note Connector Line The notes connector line is the graphical representation of the relationship between Notes Anchor and Notes Window. yes
Note Data General name for the data which is stored for the Notes, e.g. Note User Data or Note Property Data. no
Note Functionality The generic term which refers to the revised implementation of Notes handling in OpenOffice.org no
Note Property Data The Note Property Data refers to all the data of a note which does not belong to the Note user data. It may contain:
  • Status of the Note Window (e.g. shown/hidden, rolled in/out, position)
  • Rating of the User (e.g. priority, task completion, filtered/unfiltered)
  • History (author who created the note, author of the last change, date of creation, date of last change)
  • Relationship to other Notes (e.g. reply status)
yes
Note Side Pane The screen area next to the Document which is reserved for displaying the Notes Windows. yes
Note User Data The user defined content of the Note, e.g. text, graphics. yes
Note Window The screen area which contain the Note Data. This window is usually used to view or edit the Note User Data. yes

The following picture shows some examples for the terms defined above:

Definition of Terms

Status and Proposals

The following table lists the topics currently worked on and refers to the more detailed design proposals.

Topic Description Status Detailed Design
General Interaction Interaction with the Notes Anchors and Note Windows inside the Writer document window. Implementation started. Working with Notes

Notes Preview

Design of the Notes Side Pane The notes side pane will extend the document pages to contain the notes windows. Implementation finished. Note Side Pane
Design of the Notes Windows The notes window will contain the notes text and further information like the author's name and time and date information. Implementation started. If necessary, the window will be extended by a scrollbar for the text. Note Window

Note Property Data

Design of the Notes Anchor The Note Anchor is the markup inside the document text to show that there is some notes information present. Proposal in discussion. Note Anchor
Design of the Notes Connector Line The Notes Connector Line is the visual connection between the notes anchor and the corresponding notes window. Proposal in discussion. Note Connector Line
Colors of the Notes Windows Colors for the Notes Windows. These colors are shared with the Writer change tracking feature. Implementation for Notes started. Implementation for the Writer change tracking feature finished. Main Colors
Distribution of the Notes Windows in the Side Pane Placement of the Notes Windows inside the Notes Side Pane (e.g. size, position). Proposal in discussion. Implementation started. Note Window Distribution
Menus and Keybindings Covers menu changes and keybindings (e.g. shortcut for insert notes) for the interaction with the Notes functionality. Proposal in discussion. Implementation started. Menus and Keybindings
Rich-Text-Formatting Use of attributes to markup the notes text (e.g. bold text). Implementation started. n/a
Focus Visualization The Note Windows of a currently viewed or edited Note is highlighted. Proposals in discussion. Preliminary implementation started. Visualization of Focus
Notes Printing Notes can be part of a document, therefore it is desired to print the Notes information. Proposals are being created. Notes Printing
Reply to Note An author can reply to an existing Note of another author. For such a case, Notes interaction and visualization is optimized. Proposal in discussion. Implementation started. Reply to Note
Search in Notes The contents of the notes are sometimes as important as the original text. Therefore the user should be able to search text inside notes also. Proposal in discussion. Implementation started. Search in Notes

Roadmap

Development Releases

The functionality will be implemented step-by-step.

Development releases are available for testing at Notes2 Development Releases! Since developer milestone m248, the new Notes functionality has been continuously integrated into the main branch. Please test this functionality and provide feedback, as this helps us to improve the Notes functionality until it will be released officially. Please refer to the page Notes2 Development Releases for more information and download locations.

Information about the further development (including CWS status, issues and links) on what is planned can be found at Notes2 CWS.

Official Releases

Functionality available in the first release (OpenOffice.org 3.0):

  • Viewing and editing notes next to the document page
  • Accessibility support
  • The functionality which is already available in current version of OpenOffice.org
  • solid foundation for further improvements
  • Improved integration with the Writer change tracking feature (e.g. use the same colors for the authors of the document)
  • Time information for the notes (besides the already available date information)
  • Rich-text editing (e.g. bold text, numerations)
  • Online help
  • Support for the OpenOffice Testtool


For functionality expected in later releases (OpenOffice.org 3.1 and beyond), please have a look here: planned for upcoming versions

Other Ideas

Other ideas are discussed on the separate page Other Ideas for Notes.

Mockups and Screenshots

This section contains mockups and screenshots:

  • Mockups are working models used for demonstration purposes. There is no real functionality at all, because the following pictures have been composed with graphic programs just to get a first impression how it will look like.
  • Screenshots show the behavior of the real development in OpenOffice.org Writer. Those pictures are updated more or less regularly.
Mockup for viewing the notes
Mockup shows the mode for "viewing" the notes:
  • different kinds of notes anchors in the document text:
    • anchor point (represents a character)
    • anchor selection
  • a side pane next to the document page for displaying and arranging the notes windows (including some information in the ruler above)
  • display of author and date inside the notes windows
  • different colors for different authors
  • (idea) a placeholder to just start typing the notes text (anchor would be placed at current document text position)
Mockup for editing the notes
Mockup shows the mode for "editing" the notes:
  • visualization of currently edited note
    • continuous anchor connector line
    • highlighted notes anchor selection (slightly darker border lines)
    • shadow for the notes window (whereas the shadow for the document page is removed)
  • spell checking inside the notes windows
Mockup for a hidden notes pane
Mockup shows the mode for a "hidden notes" pane (just an early idea):
  • notes pane is completely hidden (including notes windows)
  • the ruler above provides some information on the notes
    • information that there are (at least) some notes present in the document
    • the notes pane can be shown by the control element in the ruler bar
Notes in the current OpenOffice.org 3.0
Example for how the Notes2 functionality looks like on Ubuntu Linux 8.10 with "Clearlooks" visual theme.

Press Coverage and Comments

This section lists some of the noteworthy blog posts, web news or press coverage for the new Notes2 feature.

  • The German Linux magazine presents the new notes feature (along with the zoom slider and the multi-page view) in a short video (German): Linux-Magazin Online (Video: Neues in Open Office Writer 3.0) (2008-09-26)
  • The German OpenOffice.org community contributed to the special magazine OpenOffice.org Spezial covering the release of OpenOffice.org 3.0. The article "Klebezettel ade! Die neuen Notizen im Writer" covers both the new features and the development. Here is the article (PDF), and more information about the magazine www.ooo-spezial.de.
  • The I-Team presented the Making the New Notes - Community, Cooperation, Concepts at the OpenOffice.org Conference 2008. Please have a look at OOoCon2008 Program Friday where you can find the:
  • http://www.jonobacon.org/2009/01/28/writing-a-book-with-free-software/: In terms of editing, it is also performed in OpenOffice, making use of its change tracking and notes features. This functionality is more than suitable for working on a book. I am also pleased to see this is being further refined in OpenOffice.org 3.1 with the ability to reply to notes. Interestingly, one of my editors uses Microsoft Word to edit. This means that my original .odt file is converted to a .doc file, edits are made in Word (using change tracking and notes) and then saved back in .odt format. ...Pretty nifty, eh?
  • I'm really encouraged by these developments. With the ability to add notes to Writer it is one small step to move the right hand margin in for the main text and put the notes just outside the margin. That makes a great tool for minutes of meetings as you can use the note for recording who has an action against the relevant sentence in the minute. That's important because when you later edit a minute early in the minutes then all the "Action: Joe" notes will move correctly and stay with their relevant lines. Export to pdf and that's a handy minute taking tool.

Do you have additional stuff for us? Tell us or add it to this section. Thanks!

Extensions related to Notes

For related OpenOffice.org Extensions, see Notes2_Extensions

Personal tools