2008-03-02
it :: Office based on Model View Controler
How would Office look if consequently designed in a MVC (Model View Controler) style? What would it mean to the notion of a Office file format at all? What would it mean to shareing?
Let's have a short look into MS Office. The best example is tables. There are some in Powerpoint, Word, Excel, Access. Each controller (user interface) behaves different, the stored data is different (try to cut'n'paste one to the other and you will see). What is even worse is, that the user can not do the same things. Present nicely in Powerpoint but not calculate well, calculate in Excel, but not ensure data quality, ...
Well, the core software would have to retreat to define the major data model. This than can be extended by microformats and other. But the most important would be to have controllers that extend each other E.g. the upper issues in MS Office.
If now the data should be displayed in a very special form, today there is the selection of the respective spreadsheet software. But I think there are good reasons to let this be done by modules. E.g. the list is actually a genealogy. In todays ecosystems there is no way to interprete the table in such a new way. A new software has to be designed, even that 90% looks exactly the same like office.
Let's have a short look into MS Office. The best example is tables. There are some in Powerpoint, Word, Excel, Access. Each controller (user interface) behaves different, the stored data is different (try to cut'n'paste one to the other and you will see). What is even worse is, that the user can not do the same things. Present nicely in Powerpoint but not calculate well, calculate in Excel, but not ensure data quality, ...
Well, the core software would have to retreat to define the major data model. This than can be extended by microformats and other. But the most important would be to have controllers that extend each other E.g. the upper issues in MS Office.
If now the data should be displayed in a very special form, today there is the selection of the respective spreadsheet software. But I think there are good reasons to let this be done by modules. E.g. the list is actually a genealogy. In todays ecosystems there is no way to interprete the table in such a new way. A new software has to be designed, even that 90% looks exactly the same like office.
it :: office tools are so 20th century
You are emprisoned with me to MS Office, Openoffice, Google Apps, Zoho, iWork and the likes -- and you think they don't live up to your expectations? Well, so do I (check also here).
Most work I do in these days I start in MS Office. Mostly it is heavy on Powerpoint, Tables and Excel. Right after some slides I typically wonder why I can't do longer tables, why I can't calculate in them and how I want to include the voicetrack for the ones that have not the right location to hear me presenting the slides.
In other work a Slide grows into an Excel, grows into an MS Access and then last but not least has lost any intelligent way of data presentation.
Well, I think all todays Office options are not up to the task. There are some important things missing out totally: MVC design (model view controler), units in calculations, unsharp data, modular data storage (better than publish/subscribe and ole), built in documentation, multi language, multi output, sharing.
Most work I do in these days I start in MS Office. Mostly it is heavy on Powerpoint, Tables and Excel. Right after some slides I typically wonder why I can't do longer tables, why I can't calculate in them and how I want to include the voicetrack for the ones that have not the right location to hear me presenting the slides.
In other work a Slide grows into an Excel, grows into an MS Access and then last but not least has lost any intelligent way of data presentation.
Well, I think all todays Office options are not up to the task. There are some important things missing out totally: MVC design (model view controler), units in calculations, unsharp data, modular data storage (better than publish/subscribe and ole), built in documentation, multi language, multi output, sharing.
