FYI - Add On Tool released on OOoMacros

[avantman42]

Bernard Marcelly's add-on tool is now available from OOoMacros (http://www.ooomacros.org/files.php?type=macro#AddOnTool) Previous posts to this forum suggest that this tool should be popular. Not only does it provide an auto-pilot like interface for creating xcu files, it also has simple instructions on how to create & distribute add-ons, and a simplified technical explanation of the XML configuration file structure.

I'll reply to those posts that I can find that might benefit from this tool. Many, many thanks to Bernard for translating both this and his excellent X-Ray tool from his native French to English so that those of us that can only read/write/speak one language can benefit.

Russ

[DannyB]

Lots of useful information in there. That is very cold. It fills in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. It nicely supplements the information provided by the page about the Python-UNO bridge, which goes into some of this material, but not as deeply.

The end result, as with the PyUno documentation is that you create a zipped package which you must run pkgchk on. While great for most of us, this is still not exactly what I expect most real end users to be able to do.

I still intend to build an installer mechanism that allows a Basic programmer to install libraries, along with the AddOn menus, or new top level menus, in such a way that it is extremely simple for the end user.

For instance, in my "ENLARGE THE SIZE OF YOUR recent files list" posting,
http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3559
you just open a document, click a button, and some permanent configuration changes are made to OOo.

This is where I ultimately want to go with this. Open a document, click a button, and some tool is installed and integrated into your OOo. Similarly, you should be able to open a document and do a one button click to completely uninstall the tool.

Even for Python components, this is where I would like to eventually go. Drop dead easy install / uninstall that your mother could do.

It looks like you can register new component implementations from the UNO API. So I'm thinking that in theory one could, from Basic within an "installer document" create the necessary python source files in the right directories, register them in OOo's registry via. the API, then add menus / toolbars etc. via. the configuration manager api.

This information is a significant boost towards my goal. Again, very cold!
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