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1.3 The New Way of Working with OpenDoc

   With OpenDoc, consider the scenario in "A New Way of Working" in topic 1.1 
   again.  OpenDoc builds applications from components that users add to the 
   document.  These components are small pieces of software that are very 
   good at particular tasks.  Thus, a software solution built using OpenDoc 
   starts with the identification of the different tasks that you want to 
   accomplish.  So, in this scenario we identify the following: 

   °   Word processing component to create your letter 

   °   Database component that holds your customer portfolios 

   °   Mail-merge component to merge your addressing information with the 
       letter 



   These three components are some of the common components that most users 
   will use.  Just like other software packages, these components will be 
   available from a number of vendors, but will also come in specific 
   versions for particular application environments. 

   In this scenario, your word processing needs could be addressed by a 
   component with functions equivalent to one of today's word processor 
   products.  The word processing component does not need to be overly 
   complex as you could add separate components for the specific tasks that 
   you want to do.  The additional components are added by including other 
   components into the OpenDoc document. 

   Inclusion of data from a database into an OpenDoc document can be 
   accomplished by either of two means.  Database vendors may choose to 
   implement only one or both of these approaches into their products.  The 
   first approach is for the database vendor to provide a data access 
   component for data retrieval.  This approach could allow an existing 
   database product to quickly provide access to data already stored in an 
   existing database.  The second approach is for the database vendor to 
   design an OpenDoc component.  This component would provide a full range of 
   OpenDoc interfaces.  This implementation allows for full integration of 
   data from the database into an OpenDoc document without the need for the 
   designer of the document to include special database handling routines. 

   This scenario does not assume that the different components of test 
   editor, database, and mail-merge came bundled together from one vendor. 
   If you consider this in terms of a suite environment, it means that it is 
   very difficult if not impossible to include information into your document 
   from applications outside the suite of applications.  In the OpenDoc 
   environment, even if the word processor and mail-merge components come 
   from different vendors, they will be able to work together since they both 
   use the same underlying architecture or plumbing. 

   When you identify the text, database and mail-merge component that meets 
   your feature requirements and supports OpenDoc, you are ready to put 
   together your document. 

   To create a customized letter, first open up a new document with the word 
   processing component as the root, or main component.  Write your monthly 
   report text, including a field for holding the portfolio balance.  Link 
   the field to the database, using the client number as the lookup key to 
   retrieve the portfolio balance.  Complete the task of building your 
   customized letter by connecting the mail-merge component to the letter and 
   setting it up with your database of clients. 

   Considering the time required today to print letters for a large number of 
   clients at a time, you may want to enhance your application so that you 
   will not tie up the printer for long periods.  You could do this by 
   writing a short script to control the printing.  Script is a high-level, 
   English-like language that you would use to create your own custom 
   components.  For example, the script could fetch a list of clients, 
   instruct the word processor to create a new form letter for the first 10, 
   then wait for 15 minutes before sending the next 10 until all the clients 
   had been processed. 

   If a few months later your clients start requesting historical data on 
   their accounts as well as recent prices of the stocks and mutual funds in 
   their portfolio, OpenDoc gives you the flexibility to add more function to 
   the letter that you have already developed.  To get the recent stock 
   prices, using scripting you can add a component that hooks up to the Dow 
   Jones industry average information source, determines what stocks and 
   funds are part of a client's portfolio and adds this to the letter.  To 
   satisfy the request for historical data, you can again use scripting to 
   pull the portfolio balances from the database and then present the 
   information in a graphical format using a charting component. 

   Scripting is one of the most important features in OpenDoc from a user 
   perspective.  It provides the means to shape and customize your software 
   to suit your changing needs.  The application suites available today have 
   limited feature sets that will not change until upgraded versions of the 
   applications are released.  In today's applications it is virtually 
   impossible to expand their functionality without rebuilding the 
   applications from the source code up.  With OpenDoc components, you are in 
   control of your software.  You decide the precise set of functions you 
   want, and bind the necessary software components together using scripts. 
   Your applications are now specialized to fit your individual needs.  In 
   some cases, vendors may provide prepackaged sets of OpenDoc components 
   that satisfy common needs, but unlike today's applications, when you want 
   to replace or add a component, you can simply snap in a new component and 
   link it to other components using a simple scripting language.  You can 
   also use scripts to mix-and-match components from different vendors to 
   create the ideal software solution for your needs. 

   OpenDoc components will make applications more useful by doing the 
   following: 

   1.  Incorporating content directly from its source instead of manually 
       through cut and paste or retyping 

   2.  Adding new content easily 

   3.  Using a simple user-written script to automate a process 


   This scenario illustrates some of the practical uses of OpenDoc.  What are 
   the next steps for you?  How would you use OpenDoc?  Start by considering 
   what are the most important tasks you perform, and what parts of your 
   existing application enables you to accomplish those tasks.  Now you can 
   select those OpenDoc components that will allow you to do the task.  Next, 
   think of the features that are difficult to use, or don't exist, in the 
   application set.  Now you can write your own components to make these 
   features easier to use or add your own features.  For example, adding to 
   the printing component another part that allows you to print envelopes or 
   labels in a special format.  Creating OpenDoc solutions that will make it 
   easier for you to accomplish your goals. 

Subtopics:

   1.3.1 Document-Centric Computing
   1.3.2 Compound Documents
   1.3.3 OpenDoc the Solution
   1.3.4 The OpenDoc Technology

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