This file is a copy of the README.txt. See the EXAMPLES below for ways to use this tool. Thoughts-At-Play 0.1 (2004/04/10) ______________________________________________________________________ OVERVIEW This release will show the core of the system which is interesting in it's own right. You will see how to create a Java object, run methods on it, and expand and collapse its constituent parts. Much more functionality is included in this release, but documentation lags development (as always). ______________________________________________________________________ INSTALLATION Prerequisites: - Java 1.3 or higher - OpenOffice 1.1 (earlier versions also possible, but not as easy) - The file AddInJavaObjects.zip - Optionally, the files macros.tar, optional.tar, optional2.tar, and libraries.tar Instructions: 1) To install the core spreadsheet add-in functions: Inside your OpenOffice "program" directory is a program called 'pkgchk'. Run it on a command-line as follows; if the last word is "ok", it succeeded: pkgchk -v AddInJavaObjects.uno.zip 2) To install the basic extensions: Create a directory named ".thop" in your home directory. (In windows, this is in "C:/Documents and Settings/<login-name>".) Extract the contents of optional.tar into it. 3) To install the additional OpenOffice macros: Run OpenOffice. Append Thoughts-At-Play as a Macro Library ('Tools' > 'Macro' -> 'Organizer' -> 'Libraries' -> 'Append', browse to wherever you extracted macros.tar, choose 'script.xlb' or 'dialog.xlb', choose OK). 4) To install the additional extensions that require external libraries: Follow the instructions in step 2, then extract optional2.tar in the same location. ______________________________________________________________________ EXAMPLES Try the following spreadsheet entries (requires step 1 above): (Start in cell A1 and move down the A column as you enter each formula.) =NEW("java.lang.StringBuffer") =RUN(A1; "append"; "Hello World!") =RUN(A1; "toString") =NEW("java.util.GregorianCalendar") =NEW("java.util.ArrayList") =RUN(A5; "add"; "Hello, again,") =RUN(A5; "add"; "World!") Try the following macros (requires steps 1-3 above): Put cursor on any cell and run the macro "ExpandMaybeWithoutPrompt". You will see some data about the object inserted ("expanded") in cells to the left of the object. The calendar and list cell will be the most interesting; they prompt for different kinds of expansions. Run it again on any of of the data results for one of the new lines (especially the objects, usually starting with the "@" symbol). You will see nested expansions. On any of the data results, run the macro "Collapse". That level of nesting will disappear. Try the following spreadsheets (requires steps 1-4 above): wsdl-google.sxc Expand A2 (a URL pointing to Google's free web service). If you select the "doGoogleSearch", for example, you'll get a list of all ten parameters needed to make a call to that web service. Get a license key from Google to run your own web service requests to their servers (http://www.google.com/apis/). Then fill in C6 with your own key and see how A10 fills in with a "Data" object. This can be expanded; try expanding the first data item in each result (usually with child elements) to drill down to the results. (Automated nested expansion is on the way!) scripting.sxc This doesn't have much interactivity; it's just an example of using scripting with a couple of different languages. It's straightforward to plugin more languages (as well as encodings and expansions). ______________________________________________________________________ Contact me with any questions: trentlarson@users.sourceforge.net More to come! ______________________________________________________________________