OpenOffice.org Internship/ProjectProposals
Writer/Math and Linguistics
Statusbar control for line and column number in Writer
Contact:
dev at sw.openoffice.org
Mathias.Bauer at Sun dot COM
Integration of Mac Grammar Checker
Since OOo 3.0.1 the Grammar Checking API of OOo is final. Some extensions based on this API already exist and it would be great to have an extension integrating the Mac Grammer Checker.
Contact:
dev at sw.openoffice.org
Thomas.Lange at sun.com
Integration of spell checking into the proof reading code
OOo Writer calls Grammar Checkers from a new, multi threaded implementation that iterates over paragraphs and sentences. OTOH spell checkers are called from the main thread and just iterates over the single words of the text. For several reasons it would be desirable to integrate both iterations to a common one, where all spell checkers still can be called with single words as nowadays:
- spell checkers that can be called with larger blocks of text can be served better by providing a specialized component (Mac spell checker!)
- some grammar checkers might also do spell checking, so calling them from different places in the code for both tasks is inefficient
- spell checking can happen in a parallel thread of execution
Contact:
dev at sw.openoffice.org
Thomas.Lange at sun.com
Integration of Grammar Checking into Calc, Draw and Impress
Grammar Checkers can be used from Writer only, the other applications lack the necessary text iteration loops. Also an implementation of the text iteration API that is used to communicate with Grammar Checkers is not provided by the text engine that these applications use ("EditEngine"). For efficiency reasons this task should not be started before the task "integration of spell checking into the proof reading code" has been finished.
Contact:
dev at sw.openoffice.org
Thomas.Lange at sun.com
Integration of language guessing and selection into Calc, Draw and Impress
The language status bar control together with its ability to propose a language for text and offer an easy selection of the correct language currently only works for flow text in Writer.
Visualization of meta data
OOo Writer supports meta data according to the ODF 1.2 specification for a number of objects. We need a user interface component that shows them like e.g. our current comment (notes) sidebar. This would require to refactor the components of this sidebar so that they use an API that can support comments as well as meta data and change tracking comments.
Contact:
dev at sw.openoffice.org
Mathias.Bauer at sun.com
Impress / Graphics
Improve the Impress slideshow annotation mode
OOo has recently gotten a live annotation mode in the slideshow component, via a sequence of semester projects at Ecole Centrale Nantes. This project is far from done, has been worked on by students previously, and is highly useful in a classroom/education setting.
Tasks :
- improve the eraser mode
- fix various bugs around
- improve the annotation mode
- Required skills/knowledge: c++, Difficulty: medium
- Contact
- dev @ graphics.openoffice.org
- ericb at openoffice dot org
Customizable html export for impress
Write new html export for impress which is customizable by css templates
- Contact
- dev @ graphics.openoffice.org
- Christian.Lippka at Sun dot COM
Calc / Chart
Component to check spreadsheet documents for potential errors
Write an extension that checks a spreadsheet document for potential errors in formulas, presents a list of the findings to the user, and allows to correct them.
Things to look for could include
- Cells that contain numbers stored as text and are used in formulas,
- Number cells that are not used in any formulas,
- Empty cells that are used in single-cell formula references.
The list is not meant to be exhaustive.
- Required skills/knowledge: Java or C++, spreadsheet usage
- Contact
- dev @ sc.openoffice.org
- Niklas.Nebel at sun.com
Statistical Data Analysis Tool
Write an extension that allows statistical data analysis (like Anova, t-test, z-test, see Statistical Data Analysis Tool).
- Required skills/knowledge: Java or C++, statistics
- Contact
- dev @ sc.openoffice.org
- Niklas.Nebel at sun.com
Improve numerical stability of spreadsheet functions
Some statistical and financial analysis spreadsheet functions need improvement in numerical stability, for example for very large and/or small values, see issue 18704 and dependencies.
- Required skills/knowledge: C++, knowledge of numerical analysis and algorithms, mathematical background
- Contact
- dev @ sc.openoffice.org
- Eike.Rathke at sun dot com
Add new spreadsheet functions and parameters according to ODFF
The OpenDocument Format Formula specification (ODFF aka OpenFormula) defines several new spreadsheet functions and new optional parameters to already existing functions that have to be implemented.
- Required skills/knowledge: C++; for some statistical functions knowledge of numerical algorithms and mathematical background
- Contact
- dev @ sc.openoffice.org
- Eike.Rathke at sun dot com
API
Extended Basic/Dialog Library OXT Export
Canceled! Sorry but the mentor is not available for this turn of the internship.
The OOo Basic Macro Organizer already allows to export a Basic/Dialog Library as extension, but without support for the description.xml file described in:
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/DevGuide/Extensions/description.xml
The goal of this project is to add support for this by creating a corresponding dialog allowing the user to edit all supported elements and by saving the description.xml file into the oxt file afterwards.
- Required skills/knowledge: C++, Extensions
- Contact
- dev @ api.openoffice.org
- andreas.bregas at sun.com
Improve (Python) scriptability
Canceled! Sorry but the mentor is not available for this turn of the internship.
OOo has a language-agnostic bridge, that permits a host of programming languages (Java, Python, C#, JScript etc etc) to access certain parts of the OOo core. That's nice, but many of the more interesting intestines of the code are not, not easily, or not elegantly usable like that.
This project is about extend OOo with Python :
- providing a SWIG, or boost::python-based wrapper around un-UNOized OOo core classes.
- provide organized code samples, and clear examples
- Required skills/knowledge: c++, python, boost/swig; Difficulty: medium
- Contact
- dev @ api.openoffice.org
- ericb at openoffice dot org
Framework ToDo
Pls see the list for the Framework project. It is not yet very detailed, but it is a start: Framework To-Dos.
Misc
Maxima Integration
Canceled! Sorry but the mentor is not available for this turn of the internship.
Integrate the Maxima symbolic computer algebra system into OOo, to solve calc problems in Writer.
The idea : create a Maxima session inside an OOo Writer document, in an embeded frame, or equivalent.
IMPORTANT :
- Weekly IRC meetings.
- Wiki use mandatory.
- Specifications and documentation MUST be written in parallel, in same time the code is written.
- Every diff of code will be documented on the wiki.
- the code must be written in C++ (prefered). A proof of concept using Python would be appreciated.
- Iterations
- Step 1
- Discover and learn UNO API
- be able to create a Writer document (and play with it)
- be able to launch an external application using UNO
- In parallel : learn how a Writer document is structured and how to use it programmaticaly (structure, foundations)
- Step 2
- Learn Maxima session requirements
- implement a way to launch a Maxima session from OOo
- implement a way to exchange datas with the open Maxima session
- propose a follow up for the devs who will continue the implementation
- Estimated Timeline
- 3 weeks of work = step 1
- 5 weeks of work = step 2
- Required skills/knowledge: lisp (basics), c++, UNO API knowledge; Difficulty: medium
- Contact
- ericb at openoffice.org
Improve Scanner integration inside OOo
Canceled! Sorry but the mentor is not available for this turn of the internship.
Scanner support inside OOo is existing, but neglected functionality. In our increasingly visual oriented world, getting that up to par (across all platforms - though especially lacking on Mac) would make you many friends.
- analyze the current situation
- improve (the view, the way the scanner is used .. and so on)
- propose a proof of concept on Mac OS X (Baseline : Tiger)
- Required skills/knowledge: c++, Cocoa; Difficulty: hard
- Contact
- ericb at openoffice dot org
Improve OOo usability on small-screen devices
Canceled! Sorry but the mentor is not available for this turn of the internship.
With devices like netbooks, the OLPC or (gasp!) smartphones becoming powerful enough to run OOo (or the stripped-down OOo4Kids), it's becoming critically important to adapt the UI to smaller screen sizes and/or vastly different aspect ratios. This task is about improving OOo4Kids usability on the XO - from better Sugar integration to smaller UI footprint.
- Required skills/knowledge: c++, Sugar/OLPC a bonus; Difficulty: medium
- Contact
- ericb at openoffice dot org
Make OOo UI complexity configurable
Canceled! Sorry but the mentor is not available for this turn of the internship.
The OOo4Kids project has pioneered a way of "dumbing down" the OOo UI, by selectively hiding functionality depending on user proficiency (controlled via three central user levels, beginner, intermediate & expert). This task is to expand on that, cover all five applications, and create a consistent, seamless level of complexity, adapted to the user skill level.
- Required skills/knowledge: ** c++, UX design; Difficulty: medium
- Contact
- ericb at openoffice dot org
