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AbiWord Weekly News #195,
(For the week ending May 8th, the 19th week of 2004)
Welcome to this issue #195 of the AbiWord Weekly News.
Follow-ups:
Home directories are not yet on BlueAnt, so, there will be no graphs, yet :(
This week in development
MSVC development continues under Mikey, while Martin squashes bug after bug! News relatively sparse as Nyorp gets locked out by The Man!
Request for User Assistance
Attention Indic and Arabic users! We need more of you to attempt to use and report bugs on CVS Head. As we continue to improve the glyph-shaping engine, we will need to know what is working and what is not. You, our users, are an essential part of our community development. Please participate in helping us improve the application all of us are using.
In case you haven't guessed, the fact that the plea below, languages, has remained unchanged is because no-one has even told us they're trying to help. However, we were told that two were not that different (if at all) from a close linguistic relative. That said, please-oh-please give us assistance.
Hi there. We're looking for people who can help keep AbiWord accurate and uptodate in a number of languages. Please look over them and see if ither you or someone you know might be able to assist us. Remember, your contribution is not only welcomed or encouraged but is also documented, for an easier-to-brag experience. The languages we are looking for are listed below:
- Afrikaans[af-ZA]
- Armenian[hy-AM]
- Assamese[as-IN]
- Chinese (Singapore)[zh-SG]
- Cornish[kw-GB]
- Corsican[co-FR]
- Croatian[hr]
- Esperanto[eo]
- Estonian[et]
- Farsi[fa-IR]
- Flemish (Belgium)[nl-BE]
- Frisian[fy-NL]
- Georgian[ka-GE]
- Hausa (Niger)[ha-NE]
- Hausa (Nigeria)[ha-NG]
- Hindi[hi-IN]
- Icelandic[is-IS]
- Korean[ko-KR]
- Macedonian[mk]
- Marshallese (Nauru)[mh-NR]
- Occitan[oc-FR]
- Thai[th-TH]
- Urdu[ur-PK]
Due to the traffick of people who are trying to help with picked up languages, those who are interested in helping us are encouraged to join ither mailing list. Please read the instructions for the list you are most interested in joining to get the correct address. Joining, as you'll find out, is a simple three step process. First, send a letter to one email address; second confirm you sent the letter by sending a reply, and third...oops, there is no step three. Ok, so, excluding all the minor steps of what to click and/or type, it's really a simple two-step process.
There are just two important reminders in using the mailing lists which all users are expected to do. If you want your message to even make it to the list, you message will need to be in plain text only. Due to an insurgence of a certain virus a while back, all HTML email is rejected for reasons of sanity. Webmail users will have to figure out how to turn on plain-text only before sending email. Second, you are required to send the language in Engrish or English. For those of you who don't speak English well enough to send Engrish, it is recommended that you send the letter in both your native language (identify your language please) and after that, in the same message, send it in a machine-translated version of your message, like BabelFish, in case no-one who speaks your language is available to translate your message for the list. Failure to follow these proceedures in the past have led to frustration and resentment. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience these two requests may cause you.
Silliness of the Week
This Issue
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.
Development
CVS StatsKeep track of the latest developments, from bug fixes to requested enhancements. You'll find it easy to watch the progress made by the developers or individual developers involved. Perhaps you'll even be encouraged to try a development build of either branch.
| Developments for 2.0 from May 2nd through the 8th of 2004 | |||
| Who | Commits | In summary | |
| Mikey Cooper | 13 |
Work on MSVC6
Building: → MSVC6: get ABI-2-0-0-STABLE compiling under MSVC6, simplify MSVC6 build process (no more manual copying of files should be required) | |
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| Hubert Figuière | 1 |
Lone bug fix.
Bugs: → 6756: Crash when inserting footnote with caret inside a table that's inside a header/footer | |
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| Developments for 2.1 from May 2nd through the 8th of 2004 | |||
| Who | Commits | In summary | |
| Martin Sevior | 36 |
Lots and Lots of bug squishing!
Platforms: → Cross Platform: fix crash toggling between numbered and bullet lists File Types: → Rich Text Format: fix assert and maybe crash on dragging frames Bugs: → 5047: footnotes not "smart" → 5850: Spelling error "Red line", when auto spell check is disabled. → 6719: Textboxes remain unrefreshed when turning auto spellcheck off/on → 6755: TOCs cannot be inserted directly above tables → 6756: Crash when inserting footnote with caret inside a table that's inside a header/footer → 6757: Crash when inserting footer with caret inside a table that's inside a header → 6758: Crash when inserting header with caret inside a table that's inside a footer → 6772: When inserting table in header, you cann't move caret down → 6773: When inserting 2 tables in header, the second table causes strange caret movement → 6777: Some elements cannot be inserted directly above tables → 6778: Crash when undoing insertion of page number in header/footer → 6779: Crash when dragging textbox into header/footer → 6787: Table functions disabled in initial cell |
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| Mikey Cooper | 18 |
Work towards the MSVC's compilability.
Building: → MSVC6: simplify build process (no more manual copying of files should be required) → MSVC7.1: more build work, remove MSVC6 pre-comiled header cruft, copy MSVC-specific headers automatically Bugs: → 6275: Turning status bar off makes Horizontal Ruler Disappear → 6776: Extra toolbars created when enabled in fullscreen mode |
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| Tomas Frydrych | 15 |
Work on various things, include History and Revisions and Table of Contents.
Features: → History and Revisions: lots of little fixes Platforms: → Cross Platform: fix notification of document dirtiness and file name change, robustness fixes, comment out assert → Windows: improve a cursor related assert to stop it from preventing debugging Bugs: → 6722: (incomplete) import of TOC from MS word → 6749: Unswitchable letter substitution |
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| Hubert Figuière | 2 |
Corrections to the documentation.
Documentation: → ReadMe: restored mainpage and reorg → Doxygen: fix typo |
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| Marc Maurer | 1 |
Correction to the documentation.
Documentation: → Doxygent: remove treeview |
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POWs
It's happening Really Soon Now™!
Bug Update
Bug Market
![[graph]](../graphs/abi_bugs-2004.05.09.png)
This week's activity: ResoUnconf +12 (12 : 0), VeriNew +13 (19 : 6), ClosAssi -4 (0 : 4),
A drop in ClosAssi has otherwise dimmed the surprising upswing in VeriNew. Alan Bluespan indicated another market correcting effort would likely begin soon. Louis Bugkeyser, however, noted that it would still result in an upswing in the market. As the release of 2.2 approaches, feelings about the market remain mixed.
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 misfeatures 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.
| Top 20 MisFeatures™ as of May 8th, 2004 | |||
| ID | Votes | Milestone | Summary |
| 376 | 82 | 2.0.x | File associate problems for all file types with Win32Slu...... |
| 3778 | 46 | --- | Hanging indent setting ignores units |
| 5059 | 41 | 2.2 | Recent Files breaks with international file names |
| 5815 | 35 | --- | Variable-width font issue |
| 4745 | 31 | Future | Change colour of foreground text for screen only |
| 2362 | 30 | 2.2 | AbiWord only prints across half of page |
| 4031 | 30 | Future | Hebrew status line message is not displayed correctly |
| 5252 | 30 | 2.2 | Contrast between cursor (caret) and background is ruined ...... |
| 5782 | 30 | --- | Abiword hangs opening attached Word document |
| 5794 | 30 | --- | Horizontal space and distortion at print page break in We...... |
| 6181 | 30 | --- | cursor position is not updated when changing paragraph style... |
| 2868 | 26 | 2.0.x | character widths are not calculated correctly for some fonts... |
| 2421 | 24 | 2.0.x | TM, Bullet, Euro, Smart Quotes and other symbols originat...... |
| 6011 | 21 | --- | Spelling check provides bad suggestions and improperly pl...... |
| 6354 | 20 | --- | --merge=FILE command line option does not work in abiword... | 1679 | 17 | --- | List changes should keep selection |
| 3216 | 15 | 2.2 | Tabstops Cannot be Set in Second (or Third) Column |
| 3801 | 15 | Future | [META] Seems to struggle with large files |
| 4896 | 15 | 2.0.x | the very last character can't be selected |
| Top 20 Requests For Enhancement as of May 8th, 2004 | |||
| ID | Votes | Milestone | Summary |
| 2183 | 458 | Future | Fully Support OpenOffice's XML file format |
| 3668 | 166 | Future | Support for window tabs instead of separate windows |
| 4038 | 146 | --- | Outline View Support |
| 2321 | 145 | 2.2 | [RFE] Maths/Equation Editing, as a plugin maybe? |
| 1374 | 108 | Future | [RFE] print odd and/or even pages only (for front & back ... |
| 4057 | 70 | --- | Thesaurus Shift+F7 keybindings shortcuts consistency |
| 1144 | 68 | Future | Improve KWord import/export filters |
| 2365 | 51 | --- | AbiWord needs 'view codes' |
| 1929 | 50 | Future | Hyphenation is missing in Abiword |
| 515 | 41 | 2.0.x | columns change should only affect selected text |
| 1851 | 36 | Future | [rfe] Ability to create an ALL CAPS style, and Small Caps...... |
| 2473 | 35 | 2.0.x | [rfe] Support move & resize of images anchored to a page... |
| 1235 | 30 | Future | [RFE] Not possible to change zoom and font size on toolba... |
| 2463 | 30 | --- | support embedded objects |
| 2219 | 27 | Future | AUTONUM wanted in [ Insert/Field/Number ] menu |
| 2169 | 24 | Future | Line numbering |
| 3233 | 23 | 2.0.x | New Language preference menu |
| 3419 | 20 | Future | [RFE] Add microspacing feature (tracking) for characters |
| 2136 | 15 | Future | A Latex importer would be nice and useful |
Bugzilla was inaccessible to most users this week.
Release HackDown
When I'm caught up again....
Abi's Relatives
Several projects are used by, use or synchronise with AbiWord. Some of the most noteworthy libraries and applications will be summarised here. Some may be added under guise of the GNOME Office Suite.; others may be added because it's really just a plug by request. Want your project plugged? Send money to Dom. I'm offering rates of $10 per plug, $25 for a month-long plug, $50 for a quartly plug and $200 to go all year. P*ing us off or the discontinuation of this section does not result in a refund.
Libraries
AbiWord uses several libraries, and other sub-applications, to give it that extra bit of polish. Here, you will learn whatever news I scrape together or has been sent to me in relation to them. I wanted to do more this week, but not so much.
Pretty much nothing.
Nothing since February.
I'm guessinnnn'...squat.
December...2004.
Applications
AbiWord is crucial to the use of, coordinates development with, or to some extent relies upon a number of applications. Only one two of these applications make it easy for me to steal information from them, so, we're talking about a lot of blog reading.
Windows WorldHere, we'll explore our Windows associates more. Well...it's currently only the one, but it's a very important one.
Nullsoft Scriptable Install System
Since 2.0 was released, there really has been much news to report.
GNOME Office SuiteSince I don't know of applications outside of AbiWord that use AbiWord, I'll be doing this Gnome Office business. These people should have newsletters, so, I can steal crap from them.
More Gnumeric-on-Windows speculation. Since Advogato just gone'd missin', I can't tell you if there's anything else.
Nothing documented in the News section in or Rodrigo's blog, so, I know as much as you: Jack Squat ain't said no thang.
I've heard nothing. I've found little, but didn't look that hard, to be honest.
Now, another possibility, and a possible future AbiShow, at that, Colin JN Breame proposed the possibility that he and a friend would like to make a PowerPoint clone. Lots of discussion off and on list, and you'll probably find it very educational, even if you're a little curious about politics and project development and whatever else. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on 'er for ya for awhile ;o)
Either I accidentally dismissed a window, or there have been no new developments since Dave's absence.
Other
Look, a place to talk about the AWN
Almost there!
Potatoeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Ghiri.
No user mail, no users to report about. I still love them, though. Send money...you can see we need it!
Open Source, Open Books.
Last Updated: December 13th, 2003Approximately 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.
These are numbers from all of time! Everything since the paypal AbiFund has been setup is in here, not just this month or just this week. Just in case you didn't figure that out, I'm restating it since the PayPal incident first incited interest in this.
Current Balance: $2144.20
Interest earned: $19.34
Expenditures: $2185
$210 to feed 12 people at GUADEC
$100 to pay for Marc's work on the new server
$700 to pay for the new server
$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
- - note: Pat and Dom went to an Italian restaurant named Dom's on Boston's North End.
Neither Pat or Dom seem to recommend visiting Dom's anytime soon.
Actually, I didn't ask Pat, but I'm pretty sure he'd agree.
Personally, I recommend avoiding Dom altogether.
Hmm, typo, what?
Unique contributors: 61*
paypal: 66
check : 3
cash : 1
*61: plusse 3 repeat offenders whom we love dearly
Contributions: $2311.84
Less paypal and other banking fees: $167.64
| PLEASE! Help promote AbiWord development by donating money. The money go to a general AbiWord "fund", presently hosted by Dom Lachowicz (cinamod@hotmail.com). | |
| In order to donate money, you must have a PayPal account. If you do not already have one, the links above will allow you to open one. Please consider putting cinamod@hotmail.com in the "Referral ID" field, which results in a one-time $5 donation from PayPal to AbiWord development if you verify your account. Note that only donations of $3 or more are of interest. Sorry, this is due to the fees imposed by credit card companies and PayPal. | |