Ability brings you a powerful word processor , a sophisticated spreadsheet , an outstanding database, including an innovative approach to business forms and reporting, and a set of drawing tools. Four distinct but fully integrated modules in a single suite.
In most office suites, integration is a clumsy affair - an attempt to force years of development of individual products into a common package. Ability was designed from the ground up with integration in mind.
Here are some of the benefits of true integrated design, only available in Ability:
Formulas can refer to data in any other Ability application
Write and Spreadsheet can browse table information from Database
Write and Spreadsheet can use Database information directly in calculations
Spreadsheet can perform mail merges as well as Write
A single recalculation engine keeps all data live - change data anywhere and the links will be updated automatically
Does not rely on slow OLE methods to recalculate links
The individual applications within Ability Office are obviously best suited to working with each other. However, they have also been designed to work alongside and complement any existing office products from other software publishers rather than directlycompete with them. This office companion approach enables users to bring the benefits of Ability's flexible features into their existing desktop setup. They will not have to move away totally from the standard office tools they may be required to use or with which they have already become familiar. Ability has been carefully designed to ensure that the majority of office product users will automatically feel at home.
SQL Mail merge between Database, Spreadsheet and Word Processor is the most obvious example of our companion design. Our soon to be released Ability Field OCX Toolkit will even allow SQL mail merge between MS Word and MS Access, something which Microsoft's flagship products are not capable of by themselves!
Integration works at the document level too. Spreadsheets and Charts can be inserted into Write, documents can be inserted into Spreadsheets, and all document types can be inserted into the OLE fields in Database.
Ability Office comes with a comprehensive on-line manual containing all the information you'll need to get the best out of Ability. A full installation of Ability weighs in at less than 20MB.
