Some of OpenDoc’s most useful applications become apparent when these parts are combined in innovative ways. Say a corporate travel manager needs to send his executive team to an annual conference. While coordinating travel plans for each executive is no picnic, by using OpenDoc and several of the award-winning parts, the harried manager can create an “intelligent document” that holds all the necessary data in one place.
First, the manager could use the upcoming OpenDoc-savvy version of ClarisWorks as a “container” for the document. This new version will not only offer all the layout and word processing capabilities of ClarisWorks, but it will also allow any OpenDoc part to embed features and information in a document.
With Eclipse’s Canopy Outliner part, the manager could add listings of all conference events and classes. With the aid of CyberDog, Apple’s Internet connectivity parts, the outline could automatically retrieve the latest schedules from the corporation’s web site.
The document could also simplify getting to the conference. For employees who drive, an embedded map could give directions. Created with the Route66 part (by Route66 Software), the map is more than a static image. It is able to automatically plot the fastest route from each employee’s home to the conference location. For those who fly, Simcalc Project’s ScriptBar part could execute an AppleScript to E-mail the corporation’s favorite travel agent and purchase tickets.
After the conference, the document could even help the accounting department determine the resulting expense reports. By using dtF Database Parts by Theta group, each executive could enter in his/her expenses for the trip, and the information would automatically be uploaded to the corporation’s expense database.