Subject: Re: embedded objects
From: F J Franklin (F.J.Franklin@sheffield.ac.uk)
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 07:22:37 CST
> > If the specified handler has not been registered, and if the MIME type is
> > not recognized, then an empty rectangle is shown. Otherwise, the handler
> > should have a callback to draw itself in a specified viewport, and AbiWord
> > should provide it with a comprehensive drawing interface.
>
> No. You should be able to display them using one of the standard image
> format. Otherwise obejct embedding will become a user nightmare. And empty
> rectangle is NOT user friendly. Much like you have headach when you are
> unable to open a Word document that has OLE object it can't handle (I have
> seeen that).
But that's like saying "We guarantee to support PNG and SVG and therefore
shall embed only these." If that's your attitude then there's no point
even talking about embedded objects - we just keep on doing what we're
doing...
On the other hand, if we want to support embedding of arbitrary objects
(and there is user demand for this despite open developer reluctance)
then inevitably we'll have situations where Person A is unable to view
Person B's document properly.
I used SVG as an example. I was thinking more along the lines of MathML
equations, for which we don't (though may soon?) have a standard viewer,
and possibly even gnumeric spreadsheets...
Because handlers will be using AbiWord functionality, they will have to be
GPL-compatible. 3rd party proprietary handlers can never be *required*,
though companies could develop in-house handlers - but that's not really
anything to do with us, just a nice feature we can offer.
Regards, Frank
Francis James Franklin
F.J.Franklin@shef.ac.uk
It's getting them wrong that is living, getting them wrong and wrong and
wrong and then, on careful reconsideration, getting them wrong again.
That's how we know we're alive: we're wrong.
--- Philip Roth
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