Start Module

StarOffice 7PP2, OpenOffice.org 1.1.2

and OpenOffice.org 2.0

Document - ID	Specification Owner	Last Change	Status
	Andreas Schlüns	01/09/06	draft
Conforms to	[State name of office module in title bar] (c.f. References)
Applies to	OpenOffice.org, i.e. Startup + Finish of Application
Task ID(s)	#112900#, i17226
Category	Feature
Comment	This spec is the successor of [File Close Behavior]

Abstract

The Start Module – formerly know as the Backing Window in OpenOffice 1.1 – becomes an optional module. A configuration setting is used to disable the Start Module if required for a site installation.

This specification describes the behavior of OpenOffice.org on startup and after the user has closed the last document; thus it is a successor of the File Close Behavior specification for OOo1.1.

i-Team Members

	Name	E-mail Address
User Experience	Matthias Mueller-Prove, MMP	mprove@sun.com
Development	Andreas Schlüns, AS	andreas.schluens@sun.com
Quality Assurance	Thorsten Martens, TM	thorsten.martens@sun.com
Documentation	Frank Peters /FPE	fpe@sun.com
Enterprise Support	Kay Koll /KK	Kay.Koll@Sun.COM
		mailto iTeam

Approved for Implementation

	Approved by	Date
User Experience	Matthias Müller-Prove	28.11.03
Development	Mathias Bauer /MBA	approval pending
Quality Assurance	Torsten Martens	01.12.03
Documentation	Frank Peters	01.12.03
Enterprise Support	Kai Kroll	approval pending
String Review	n/a	n/a

Document Change History

Rev. Level	Change	Initials	Date
2,0	disable/enable backing window by using a configuration item	AS	19.11.03
2,1	spec review and formal suggestions	MMP	11/27/03
2,2	spec review	AS	28.11.03
	approval by MMP	MMP	11/28/03
	additions in 6.2 for i17226, remember window size of start module	MMP	01/21/04
	spec layout changes for menu definitions	MMP	08/04/04
	added View Menu for Start Module added menu item Tools>Customize	MMP	10/06/04

Contents

Glossary	1

1	Motivation	1

2	User Scenarios	1

3	Goals	1

4	Requirements and Dependencies	1

4.1	Requirements	1

4.2	Technical Dependencies	1

5	Competitive Analyses	1

6	Detailed Specification	2

6.1	The Start Module UI	2

6.2	Application Window	2

6.3	Menus	2

6.4	Toolbars	3

6.5	Status Bar	3

6.6	Drag & Drop Target	3

6.7	Keyboard Events	3

7	Configuration	4

8	Using the Start Module during Office Runtime	4

8.1	On Startup	4

8.2	In Between	5

8.3	On Terminating	5

8.4	Scenarios	5

9	Special Conditions	7

9.1	Full Screen Mode & Print Preview Mode	7

9.2	Help Window	7

9.3	Bibliography & Query Window	7

10	Future Tasks	7

11	Notes	7

12	References	7

Glossary

Term	Description
Start Module	an OOo application window visible if no other document is open. It offers the basic commands to open another document (formerly known as backing window)
backing window	an OOo application window visible if no other document is open. It offers the basic commands to open another document (The term was introduced for OOo 1.1.)

Motivation

Some customers required an optional Start Module in order not to confront their users with an nearly empty OOo window.

User Scenarios

Joshua, a UNIX savvy user, launches OOo from the terminal shell without any additional parameters. He expects that OOo starts into a mode, where he can decide how to proceed. OOo should not open an new document from any type. Because it can be the wrong one.

Alberto, an office worker at a bank, closes the last document window. But doing so the whole office application will be terminated. He doesnt used the quickstarter and so he must restart OOo by using the system start menu or the system file explorer.

Goals

There must be a mode to hold an office instance alive and provide a simple UI to be able to open documents. For special customer requirements this is an optional feature.

Requirements and Dependencies

Requirements

For special user requirements the Start Module mode needs to be switched off, cf. scenario 2 above.

Technical Dependencies

<Are there any technical dependencies for this feature? Does the implementation of this feature create any technical dependencies to other program parts?>

Competitive Analyses

<Describe or reference to solutions which are already on the market. Describe what is done well or what is done bad.>

Detailed Specification

The Start Module UI

The Start Module is a full-fledged application window without a document open. It has a menu bar with a reduced menu structure. No tool bars are displayed. The status bar can display a progress indicator.

Illustration 1 Start Module

Application Window

The window shows a title as described in specification [State name of office module in title bar]. (i.e. “OpenOffice.org”, no version number)

The system menu's icon is the generic office application icon.

The empty canvas uses “application background” as filling.

The application remembers the size of the window.

Menus

File Menu

File Menu Specification

Edit Menu

same as Edit Menu of OOo 1.1 [File Close Behavior]:

Edit

Undo	always disabled

---------------

Cut	always disabled

Copy	always disabled

Paste	always disabled

View Menu

see View Menu Spec, section 6.8 View Menu for Start Module and Bibliography Module [http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/menus/ViewMenu.sxw]

Tools Menu

same as Tools Menu of OOo 1.1 [File Close Behavior]:

Tools

Macros	>

XML Filter Settings...	enabled

Extension Manager...	cf. [Package Manager Rernaming]

Customize...

Options...	enabled

Macros	>

Record Macro

Run Macro

Organize Macros	>	cf. [Script Organizer]

---------------

Organize Dialogs...	enabled

Window Menu

same as Tools Menu of OOo 1.1 [File Close Behavior]:

Window

New Window	always disabled

Close Window

---------------

List of windows

Help Menu

Help Menu Specification

Toolbars

The toolbars for OOo 2 are TBD.

For OOo1.1.1

The Start Module has no object bar, no main toolbar, no hyperlink bar, no formula bar and no function bar.

Status Bar

The status bar is used to show a progress on loading documents only.

Drag & Drop Target

An OOo document can be opened by dragging its file icon from the file system to the empty canvas of the Start Module. Another valid target area is the title bar of the Start Module.

Keyboard Events

During the Start Module is shown, all keyboard events which are not bound to a specific office module, are available. Because they can be configured by the user, they will not specified here explicitly. See specification [Configurable Keyboard EVents] too.

Configuration

The specification [Office Modules] describes a configuration, which contains common properties for every known office module. The entry for the Start Module is listed here:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<oor:component-data xmlns:oor="http://openoffice.org/2001/registry"
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
oor:package="org.openoffice"
oor:name="Setup">

<node oor:name="Office">
<node oor:name="Factories">
<node oor:name="com.sun.star.frame.StartModule"
oor:op="replace">
<prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryEmptyDocumentURL"
oor:type="xs:string"/>
<prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryIcon"
oor:type="xs:int">
<value>0</value>
</prop>
<prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryShortName"
oor:type="xs:string">
<value>StartModule</value>
</prop>
<prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryTemplateFile"
oor:type="xs:string"/>
<prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes"
oor:type="xs:string"/>
</node>
</node>
</node>
</oor:component-data>

Only the existence of the set node “com.sun.star.frame.StartModule” is used for OOo 1.1.1 to enable enable/disable the Start Module and all related functions, which are mentioned below.

Using the Start Module during Office Runtime

On Startup

Office started without any parameter

If OOo is started without any special parameter, the Start Module will be shown. It can be used then to create/open further office documents. Every opened document will replace the Start Module. Only exception is the Help Module. It will always be opened additionally to the Start Module.

Office started with any parameter

If OOo is started with any parameter, the requested document or dialog will be opened. The Start Module isnt used then

Comment: Changing that for the further office version (OOo2.0) is planned in the way, that the Start Module is shown as first and the requested document or dialog will be started from there automatically.

If Start Module is not available ...

OOo started without any parameter will show an empty default document. Which type this document have, depends from the installed office modules. The order is Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw or Formula.

OOo started with any parameter will open the requested document or dialog.

In Between

The Start Module isn't shown if office documents are available (only exception is the Help Module). The way to reach the Start Module state from a last open office document is a button at the end of the menu bar. Its named Last Window Closer and its function is different from the normal window closer available at the title bar of the window.

The Last Window Closer will be available just for the last open document window. The Help Module and the Start Module itself does not show this closer in general.

Illustration 2 Last Window Closer

Illustration 3 Last Window Closer with mouse over effect

Comment: This is the same as in OOo 1.1, cf. [File Close Behavior].

If the Start Module is not available ...

The Last Window Closer will not be shown/used anywhere in the application.

On Terminating

OOo can be terminated explicitly (using the menu entry “File->Exit”) or implicitly by closing document windows (Closing of the last window forces the termination). On the other hand it can be kept alive using the Start Module. The Start Module at the end of office lifetime can be reached by different scenarios.

Scenarios

Note! The following scenarios base on the following facts:

Illustration 4 OOo documents and its windows Every document is shown by a document window. But there can be more then one document window for the same document. Every document window is plugged into an API object from type com.sun.star.frame.Frame, which provides a further frame window. The title bar is provided by this Frame window and not by the document window.

The window closer -- available at the title bar of the frame window -- will close
- the frame window
- the document window inside
- in case it was the last document window ... the corresponding document
- and in case the document was the last one ... the office process will be terminated implicitly.
Because OOo will be terminated, no Start Module is used.
Comment: The function behind that is called CloseFrame and the corresponding URL useable at the dispatch API is called .uno:CloseFrame.

The menu entry “Window->Close Window” will close
- the document window
- in case it was the last document window ... the corresponding document
- and in case the document was the last one ... the Start Module will be placed into the frame window.
If the Start Module isn't available, in this case the office process will be terminated implicitly.
Comment: The function behind that is called CloseWindow and the corresponding URL useable at the dispatch API is called .uno:CloseWindow.

The menu entry “File->Close” will close
- the document
- all its related document windows
- in case the document was the last one ... the Start Module will be placed into the frame window.
If the Start Module isn't available, the office process will be terminated implicitly.
Comment: The function behind that is called CloseDoc and the corresponding URL useable at the dispatch API is called .uno:CloseDoc.

The menu entry “File->Exit” will close
- the whole office (including all documents/document windows/frame windows).
The Start Module isn't used in general here.
Comment: The function behind that is specified inside the developer specification of the interface method com.sun.star.frame.XDesktop.terminate().

Using of the Last Window Closer is the same as described in scenario 2).

Using of the function bar button “Close Document” is the same as described in scenario 3.).

Special Conditions

Full Screen Mode & Print Preview Mode

Assume the application is either in full screen mode or print preview mode. Now the last document window is closed and the application has to use the Start Module. Under these conditions the special mode (full screen or print preview) is terminated as well and the Start Module window can be displayed.

Help Window

The Help window does not count as an open document. As a consequence, closing the Start Module exits the application and closes the help window as well. If the Start Module isn't available closing of the last document window exits the application immediately.

Bibliography & Query Window

The bibliography and query window are treated as normal document windows, with respect to the close behavior.

Future Tasks

###comment: Should we list the features for toolbars and using the Start Module during loading documents here?

Notes

MMP-1: The toolbars have to be specified for OOo2.0

MMP-2: A spec called [Office Modules] is referenced in this document. Status of this spec is TBD.

References

[File Close Behavior]	File Close Behavior, UI Spec for OOo1.1. http://ui.openoffice.org/proposals/File_close_behavior.sxw

[State name of office module in title bar]	State name of office module in title bar. Spec for OOo2.0. http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/module_name_in_caption_bar/module_name_in_caption_bar.sxw

[Office Module]	Office Module. Spec for OOo2.0. status: TBD
http://specs.openoffice.org/...

Package Manager	http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/packagemanager/packagemanager_gui_spec.sxw

Package Manager Renaming	http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/packagemanager/package_manager_renaming.odt

Script Organizer	http://specs.openoffice.org/scripting_framework/ScriptOrganizerSpecification.sxw

<Required – This paragraphs gives the audience idea of what to aspect from this document. It should be described shortly what problem will be solved.>

The source of software product implementation and change is the I-Team (Implementation Team). I-Teams are typically comprised of people who have skills in the areas of Product Marketing, Development Engineering, Technical Publications, and Test Engineering. I-Teams define the features or set of changes (based on input from SCs, customers, Engineering, or Marketing), plan the implementation project, perform the implementation and testing...

<Recommended - If there are features which couldn't be implemented but have to be implemented in the future. State these in here with a description why the feature couldn't be implemented right now.>

<Recommended - Questions will arise during the writing of the specification. State these in here.>

Required - Give references to related documentation, such as engineering designs, technical specs, and other sources for related units. Also include links to documents that other sections in this spec need to refer to, such as user opinions usability test reports.

Start Module

Page 8

http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/start_module/StartModule.sxw

Andreas Schlüns

2003-11-04T11:24:47

Matthias Müller-Prove

Matthias Müller-Prove