AbiWord Weekly News #149, (2003, week 25, released 2003.06.22)

Welcome to this issue 149 of the AbiWord Weekly News.

Follow-ups:

      I remember what it is that I forgot last week!

This week in development

      Abiword rakes in some more beau coups, while several developers attend GUADEC (which just reel them in!)   Martin is the most powerful bait you can get in C++.   Meantime, Frank's got an almost functional static plugin thing going on; another limited functionality Windows binary is created, but this one gets to SourceForge; another dialogue means another screenshot, and Windows users might see the next release having fixed their printing capabilities (though, note, not all are covered).   Joaquin is cool that way.   And, don't forget to get caught up on our GUADEC/Dublin fun!

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

      If you don't mind a very Matrix Moment™, I've got one that beats the "Drink Your Battery" commercial.   A couple of weeks ago, I learned something interesting when watching the sponsor section for a Nova programme, I learned the Human Genome Project was being supported/conducted by The US Department of Energy.   Anyone who goes to the site will say, "Duh,", but I've never been to the homepage!

And now, for something different:
<Alan> dom said PANTS OFF
* uwog does NOT want to visualize that
<Alan> [expletive deleted], i never finished my PANTS OFF animation
<uwog> let ruth do that...
<Alan> uwog it is a Jeff Waugh quote
<Alan> his catchphrase
<uwog> sh :)
<mg> it has a long lineage but certainly jeff uses it enough (-:
<domAFK> Alan: that idea has been hashed over 1000 times. it's never happening until it's codified as part of some sort of HIG or similar. i'm very much opposed to it due to several large principles
<plam> Pants off might become part of the HIG?
* plam boggles.
<domAFK> as for journaled undo logs, jody wanted to do this to gnumeric too. it could be interesting. i don't quite see much point to it
<uwog> :-D
<domAFK> plam: oh, no. "a wordprocessor where you never have to explicitly save files"
<plam> domAFK: Oh. Right.

      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. Fwd: Abiword in CHIP: 5 stars :   Chip, a German-y ZDNet, recently said, that we rock; actually, I believe they said we're mad, but it's more of an expression...I hope.   Dom can be a bit mad at times.   Mark and Alan are mad, as in "scientist."   And, I believe, Frank has discovered a new meaning to mad, but it seems based on scientist-type mad.   I believe it's a more theoretical kind of mad.   Eitherway, the whole team's off their rockers.   We also received some virtually-impossible score.   Well, not impossible, but considering that stable was rated, I'm amazed that it just snuck up to 5 stars.

2. commit: abi: methods for "loading" preloaded modules , commit: abi: auto* build-system option for built-in plugins and :   Frank continues his quest to make it possible for QNX, and any other plugin-deprived os/build-system, the ability to embed plugins at buildtime.   POSIX systems look like they're just about done, and the others are just waiting in the wings.

3. Any MSVC developers who build binaries? and 1.9.1 win32 binary build :   Do we have an MSVC build?   We have at least two people who could make one, and two did, indeed, get made.   Neither, however, possess the ability to load plugins :o(   Jordi's MSVC binary for Windows is now available at SourceForge.

4. commit: insert table units support :   Speaking of Jordi, he's fixed a standing i18n bug by making sure that the "fixed column size" option uses your unit (cm/in) of choice.   Mind you, casually mentioning that his needs to be fixed on Linux is a nice way to wake up our li'l Nederlander, who was, otherwise, passed out at the pub with the lyre-theme going on....

5. Re: CMS publishing from AbiWord (fwd) :   Paul Everitt(?) (introduction), of Zope, wants to get together with some of the AbiFolk in hopes of turning some of Abiword into a frontend for their content management system.   The current hurdle is limited implementation of the DAV standards and protocols in gnome-vfs.   Paul recommends we look into something called Neon.   Coincidentally, guess which Beatle I didn't like....

6. [PATCH] HIGified New Document dialog :   Christian adds a nice, HIGrrified™ New Document dialogue.   I hate these at start up, but I'm sure the rest of you drool, so, enjoy this screenshot.

7. Dublin meeting :   Hey!   What's going on at GUADEC!?   Stuff.   To summarise the discussion to the latest, here's a shortie (much from Martin's reply):   Some anti-Abi-ists made some rah, but everyone else seems to be pro-GNOME Office.   GNOME Office may become more in sync, with Dom and Jody planning a path to release.   This looks to fruition around August (D* long, ain't'it?).   Mentioned a couple of threads up in the AWN, there's alos discussion of making Abi the frontend of a CMS, (thanks to Frank, X/HTML is in a very good position for this; he should have gotten a patch prize).   Martin's presentation, which used ONLY AbiWord, TOTALLY ROCKED!   In fact, it impressed Sven Herzburg so much, he would like to use it as a base for his next go at a presentation programme.   Amazing how versatile a word processor can be, isn't it?   This presentation might just make it to the web somewhere, someday, maybe (hint, hint).   OpenOffice let rumours go that some key library elements for MS Document format might be extracted and released independantly.   And finally, alcohol consumption has placed the AbiFund into the red.   If you don't want our intrepid hackers to die (or be horribly embarrassed that their users refuse to support their addiction/life-style-choice), you may want to jump to the bottom of the AWN and send me^H^H^H^ them money.

8. commit -- fix win32 printing (I think so) :   What would just BLOW your mind right now!?   Would it be Joaquin closing all of The Windows Printing Bugs?   Yeah, that'd totally blow your mind, wouldn't it?   It's too early to say, but Windows users are welcome to TRY USING THE ANONCVS TO TELL US HOW THAT WORKED OUT!   Enter abi\docs\build to locate instructions on how to build from CVS.   Oh, and, advanced warning for this week; Dom has picked up on Jeff Waugh's "Pants Off!" remark.   By "picked up," I mean, "uses it at the drop of a hat."   Of all the people he could impersonate, he had to choose this palace yahoo.

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 +49 (49 : 0), VeriNew +4 (6 : 2), ClosAssi -2 (0 : 2),

      Resolutions are high, pushing ResoUnconf to record hieghts.   The VeriNew index creeps back into the black for the first time in some weeks, and ClosAssi remains nominally below the positive mark.   Alan Bluespan suggested that this could change within the next couple of weeks, depending upon the upcoming release schedule.   Back to you, Bob.

      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.

      Joaquin's effort removes three bugs, causing 4062, the Acrobat Distiller crash, to make a return to the list.   Out of nowhere, squiggles bug, 4360 makes it deep into the list.

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.

      Windows printing bugs took quite a wallop!   Go Joaquin!   Oh, and a couple of other bugs got knocked off somewhere, but who cares ;o)

      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