Creating OpenOffice Extensions

One of the great things about many applications these days is their open API for end-user additions or extensions or plug-ins. OpenOffice allows you to add your own functionality to the application as well, and you can create those extensions with Java of course. And tools like NetBeans make this easier than you might suspect by providing wizards to help you get started.

The OpenOffice API is called UNO, and after accessing the OpenOffice APIs from NetBeans or Eclipse or any other development environment, you'll package those plug-ins and extensions as .oxt files. You or your end users will install them by using the OpenOffice extension manager or by just clicking on the extension file.

You might be the one to create the next great OpenOffice extension by integrating your application into one of the most popular open source office suites available. Learn about about OpenOffice and the UNO API by visiting the following resources:

• The OpenOffice website to get the office suite.
• Learn about the extension API.