API Project

Project Overview

The OpenOffice.org API is based on the OpenOffice.org component technology and consists of a wide range of interfaces defined in a Corba-like IDL. While the component technology determines how the components or applications communicate with each other and how the API is accessed from specific programming languages, the OpenOffice.org API defines the interface for accessing office functionality indenpendetly from certain programming languages. Get a first impression of the design goals or get a detailed description of the OpenOffice.org API and their concepts from the Developer's Guide and/or in the IDL reference.

There is also a Software Development Kit (SDK) available which is an add-on for an existing OpenOffice.org. It provides the necessary tools and documentation for programming the OpenOffice.org APIs and creating your own extensions (UNO components) for OpenOffice.org. If you are interested in OpenOffice.org programming, you can download the SDK.

Please help us to improve the SDK with your feedback, by taking a few minutes of your time to answer our SDK survey. It won't be wasted time!

Project Structure

Modules in the API Project
Module	Function
udkapi	Contains the part of the API which belongs to the UNO core. These interfaces are written in the IDL language.
offapi	Contains the part of the API which is special to OpenOffice.org components. These interfaces are written in the IDL language.
offuh	Generates UNO headers for C++. For each new code-generating file in one of the API modules, these makefiles must be updated.
odk	The module builds the first step of the OpenOffice.org Development Kit (SDK).
sdk_oo	The module builds the second and final step of the OpenOffice.org Development Kit (SDK). The result is an OpenOffice.org_XX_SDK.(zip|tar.gz) file containing the complete documentation (developer documentation, references), examples, IDL and header files, build tools.
Modules in other Projects, related to the API Project
Module	Function
unoil	Generates Java class files. For each new code-generating file in the offapi module, these makefiles must be updated.
ridljar	Generates Java class files. For each new code-generating file in the udkapi module, these makefiles must be updated. Furthermore contains the module some Java UNO core APIs (e.g. Any, ...).
CVS zombies (for completeness only)
Module	Function
api (outdated)	Similar to offapi but old. This module is deprecated and not longer used.
drafts (outdated)	Similar to offapi/drafts but old. This module is obsolete because we have now a drafts module in offapi.

---

Last update: $Date: 2004/01/21 15:03:22 $