Likalo

Hi Planet,

I don't read, or understand Chinese to begin with, and this is very important

Recently I came across a very curious application and it fascinated me so that I decided to share my experience with you guys. Sorry for extra long post, but I'm just too excited not to show you this!

This post should especially be interesting to those who may be involved with Office type applications (like Koffice, or OpenOffice)

*NOTE: This post is NOT meant to request, or imply a request of any features, and/or design changes to any existing/future application(s), and is simply, and solely to inform.

The application, or should I say a set of applications, I got so fascinated with, is in a nutshell an OpenOffice derivative, created by a Chinese company responsible for RedFlag Linux distro. The application suite is called: RedOffice and you can get an experimental Linux version here: http://202.10.78.132/download/RO45StandardForLinuxPre.tar !!!Beware!!! the application is a beta, and is not really free (though I can't be too sure as I don't read Chinese).

So - you ask - what's so great about it then?
Well - I answer - the best thing about it is it's unique User Interface!

Remember how in the beginning of this post I mentioned not reading, or understanding Chinese? If you don't go back to the beginning and check, because even though I don't I was able to create great looking documents, and modify existing ones within 5 minutes after I launched the application.
How - you ask?
Let me demonstrate:
Figure 1

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

Notice anything different form the standard OpenOffice interface? Don't know about you, but this actually reminds me of a certain other office project currently in development...
Lets review the screen-shot.
The main feature here is the sidebar containing a set of buttons in the top part of it, and a selector field occupying the rest of the sidebar's space. When you click a button on the top, the bottom part changes to present you with relevant options.
This is what you see once you start the writer-like application. By default the first (top-right) button is selected, and it happens to be the template gallery. Click on any template and a new document will be created from it.

Figure 2

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

Once you click on the second button(top-right) you will be presented with a rather interesting invention - page insert. Basically the bottom part becomes a gallery of available pages sorted by category. Once you click one one of those a page will be inserted into your document shifting the page you currently are at down. This feature could be great for cover page, colorful inserts, and in overlat to make a document you are writing a little more colorful.

Figure 3

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

The third button (from top-right) will reveal page and document formatting. Here you can choose and change (numbers from 1 to 10):

1. Page/Document paper size
2. Page direction (horizontal/vertical)
3. Page padding and margins
4. Background color (a color palette appears and page color changes in real time when you hover over the colors, while clicking on a color confirms your choice)
5. Columns and text flow
6. Page headers (a gallery of different header formats shows up)
7. Page footers (a gallery of different header formats shows up)
8. Page splits and page management (you can arrange and re-arrange your pages there)
9. Special footers like page numeration, and document/chapter title in your footer (not sure why this one is separated from #7
10. Strange feature which allows you number lines in your document, just like line numbering in Kate. I don't know what this is used for.

Figure 4

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This button shows table settings and insertion. This one is self explanatory I think. The only remark I would like to add is that table changes formatting when you hover over templates located on the very bottom of the sidebar, and single click confirms the choice.

Figure 5

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This is image and clip-art gallery. If you add an image, or click on already added one you will also see the image controls and manipulation options there. An interesting fact I noticed is that once you add your own image, or select one form the list it will automatically be added to the top category (not sure what it's called since I don't read the language).

Figure 6

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This button switches to a shape insertion and manipulation panel. There is nothing to explain here I think.

Figure 7

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This one lets you add, or edit a diagram.

Figure 8

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This one is a cool thing! It's a styles palette. In my screen-shot I named it "Heading gallery", but I was wrong. In the reality those aren't just headings they are recently used text styles (which includes headings, paragraphs, etc.) Once you hover over any of those your text will automatically change to show you how it looks like. To apply the style you have to click on the button in the gallery.

Figure 9

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This button is awesome. It's all about tables of content. Just click on any of those and a table of content will be auto generated and inserted into your document. Click on any other one and it will change to reflect your choice of design.

Figure 10

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

This button has to do with document history, revisions and security. One of those buttons opens a new panel on the bottom of the screen which lists all the changes and notes. Neat stuff.

Figure 11

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

Finally the last button shows Preferences and settings list. Everything you would usually have to look for digging through endless drop-downs from menubar, is located here - plain and simple. And did I mention each button here brings up a pop-up on hover which (I guess) explains you a little more about what it does?

Figure 12

To view a larger version simply right-click the image and choose "View Image"

And finally general overview of the screen.
The big red button on the top-left bring down a MS-Office-like menu (which I'm not a big fan of) which houses import/export, loading, saving, and document history.
Right next to it is a small toolbar with:

1. New
2. Open
3. Save
4. Print
5. (prepare yourself) Get help (opens a chat window where you can ask questions if you have any)
6. this button shows a drop-down where you can choose what other components you would like to see on this toolbar.

The second (and only) toolbar houses standard, general formatting options like those in word-pad-like apps. I don't think I'm ought to explain what it does.
Finally the status bar has Full screen control button (it switches the document into presentation-like mode), page view options (single page, contiguous page view, side-by-side view, etc), and zoom settings (clicking on that 100% will bring up a pop-up letting you choose the zoom form predefined list)

And that's all folks.
And to think of it, I have just described you an entire document writer application! There is nothing else there.
Oh, and calc, and presenter equivalents aren't much different. They are just as easy and user friendly, even if you don't know the language.

The only regret I have is that this great app will probably never be released in any other language, but Chinese. So it's back to old, user unfriendly solutions

*NOTE: This post is NOT meant to request, or imply a request of any features, and/or design changes to any existing/future application(s), and is simply, and solely to inform.