[ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[James Thomas]

Hi all,

I'd like to let you know of a package I made, mainly for personal use:

https://codeberg.org/quotuva/tchanges

It lets Emacs users collaborate with others who use Office software like
Libreoffice, using the 'track changes' feature. I'd previously mentioned
it on help-gnu-emacs, but its primary use is along with org-mode.

Would love to get some feedback!

Regards,
James

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[Ihor Radchenko]

James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> writes:

> I'd like to let you know of a package I made, mainly for personal use:
>
> https://codeberg.org/quotuva/tchanges
>
> It lets Emacs users collaborate with others who use Office software like
> Libreoffice, using the 'track changes' feature. I'd previously mentioned
> it on help-gnu-emacs, but its primary use is along with org-mode.
>
> Would love to get some feedback!

Looks similar to https://github.com/tecosaur/org-pandoc-import, but with
an added feature to automatically display diffs.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[James Thomas]

Ihor Radchenko wrote:

> James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> writes:
>
>> I'd like to let you know of a package I made, mainly for personal use:
>>
>> https://codeberg.org/quotuva/tchanges
>>
>> It lets Emacs users collaborate with others who use Office software like
>> Libreoffice, using the 'track changes' feature. I'd previously mentioned
>> it on help-gnu-emacs, but its primary use is along with org-mode.
>>
>> Would love to get some feedback!
>
> Looks similar to https://github.com/tecosaur/org-pandoc-import,

The import part in my package is merely a frill.

> but with an added feature to automatically display diffs.

This is the raison d'etre.

Regards,
James

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[Ihor Radchenko]

James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> writes:

> The import part in my package is merely a frill.
>
>> but with an added feature to automatically display diffs.

What about comments? Are they stored into Org mode file or separately?

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[James Thomas]

Ihor Radchenko wrote:

> James Thomas:
>
>> The import part in my package is merely a frill.
>>
>>> but with an added feature to automatically display diffs.
>
> What about comments? Are they stored into Org mode file or separately?

They're loaded on import and view/edit/add-able before re-exporting. A
'Save WIP' feature for writing to disk until then is on the TODO list.

--

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[Ihor Radchenko]

James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> writes:

>> What about comments? Are they stored into Org mode file or separately?
>
> They're loaded on import and view/edit/add-able before re-exporting. A
> 'Save WIP' feature for writing to disk until then is on the TODO list.

Are the comments also using Org markup? Or is it something more ad-hoc?

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[James Thomas]

Ihor Radchenko wrote:

> James Thomas writes:
>
>>> What about comments? Are they stored into Org mode file or separately?
>>
>> They're loaded on import and view/edit/add-able before re-exporting. A
>> 'Save WIP' feature for writing to disk until then is on the TODO list.
>
> Are the comments also using Org markup? Or is it something more ad-hoc?

The comments are separately stored in bookmark.el bookmarks. I'd briefly
considered also using a fake backend like "@@comment:the annotation
text@@" inline for it specifically for org, but preferred the former due
to the easier sorting/browsing etc.; and I also didn't want to maintain
the state in two places. But if you have better ideas, please tell me.

(If you're talking about markup within the comment text, that's
obviously orthogonal to this)

I'd put up an updated the demo animation with this, if you want to see.

Regards,
James

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[Ihor Radchenko]

James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> writes:

>>> They're loaded on import and view/edit/add-able before re-exporting. A
>>> 'Save WIP' feature for writing to disk until then is on the TODO list.
>>
>> Are the comments also using Org markup? Or is it something more ad-hoc?
>
> The comments are separately stored in bookmark.el bookmarks. I'd briefly
> considered also using a fake backend like "@@comment:the annotation
> text@@" inline for it specifically for org, but preferred the former due
> to the easier sorting/browsing etc.; and I also didn't want to maintain
> the state in two places. But if you have better ideas, please tell me.

Well. My dream is to have native Org markup for comments. With
appropriate UI to view/edit them.

Maybe something based on footnotes.

> (If you're talking about markup within the comment text, that's
> obviously orthogonal to this)

I was talking about that too :)
If we have native markup for comments in Org, may as well allow the rest
of Org markup there.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[James Thomas]

Ihor Radchenko wrote:

> James Thomas writes:
>
>>>> They're loaded on import and view/edit/add-able before re-exporting. A
>>>> 'Save WIP' feature for writing to disk until then is on the TODO list.
>>>
>>> Are the comments also using Org markup? Or is it something more ad-hoc?
>>
>> The comments are separately stored in bookmark.el bookmarks. I'd briefly
>> considered also using a fake backend like "@@comment:the annotation
>> text@@" inline for it specifically for org, but preferred the former due
>> to the easier sorting/browsing etc.; and I also didn't want to maintain
>> the state in two places. But if you have better ideas, please tell me.
>
> Well. My dream is to have native Org markup for comments. With
> appropriate UI to view/edit them.
>
> Maybe something based on footnotes.

Footnotes are, at least technically, for a point and not a region. Any
thoughts about how to extend that?

Anyway I'd been meaning to generalize my current reconversion code; let
me see what I can do about this...

>> (If you're talking about markup within the comment text, that's
>> obviously orthogonal to this)
>
> I was talking about that too :)
> If we have native markup for comments in Org, may as well allow the rest
> of Org markup there.

Regards,
James

Re: [ANN] tchanges.el: Collaborate with word processor (docx) users using 'track changes'

[Ihor Radchenko]

James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> writes:

>> Well. My dream is to have native Org markup for comments. With
>> appropriate UI to view/edit them.
>>
>> Maybe something based on footnotes.
>
> Footnotes are, at least technically, for a point and not a region. Any
> thoughts about how to extend that?

For example, re-using the idea of inline special blocks we discussed in
https://list.orgmode.org/875xwqj4tl.fsf@localhost/

Something like

@note{short inline comment}{<text the comment talks about>}

@note{[cn:X: another inline comment]}{<text the comment talks about>}
Text that has nothing to do with comment. @note{[cn:X]}{another part of
text related to the same comment X}

@note{[cn:Y]}{<text commented with a long remote comment>}
...
...
...
[cn:Y] Long comment, maybe even a discussion
       - (by John) Involving different parties
         - (by Mark) with replies, etc.

The idea is to use, say [cn:X] (comment note), instead of [fn:X].

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>