Re: [office] Towards a more modular ODF

[Robin LaFontaine <robin.lafontaine@deltaxml.com>]

On 25/07/2011 13:59, robert_weir@us.ibm.com wrote:
> "Dennis E. Hamilton"<dennis.hamilton@acm.org>  wrote on 07/24/2011
> 11:05:25 AM:
>> ..snip
>> restructure the specification would put a serious spanner into that
>> ambition, it seems to me.
>>
>> We also have not figured out how we would manage the
>> interdependencies among modules. We are mostly OK with Part 3
>> (although there are some strange dependencies, such as the one about
>> the manifest:version on "/" being mandatory according to Part 1).  I
>> think we are just learning with regard to OpenFormula, and some
>> other provisions are clearly cross-cutting and aspected, such as
>> change tracking.  Likewise accessibility, I imagine.
>>
> Yes, this would be work and obviously nothing happens without volunteers
> to do the work.  But if, hypothetically, such resources were available,
> and we could do this without blowing up the ODF 1.3 schedule, then would
> it be a good idea?
Yes, it would be a good idea!

The argument of whether the benefits outway the costs is important, but 
the other side of that coin is whether the continued growth or a very 
large and complex monolithic standard can be managed as it gets yet 
bigger and more complex. I think it will slowly grind to a halt, 
especially with only volunteer labour available. So some way of 
splitting things up seems to be absolutely necessary.

Robin

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