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WollMux

 WollMux

WollMux is a LibreOffice extension making the handling of templates, forms and letterheads much easier. The development started in 2005 as the need for a unified appearance in communication in the public administration of Munich arises. WollMux was a part of the LiMux Project which did the migration from Windows to a Linux based desktop.

Since then a lot of features have been added:

* WollMux provides easy access to documents and forms, which are created by combining fragments to improve reusability.
* User-specific information can automatically be retrieved from external sources like directory services (LDAP) and inserted into the documents. It is also possible to change the author and write letters for somebody else.
* An extra view replaces the LibreOffice's own dialog for input fields and simplifies the completion of forms. It supports labels for input fields, reusability of fields, plausibility checks, gender function and much more. Parts of the document can be hidden based on the input.
* Support for Content Based Directives, which is a paper based workflow in public administration. Several copies of a document are printed for sending, notifying, being filed or any other use case.
* The LibreOffice mail merge is extended to work with WollMux forms and content based directives.

The extension is written in Java and uses the Java UNO API. A wrapper called UNOHelper for frequently used API calls like property access or casting has been developed.

There are extensive options to configure WollMux. Even a plugin system is provided to add new plausibility checks or print functionality. The configuration can either be placed on a server or stored locally.

In view of the migration back to Microsoft Office in the administration of Munich, it is planned to transfer the ownership to The Document Foundation as a sustainable new home.

Daniel Sikeler

October 13, 2020
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Transcript

  1. Agenda • History • Feature – Templates – WollMuxBar –

    Personalize Templates – Forms – Content Based Directives – Mail Merge • Architecture • TDF
  2. History • 2004: Start LiMux with OpenOffice in Munich •

    2005: Initial commit to WollMux • 2012: Update to LibreOffice 3.6 (since Release 13.10) • 2013: Update to LibreOffice 4.1 (since Release 14.04) • 2016: Update to LibreOffice 5.2 (since Release 16.10) • 2017: Return to Microsoft Office announcement • 2019: Update to LibreOffice 6.1 (since Release 18.1) • 2020/21: Update to LibreOffice 6.4 (since Release 18.2) • 2023: Migration to Microsoft Office finished
  3. Feature: Templates • create documents from templates • templates combine

    fragments • templates can be used as a fragment WM(CMD „insertFrag“ FRAG_ID „id“)
  4. Feature: WollMuxBar • easy to access templates – any LibreOffice

    Format – PDF files – websites – … • search for templates
  5. Feature: Personalize Templates • personalize templates – insert data from

    an external database (LDAP) – create new temporary data • write letters for other people WM(CMD „insertValue“ DB_SPALTE „id“[ AUTOSEP „pos„][ SEPARATOR „sep“][ TRAFO „function“])
  6. Feature: Forms • additional view to fill in forms •

    plausibility checks • visibility control • computed values • gender function
  7. Feature: Content Based Directives • paper based workflow in public

    administration • print different versions of one document – original – several copies
  8. Feature: Mail Merge • extension of LibreOffice‘s mail merge –

    support WollMux forms – support content based directives • preview • different types of datasource • several output formats
  9. Architecture • written in Java – uses Java UNO API

    • UNOHelper – wrapper for frequently used API calls • Migration from Java Swing to LibreOffice Controls – Use the Sidebar – Use dialogs from LibreOffice – All dialogs are in german • WollMux is opensource on GitHub
  10. The Document Foundation • Munich, 2017: Return to Microsoft Office

    • migration should be finished in 2023 • need for a new home – home of LibreOffice – large active community
  11. All text and image content in this document is licensed

    under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License (unless otherwise specified). “LibreOffice” and “The Document Foundation” are registered trademarks. Their respective logos and icons are subject to international copyright laws. The use of these thereof is subject to trademark policy. Finish Thank You