Open Office Port

[humble]

NOt sure if any one pitched this yet. but i think this would be useful. If I'm not mistaken it can open up windows document files too... idont kno... So it would be all most like Mobile Office for windows powered PDA

preguntas, questions, Suggestion, Anything? lol

[CJ Chitwood]

great concept but my bet is that the reason it hasn't been done is that it is a HUGE app even for a pc and before it will run on android - even though there is a Linux version - it will have to be ported to the sdk... and that is no small feat. it Will be done but not until we are running apps off the sd card more easily.

[humble]

thank you for a quick reply. just to remind you I'm no Dev nor hacker. but it seem to me whenever i read most if not all the application are java based for android. so couldn't one(not me a supa Hacker/Dev) get the source code(I'm guessing it open) port it(i know this is a long and hard process) and make a scaled down version of just the word processor part just for simple writing purposes, and due to the space issue? Just thinking out loud

[CJ Chitwood]

You're right... the Android code is very Java like (it may even be java unmodified with just a few extra libraries) and OpenOffice is written in Java. Yeah, it can be done. I'm just saying that they have a team of developers working on OpenOffice at Sun Micro. It takes a whole team of people to put that together just for Linux, Mac, Windows... When they port it, they have another team of developers that run it through rigorous tests (I assume, here) to make sure it's ready for public consumption and then they have to work out any bugs they come across or determine them to be so insignificant or so unlikely to be found that they don't matter. Then they install it on a few beta tester phones, etc...

I'm sure they'll be working on an Android port soon if they aren't already (and we can all help ensure that by requesting that they do so and possibly even donating to the cause) but the truth is there's no way they're going to be able to scale it down small enough to fit on (in my case) a G1 with its meager onboard memory and still be able to have all these other apps we've been playing with... The bigger need for right now, this very moment, in my humble opinion is to get the system and/or apps to load from SD card so that we have all that room, and then they can port the app to Android and not have to worry as much about cramming all that code into a tiny little box. They would only need worry about making the user interface (physical dimensions) smaller to fit the smaller-than-EGA screen.

I'm no hacker nor developer either... just a few programming classes in college... but I've opened up the source for a few apps and if you don't know how it all comes together you would be sooooo lost. I have trouble sometimes even with browsing the apps I have worked on in college (esp. when it was someone else's code I was adding onto).

[Maximosis]

This would make life for everyone so much easier if their were a world program on a PDA full functional for the first time.

[humble]

Well i think this serious....(really) i think we should organize something... getting in contact with some of the Dev's/Hackers(I'm saying that just in case you guys are watching) talk about donation, research what ever these guys need(not everthing) even if they just do in for motivation and stauts... just thinking out loud

[humble]

You're right... the Android code is very Java like (it may even be java unmodified with just a few extra libraries) and OpenOffice is written in Java. Yeah, it can be done. I'm just saying that they have a team of developers working on OpenOffice at Sun Micro. It takes a whole team of people to put that together just for Linux, Mac, Windows... When they port it, they have another team of developers that run it through rigorous tests (I assume, here) to make sure it's ready for public consumption and then they have to work out any bugs they come across or determine them to be so insignificant or so unlikely to be found that they don't matter. Then they install it on a few beta tester phones, etc...

I'm sure they'll be working on an Android port soon if they aren't already (and we can all help ensure that by requesting that they do so and possibly even donating to the cause) but the truth is there's no way they're going to be able to scale it down small enough to fit on (in my case) a G1 with its meager onboard memory and still be able to have all these other apps we've been playing with... The bigger need for right now, this very moment, in my humble opinion is to get the system and/or apps to load from SD card so that we have all that room, and then they can port the app to Android and not have to worry as much about cramming all that code into a tiny little box. They would only need worry about making the user interface (physical dimensions) smaller to fit the smaller-than-EGA screen.

I'm no hacker nor developer either... just a few programming classes in college... but I've opened up the source for a few apps and if you don't know how it all comes together you would be sooooo lost. I have trouble sometimes even with browsing the apps I have worked on in college (esp. when it was someone else's code I was adding onto).

Note: I under lined the point i trying to hit. I am also looking at the larger picture.(that is one of the biggest issues)..... i just had a Epiphany!In stead of waiting for GOGGLE to code that in to the kernel,(just a thought) could someone (again not me a Dev) code just a test program written only to run off of the SD card. then compile that in all programs?(and if it doesn't work tell us)

"I'm no hacker nor developer either... just a few programming classes in college... but I've opened up the source for a few apps and if you don't know how it all comes together you would be sooooo lost."

I try-ed too.. psp programing the farest i got was HELLO-WORLD and mapping buttons to change the color of the screens so I'm no pro ether by any means

[K.Krstnsn]

****. even a fully functional google docs. i sort of was expecting full versions of docs and reader.

[chiloska]

There is need for a kit for office documents, is a pda of the team should have that funcionlidad. open office must have thought of that. the question is when this kit will be available and who can create it. google.docs operate as long as you have an internet connection. and if you do not have any connection that you do?

[H4STE]

Porting OpenOffice, will ultimately open Android to business users and put pressure on blackberry and open Android phones to a wider market. I'm not sure if that is in Googles strategic plan, but if it is they should get moving on this quickly.

CJ Chitwood made a good point about running apps from the sd card. From an coding standpoint this is quite the limiting factor. I am surprised that Google didn't address this limitation earlier. The base architecture (from what I can tell) is pretty compatible OpenOffice and Android. I would love to hear a view words from a developer working on this or planing on working on this.

Does anyone have any offical word on this?