LibreOffice CorelDraw Import filter - don't despise the humble beginnings

You might still remember some of my blogs about our new and shiny MS Visio import filter in the upcoming LibreOffice 3.5.0.

But what about 3.6.0? Is it going to be an exciting version too? Well, the answer depends on what kind of things excite you generally, but for sure, there will be a lot of goodness as usual to make the best free office suite even better.

In my free time, I have been working for some time already on the next graphics import filter for LibreOffice. This time it will be a CorelDraw import filter. The horse-power is a library, libcdr. In the same way as libvisio, libcdr reuses the API of libwpg and thus is easily pluggable into LibreOffice reusing all the ODG generator classes of the current writerperfect module. The importer is currently part of the git master tree.

You might be already shouting: "Where are the screenshots?" I know that a picture speaks louder then hundred words, and so here you are served:

Simple and more complex shapes in CorelDraw 7

The same shapes imported into LibreOffice Draw.

As you can see, it is an initial implementation, which cannot but get better. If you want to participate in this adventure, you can drop around at our IRC channel #libreoffice-dev channel at irc.freenode.net where a community of smart and friendly developers can direct you.

Stay tuned for more nice pictures as this project advances.

FOSDEM 2012 - How to make the best of it and become LibreOffice developer

FOSDEM 2012 is just round the corner and, as you might know, LibreOffice will have a DevRoom this year too. And, as it was already publicized, your servant and Eilidh McAdam of libvisio fame will attend too. The goal of this event will be to help you to become a LibreOffice developer, by helping you to get your first contact with the code from inside.

How to prepare for the event?

In order to give as many community members the possibility to speak, the presentations will not take more then 15 minutes each. But we will be there for one-to-one contacts and hacking goodness. If you are interested in contributing to our new Visio import filter, or the upcomming Corel Draw and MS Publisher filters, here is what you can do:

1. Find a bug that is bothering you in the current Visio import filter, or some simple feature that the importer currently does not support
2. Check out the following libraries:
   • master branch of libwpd (git clone git://libwpd.git.sourceforge.net/gitroot/libwpd/libwpd)
   • STABLE-0-2-0 branch of libwpg (git clone -b STABLE-0-2-0 git://libwpg.git.sourceforge.net/gitroot/libwpg/libwpg)
   • master branch of libwps (git clone git://libwps.git.sourceforge.net/gitroot/libwps/libwps)
   • master branch of libvisio (git clone git://anongit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/contrib/libvisio), and
   • master branch of libcdr (git clone git://anongit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/libcdr)
3. Build them as system libraries and install them in the same order.
4. Then build LibreOffice according to these instructions. The important thing is to use those system libraries that you just built. To do so, be sure you added to the configure flags
   • --with-system-libwpd
   • --with-system-libwpg
   • --with-system-libwps
   • --with-system-libvisio
   • --with-system-libcdr

With this kind of build, you will be ready to make the most from your Brussels weekend. Nevetheless, you can drop around at our IRC channel #libreoffice-dev channel at irc.freenode.net for more information and ideas.

Starting to do it instead of planning to do it ...

... is the best way to enter the FOSS development. That is why your servant and Eilidh will be around to hold your hand with debugging and finding way to implement your favourite features. We will answer your questions about the library design. We will point you to the place in the code where your bug might linger. And for more complicated stuff, we will debug it with you.

Don't expect us to give you a fish, but we will certainly teach you how to catch it by yourself. And in the same token, you will become a contributor inside a community of smart people that is fun to hang and hack with.

See you in Brussels the 4^th and 5^th of February 2012.

Take a decision to enter FOSS in 2012

So, the year changed again and with it come quite often new decisions. Some swear to work out the superfluous kilos, pounds, or whatever standardized measure your country uses, gained too fast during the festivals. If it is your decision, it is for sure good for your body and I wish you success that goes beyond the act of subscribing to a local gym (and never appearing there after first month).

But this could be also a nice time to take a decision that you were procrastinating with for too long. That one is good for your intellect and programming skills (even though you don't consider yourself a programmer yet). What about starting to contribute to a Free and Open Source Software project (FOSS)?

Sounds interesting? So I have one for your. It is having a big and growing community. It can accomodate all levels of skills. And the impact you will have is multiplied by the wide addoption of the product itself.

Well, you must have guessed right by now. I am speaking about the LibreOffice project, your natural entry point into the marvelous world of the FOSS.

Whether you are expert or beginner programmer or C++ is sounding Chinese Traditional for you, just find a way to join channel #libreoffice-dev channel at irc.freenode.net in order to meet other developers and visit our Easy Hacks for ideas where to start.

I promis you that a year from now, you will not regret that you have started. Although, it is quite probable that you will pour a tear over an unused year-pass from the local gym.