Suggestion for long term goal : Get rid of the concept that text/spreadsheet/drawing/database are separate documents.

[Cinly Ooi <cinly.ooi@gmail.com>]

+NAME
 Cinly OOI

 +CONTACT
 cinly.ooi_AT_gmail.com

 +CATEGORY (select one or more from below)
 other

 +SCOPE (select one or more from below)

 general

 +USE CASE

Nowadays, with moderate skills, it is common to

(1) do mail merge where the text document supply the template, and a
database supply the recipient list.

(2)To embed into tables spreadsheet-like formula, e.g. =sum(...) which
ODF supports. Embedding spreadsheet is possible, but difficult to
manipulate.

However, it is not possible to put the database into the text document
or to create and keep a spreadsheet inside a text document.


 +DESCRIPTION

Currently, virtually all applications/document format employ the
concept that text document, spreadsheet and database are separate
distinct documents. (Moderate to advanced) users nowadays expects to
be able to have the full capability of spreadsheet for their table in
a text document  or drawing program inside their text document.

After using spreadsheet like formula, in that instance @sum(),  in
OpenOffice.org table in a odf document, I will love to see the full
capability of spreadsheet replacing table in the text document. With
this, I mean to enable OpenOffice.org (or other applications) to put a
spreadsheet inside my word document, not storing it separately then
import or embed.

In some ways, Apple's Numbers application is the source of inspiration
of what I am proposing. One can put multiple spreadsheets into a
single page, add text boxes and figures onto the canvas, but Apple
stops there. What I cannot do is to edit my spreadsheet inside a text
document. Approximating  a combined text/spreadsheet document  by
arranging text boxes around a spreadsheet just is not the same thing.

I think to do it we need to allow spreadsheet insides word document,
database inside text document, text document inside spreadsheet and
complex maneuver like this.

I consider "embedding" a Chart, Draw document, SpreadSheet document a
rudimentary implementation because (1) we do not get the full
capability of Spreadsheet when defining Chart and table data or (2)we
need to carry an additional document, i.e., the draw document or
spreadsheet document.

The "Master document" architecture can be used as an interim solution
where one can stitch word documents, database and spreadsheet into a
big document. However, it would be better if the power of mixing
spreadsheet/word document/drawing and database can be accessible to
joe user without the complexity of "master document".

[I am only a novice with ODF, so please correct me if I am wrong] As I
see it, currently there is a very sharp separation between text
document, spreadsheet, draw document in ODF 1.0. Furthermore, there is
no concept of a canvas that can stitch them together into a a single
document. Do the committee thinks that it is necessary to soften this
separation to facilitate application vendors to build such an
application. Is it possible, or feasible, to create a combined
text/spreadsheet/database/drawing document?

Best Regards,
Cinly