Summary of what this thread revealed, in-line. > -----Original Message----- > From: Dennis E. Hamilton [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2015 12:58 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [QUESTION] Optional Java Use for Essential Functionality > > In looking into some usability issues, I ran into a concern about how > Java > is optional yet there are features that absolutely depend on it. I > think > some of those are essential features. > > I have been mentioning this in other contexts and I'd like to test > community > wisdom for understanding here. > > I have opened a question on the ASF Legal-Discuss list: > https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-228
[orcmid] It is agreed that this case does not apply, and the issue is closed. It is established in the system requirements that Java is necessary to achieve full functionality. See <http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/source/sys_reqs_aoo41.html>. It could be more clear and many users, if they consult system requirements at all, might not scroll down to the statement about Java. But the (non-optional) conditional requirement for Java is clear. > > The essential cases that startled me were: (1) Creating a new Base > document, > with default repository, only to find out that I can't edit it or > otherwise > make use of the default repository without a JRE, at least on Windows; > (2) > The Help | OpenOffice Help (F1) | Find search operation. > > If we are not going to install a suitable JRE as part of AOO binary > installers, how should we make it more clear that Java is required for > what > might seem to be essential functions? > [ ... ] > > Should advice just be to install a suitable JRE? > > Or should we differentiate where Java will be required before an user is > surprised by an announcement that an operation can't be performed > because > there is no suitable JRE installed? [orcmid] There were some unexpected responses to these questions. 2. One suggestion was to remove the dependencies on Java. 3. Other suggestions included increasing the dependencies on Java, perhaps going so far as to make AOO a Java application. 4. Some remarks suggested that, since the JRE dependency has been that way since Apache OpenOffice started releasing, it must not be much of a problem. I am wary of (4). I tend to have different suspicions about situations such as any similar to <https://bz.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=126597>. I think the way to determine the extent to which JRE-required and similar traps are problems may require consultation with those closer to what and where users report. I wonder what different reactions might be in those places. -- Dennis --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
