---
layout: post
title: Apache OpenOffice Extensions and Templates New Sites
date: '2016-03-24T00:00:00+00:00'
categories: OOo
---
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Since 2012 SourceForge has been distributing Apache&nbsp;<span class="il">OpenOffice</span> downloads and actively maintaining both Apache <span class="il">OpenOffice</span> <a href="https://extensions.openoffice.org/" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">Extensions</a> and <a href="https://templates.openoffice.org/" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">Templates</a> sites. I wrote a couple of short <a href="https://sourceforge.net/blog/new-apache-openoffice-sites/" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">blog </a><a href="http://robertogaloppini.net/2016/01/12/about-contributing-to-apache-openoffice/" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">posts</a> about the changes that affect end- users. <br /><br />Extensions that have not been updated in a while report the following message: &quot;Warning message This extension was not updated recently. It might not work with latest versions of <span class="il">OpenOffice</span>.&quot; See for example how looks like the <a href="http://extensions.openoffice.org/en/project/oracle-pdf-import-extension-openoffice-3x" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">old Oracle PDF Importer</a>. <br /><br />Registered users see an additional notice on unmaintained extensions that allows them to contact the original author and apply for a co-maintainer role. Co-maintainers can edit the extension description and create releases.<br /><br />Registration emails and password related communications are now delivered in the language chosen by the user. It worth to add that we are more than happy to provide .po files to whoever is willing to help with translations. If need will arise we'll consider the possibility to upload localization files to the Apache Pootle server so that existing translation teams can help and the site can be translated into more than the current three languages (English, French, German).<br /><br />Recovering passwords has been simplified to cover cases where users had difficulties in resetting their passwords: users receive an email in their language with a simple link to reset their password with no further steps.<br /><br />Sites have been converted to use a more efficient anti-spam system that will improve handling by extensions maintainers: the system will not trigger anti-spam warnings and page unpublishing when the author modifies a popular extension.<br /><br /></div> 
  <div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> 
    <p><b>Changes users facing</b>.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://extensions.openoffice.org/" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;">The new extensions home</a> </b>has a strong focus on the search box, a brand new logo, and an&nbsp;overall redesigned look and feel, where all menu items have icons for better readability.</p> 
    <p> <img width="585" height="315" src="http://robertogaloppini.net/wp-content/uploads/aooe_home.png" /> </p> 
    <p><a href="http://templates.openoffice.org/" target="_blank" style="color: #1155cc;"><b>The new templates home</b></a> is similar to the Apache <span class="il">OpenOffice</span> Extensions site, with a similar redesigned look and feel and different colors to highlight which application a given template can be applied to.</p> 
    <p><img width="582" height="355" src="http://robertogaloppini.net/wp-content/uploads/aoot_home.png" /> </p> 
    <p><b>The new administrative interface</b> includes a navigation bar at the top for Extensions’ authors that links to the most common actions. We also improved the GUI, making it more intuitive for uploading extensions.</p> 
    <p><img width="587" height="392" src="http://robertogaloppini.net/wp-content/uploads/aooe_creation.png" /> </p> 
    <p> </p> 
    <p><b>Search</b> has been completely redesigned too. It’s worth mentioning that there are other changes sprinkled here and there, including an alert for outdated extensions that provides an easy way to contact the original author. </p> 
  </div>