AbiWord Weekly News #148, (2003, week 24, released 2003.06.15)

Welcome to this issue 148 of the AbiWord Weekly News.

Follow-ups:

      Last week's edition was error-prone, xhtml-wise (don't tell Hub!).

This week in development

      This week, you can learn how to add OTS to your applications, help us develop Windows, see what icons from Jimmac can do to the Abi-Interface and witness the miracle of OpenSource.   Also, Marc is still many euros in debt, and we are still without our server.

Request for user assistance

      If you want an equally rich and powerful Windows release, we really, really could use some Windows developers.   A whole mess of people with even just an hour a week could help.   Of course, the "three with only two hours a week" model hasn't been helping!   We're desperate!   We'll take a line a day if there's enough of you!   Please help...please!   Doesn't a platform like yours deserve a chance?

      Windows users, your help is doubly requested*.   We would like to see more bug reports coming from the Windows crowd, so, if you're feeling more daring, please download and try out the Win32 binaries when they're available.   If you want some sweet functionality in AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom, you will have to participate.   You could also consider joining Project Blue Ant.

      Attention users with spare change.   Marc ended up on the wrong end of a money conversion.   He's now 144 euros in debt for our soon to exist alternative server at the University of Twente*.

Silliness of the Week

      I had a a few things, but can no longer remember them.   So, instead, I thought I'd show something off from Alan.   Actually, I've never even checked the link, but if it's there, it's nifty.   I present: Abi on a Floppy

      Want to stop unjust things from happening in chat?   Join!   It's #abiword at irc.gimp.org

This Issue

      And remember, I give you an email address so you can talk to me, in case you're not on either mailing list.

In this issue:

• Discussion
• Development
• Bug Update
• Release HackDown

Editor(s) of this issue:  E. A. Zen

      If you're interested in using AbiWord for the first time, receiving a more up-to-date version, any particular version or special release, feel free to visit the new  Latest Releases page.

DISCLAIMER:  It should be generally noted that anything said before the "In this issue:" line is purely editorial.   Actually, everything I say is purely editorial.   You kind of get used to it.

Discussions

Traffic on the  developer mailing list has settled at about 200-400 postings per week.   This week, interesting topics on the developer list included:

1. Writing OTS plugins :   Nadav brings us the first draft how to create plugins to utilize OTS for your application.   The Open Text Summariser is a great utility for any application that works with documents -- from text editors to web browsers, wordprocessors to search utilities, OTS can be used to condense the information in any document of text you can through at it.   Here's you chance to get started on enabling your application to use OTS, or simply a chance to learn about this remarkably useful new tool.

2. commit (HEAD): doc props import :   Tomas adds the functionality of importing properties within a document, closing a number of related bugs.   Currently, this is only functional within the abiword native format, but may be included in other file types in the future.

3. [RESENT] [PATCH] Unix Password Dialog HIGification patch :   Christian Neumair has corrected the Password Dialogue in an ongoing effort of HIGrrrification™.   The dialogue returns to the old "OK" in place of the "Authenticate".   Appropriate links within.   Inappropriate screenshot here.

4. ATTN: Steal me some artwork! , Commit: Icon work and Commit: operation stolen artwork complete :   By "steel," my client, Mr. Lachowicz, meant "borrow in a way appropriate to the license of its source."   Dom's desire to show off for GUADEC has resulted in a desperate search for yummy graphics.   Jimmac has provided some nice stuff to steal, but the "New Document" icon was reverted, as it was prettier   Want a comparison?   See this.   Personally, I like the old insert image.

5. Abiword 2.0 win32 release :   Jordi Mas cites problems with the limited number of Win32 work being done for AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom, mainly, that the Win32 port may not be ready in time for the release.   This is a call to arms for Win32 developers who can help Jordi bring the port up to the level of "usable."

6. Release on Thursday. , Tree tagged with tag-1-99-1 and Source Tarballs for 1.99.1 are on sourcefore - please make binaries. :   Hmm, from 1.1.x to 1.99.x in two releases; if I didn't know better, I'd say some recent event, perhaps a convention of some sort, has been playing with Dom and Martin's minds.   For good or for worse, you can now fetch 1.99.x releases of Abiword at SourceForge, or on the Latest Releases page.   Currently, only source and SuSE 8.2 are available (currently = Saturday night).

7. Commit (BOTH): More BeOS and Commit (BOTH): BeOS work :   It's official!   BeOS is not dead!   Uh, well, that depends on whom you ask.   Let me restate that, "The BeOS port of AbiWord is not dead."   Be-Lovers may thank the new BeOS maintainer, Jun Suzki.   Congratulations to all three of you, Jun, Abi and Be.   Freaks.

8. wv 0.7.6 released :   Dom releases a special edition of the wv library - - this one made with special attention to the vaporware project, Gentoo.   Many of the fixes here, as some readers may remember, come from Tomas.

Traffic on the  user mailing list is sporadic at best.   Often, a good topic comes up, but users tend to only respond to the original poster rather than the list (as well), which limits what I would add, as the only lone threads I post are announcements of importance or points of great interest.   This week, interesting topics on the user list included:

1. AbiWord 1.9.1 Windows Binary? :   Martin R. Bartels, like many others, is looking for a Windows binary.   1.9.1 is a bit out of date, so, if you don't mind limited-functionality/limited-featured version of Abiword, Mikey has offered another MSYS Binary.   Despite a quickie tutorial from Jeremy when last brought up, Mikey has been unable to add all the bells and whistles.   But, hey, it's something, jam it!

Development

      Track who put in how much and why.   And, while you're at it, consider whether you'd like to keep your own cvs build as well.   Tables...ooh....

      This section is to be replaced by a more site integrated POW BS.   Until that's done, you may review the current pows here.

Name:  More Windows Maintainers
Description:  Jordi and Jeremy could always use help
Advertisement:  Help free people from the oppression of MSWord today!
Recommended Outline:  You must become magical to know how to fix this.
Comments:  Wouldn't be a bad idea to start with the printing bug...
System:  Windows
Challenge level:  ****. 4 stars out of 5
Current Heros:  Jordi Mas, Jeremy Davis

Bug Update

Bug Market

      This week's activity: ResoUnconf +17 (17 : 0), VeriNew -2 (0 : 2), ClosAssi -1 (1 : 2),

      ResoUnconf has an unprecedented sweep, the opposite of the expectations, thus far, from warnings made last week.   With the continuing downward trend of the two other markets, it seems that this trend will continue until the 2.0 cycle is complete.   Analyst Louis Bugkyser anticipates that this will remain so until the end of the quarter, or about a month, whichever comes first.   Meantime, out on the floor, one of the bidders suggested adding a fax function.   How's that for not bloating the word processor?

      For information about how to view the chart, please read 142's Special Interest.

Bug Votes

      These are the week's Top 20 Bugs in the categories  problems and  requests for enhancements.   Influence next week's results by  casting your own votes.   Ah, another release, another change of what bugs are on the "Most Wanted" list.

      A return of interest for 3671, Page header and footer are incorrectly exported to RTF, which bumped 4062, Abiword crashes when used with Acrobat Distiller, off the chart.   More shuffling in Enhancements, but 3233, New Language preference menu was knocked off, making room for 2663, Normal View mode.

Release HackDown

      This is an AbiWord Weekly News original concept:  The Release Hackdown.   In the table below, you can watch what bugs are being fixed in preparation for the very next release.   Check the key at the bottom to understand formatting.

      No pressure, guys, I'm sure only 2000 or so people will be watching to see what you do weekly.   That breaks down to about 285 people daily and 12 people hourly, so, it's like being peeked at once every five minutes, literally.   "Isn't that veird!?"

Stable

      Hub...is there a metabug, and I missed it?

Head

      On our way to two-point-oh, affectionately referred to as, AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom.

      Our new bug, 4743, discusses the need for static plugins due to the fact that QNX cannot support them.   I believe the makers of MetaCity would claim that this is a problem with the OS, but since we're an application, I guess, according to MetaCity, we should, by default, automatically adjust for such OS design differences, know when sunspots will hit and when an operating system is about to crash....   On a less bitter note, 5232, [META] Win32 Blocker bugs for 2.0 Release, will be keeping track of the Win32 effort, originaly for the front end bits.   In related news, a bug was knocked off of 3239, the Windows printing bugs.

      See Announce: 2.0 release plan for more details on the intended route towards Abiword II: The Wrath of Dom.

Open Source, Open Books.

      Approximately once a month, don't hedge bets, I'll get this updated by asking (read: whining at) dom.   In the meantime, whenever you want to see how much is in and where it gets diverted, just peek down here.

      Word of caution, numbers lightly fudged due to (hopefully) temporarily incomplete data.   Like a consultant's suggested price, you'll find hidden meaning in the data if you stare long and hard.   Surgeon's General's Warning:  Staring long and hard may have psychotropic affects; keep out of reach of people who like that sort of thing.

      I cannot promise the time of de-fudging, nor can I promise there will be de-fudging any time soon. However, I feel confident that there will be some de-fudging going on.

Current Balance: $1604.34
Interest earned: $8.64

Expenditures: $950
$400 to pay for Martin's Boston Gnome Summit Trip
$400 to buy Andrew Dunbar a new computer
$ 60 to misc./entertainment expenses at GNOME summit, GUAD3C, other, paid out of dom's pocket
$225 Patch Prize (those already successfully awarded)
-   $ 45 Will Lachance
-   $ 45 Marc Maurer
-   $ 45 Ruud Vring
-   $ 45 Patrick Lam
-   $ 45 Dom Lachowicz

Unique contributors: 58*
paypal: 57
check :  3
cash  :  1
*58: plusse 3 repeat offenders whom we love dearly

Contributions: $2723.00
Less paypal and other banking fees: $115.00