From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Todd Wylie Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: (Slightly Off-Topic) Emacs-like Office App Date: 01 Nov 2002 12:15:17 -0600 Organization: Washington University in St. Louis Sender: help-gnu-emacs-admin@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <3DC199F6.5080205@wubios.wustl.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1036174834 8833 80.91.224.249 (1 Nov 2002 18:20:34 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 18:20:34 +0000 (UTC) Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 187gP0-0002HC-01 for ; Fri, 01 Nov 2002 19:20:14 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10) id 187gPp-0004rD-00; Fri, 01 Nov 2002 13:21:05 -0500 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!headwall.stanford.edu!unlnews.unl.edu!newsreader.wustl.edu!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 83 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.252.233.238 Original-X-Trace: newsreader.wustl.edu 1036174517 14868 128.252.233.238 (1 Nov 2002 18:15:17 GMT) Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet@newsreader.wustl.edu Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 18:15:17 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: Gnus/5.0808 (Gnus v5.8.8) Emacs/21.2 Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:106660 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-admin@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.11 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:3212 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:3212 Paul Thompson writes: > have you ever heard of TeX/LaTeX???? Of course ... I think you missed the point completely. Using Tex involves writing mark-up within your text. It is not real time like a word processor (which is what the original post was about). As a scientist, I use Tex frequently for scientific related articles. This isn't an anti-Emacs thread ... we simply would like to an application that gives another choice when using Emacs. I use whatever tool makes me the most productive for the job at hand. There are times when I would like the simplicity of a word processor with the power and keystroke ability of Emacs. Todd > > Todd Wylie wrote: > > bobstopper@australispro.com.au writes: > > I, for one, would love to see an application that merged the WYSIWYG > > features of a word processor with the underlying power of > > Emacs. This may start the old "Emacs is a text processor not a word > > processor" debate... but there are times when I want a straight > > ahead editor (programming) and other times I want to view text in a > > word processor (I'm writing a book right now). Trying to get Emacs > > to show text in manuscript format is a pain in the butt > > (double-spacing lines without hard returns, specific margins, > > headers and footers with page numbers, etc.). However, no word > > processor I have ever found matches the power and scope of Emacs > > (try running a regex search in MS Word). I really do wish someone > > would merge the two concepts someday. If anyone responds directly to > > you about such a package existing -- please let me know. Thanks- > > TODD > > > >>Hi > >> > >>This isn't really a request for help with Emacs but a request for knowledge > >>on Applications inspired by Emacs, specifically office type Applications. > >> > >>I love how Emacs is so extensible and provides so many features due to its > >>use of modes and elisp. So what I'm (very idly at this stage) considering > >>is the idea of an office kinda suite (yeah, like M$) all within the one > >>program through the use of emacs style modes and retaining a lot of > >>extensibility through a lisp dialect (probably guile). > >> > >> Emacs can probably do something similar to what I'm thinking > >> already if support was written for it, but I'm thinking Emacs would > >> probably remain, > >>well, ugly in the eyes of typical office workers and it would thus > >>be unappealing. > >> > >>Instead I'm envisioning something that looks a lot like current gnome > >>office products... only it's capable of doing all of them simply by loading > >>the appropriate modes (perhaps after first writing them ;). > >> > >>Gnome office is a great idea and I think it's a great alternative to M$ > >> office but I think the idea of having separate programs attempting > >> to integrate through some additional system like bonobo or OLE will > >> still > >>remain somewhat unintegrated and perhaps not as consistent in its interface > >>as what I'm suggesting would be. I imagine typical office users would be > >>much more satisfied if they only needed the one app that could do everything > >>and I imagine advanced office users and programmers would be much more > >>satisfied if they can extend that app to do almost anything they please. > >> > >>So if something *better* (rather than just equivalent) than M$ office is > >>written as part of the GNU/Linux project then we have much more clout for > >>winning the average user over. I imagine for this sort of goal the app > >>would almost certainly have to have a fully featured M$ Windows port so > >>it can first appeal to all these M$ windows users, and once they're won > >>over it's a small step to realising that if everything they need for > >>office work is in that app, and that app is available on GNU why not just > >>use GNU? > >> > >>So, with that description of my infant idea in mind, I have a couple of > >>questions: > >> > >>Does anyone know if something like what I'm describing already exists > >>or is in the process of being written etc? > >> > >>and of course: > >> > >>Is my idea stupid, infeasible, lacking in some major consideration, too > >>damned hard etc or is it actually a good idea? > >> > >>I'm looking forward to any kinds of comments/suggestions. Thanks! > >