New Features in this Release

• Additional language support

  Added support for BeanShell, a loosely typed Java based scripting language supported by NetBeans. The Interactive BeanShell Scripting Window available from Tools->Scripting Add-ons allows you to experiment with Office scripting without needing to recompile your scripts.

  This is an example of the implementation of an additional script runtime, in this case based on Java runtime (see How to write a runtime for more information on writing runtimes).

• Security Enhancements

  Script execution by the scripting framework now honors the security settings in Tools -> Options -> Security Settings. (ie. your existing settings for StarBasic macros).

• Support for storage of bindings in documents

  With this release script bindings can now also be stored in documents as well as in your OpenOffice.org user directory (see the release notes for instructions).

• Support for Event Bindings

  Assign dialogs have been enhanced to allow bindings to events as well as to menu items and keys.

Notes:

• New binding assignments can be made without requiring a restart of OpenOffice.org
• Scripts bindings are now fully resolved at binding
• Command line utilities have been added for packaging and deployment (see Developing Scripts without an IDE)
• Support for jEdit IDE has been discontinued

Features of the Office Scripting Framework

Scripting Framework

Enables Office scripting in a language of your choice through support for different language Runtimes. The current release provides Java and BeanShell Runtimes. The Scripting Framework is designed to allow Runtimes for other languages (for which a UNO bridge exists) to be developed and deployed easily. Runtimes for Java based languages use the Java UNO bridge.

Script Development and IDE support

A NetBeans module is provided which can be used to create Office scripts. Scripts can be deployed to a document or to an OpenOffice.org installation (user or share area). By installing the ODK for OpenOffice.org, the user has full access to online help and code completion within any scripts they are writing.

Debugging of scripts is possible in NetBeans for Java scripts. For more information on setting up OpenOffice.org to enable debugging see Debugging Java components in NetBeans/Forte for Java

Note: The BeanShell scripting language does not support source level debugging it is not possible to debug Office scripts written in BeanShell from NetBeans. It is recommended to use the Interactive BeanShell Scripting Window when developing while BeanShell scripts.

Executing Scripts

Scripts can be executed from key combinations, selecting menu item or events (document or application). Assign dialogs (written in StarBasic) allow the user to bind scripts available in document or OpenOffice.org installation to key combination, menu items or events (document or application). Bindings can be stored in documents or an OpenOffice.org installation.

Security

The security settings of the Scripting Framework honor the existing StarBasic security settings available in Tools -> Options -> Security Settings.

---

Last Modified: Tue Mar 12 11:40:28 GMT 2003