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1.3 "OS/2 WARP and OpenDoc"
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<a name="HDR4610WWW"><H2> 1.3 The New Way of Working with OpenDoc</H2></a>
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<pre width="80">
With OpenDoc, consider the scenario in <a href="1.1#HDR4610WNW">"A New Way of Working" in topic 1.1</a>
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:
<p>
░ Word processing component to create your letter
<p>
░ Database component that holds your customer portfolios
<p>
░ Mail-merge component to merge your addressing information with the
letter
<p>
<p>
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
OpenDoc components will make applications more useful by doing the
following:
<p>
1. Incorporating content directly from its source instead of manually
through cut and paste or retyping
<p>
2. Adding new content easily
<p>
3. Using a simple user-written script to automate a process
<p>
<p>
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.
<p>
<p>Subtopics:
<ul>
<li> <a href="1.3.1"> 1.3.1 Document-Centric Computing</a>
<li> <a href="1.3.2"> 1.3.2 Compound Documents</a>
<li> <a href="1.3.3"> 1.3.3 OpenDoc the Solution</a>
<li> <a href="1.3.4"> 1.3.4 The OpenDoc Technology</a>
</pre>
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