SoftMaker Office
Encyclopedia
SoftMaker Office is an office suite
for Microsoft Windows
, Linux
, FreeBSD
, Windows CE
, and the Pocket PC
, developed since 1989 by the German
company SoftMaker Software GmbH
, Nuremberg
.
Some previously commercial versions of SoftMaker Office were later released as freeware
(SoftMaker Office 2006 and SoftMaker Office 2008).
, OpenOffice.org
or WordPerfect Office
and also adds features such as its ability to run off USB flash drives and integrated reference works. It uses not only its own native formats, but is also highly compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. It can read and write Microsoft Office file formats as well as OpenDocument Format
(word processor only), RTF
and HTML
. Export to PDF function is included. Multi-language spell-checking
, hyphenation and thesaurus
is supported; furthermore an integrated five-language translation dictionary (English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish).
The user interface
is based on Microsoft Office's look and feel
.
Office suite
In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
, Windows CE
Windows CE
Microsoft Windows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
, and the Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
, developed since 1989 by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company SoftMaker Software GmbH
SoftMaker
SoftMaker Software GmbH is a software company that produces office software and is located in Nuremberg, Germany. SoftMaker was founded in 1989 by Martin Kotulla. In 1991, it also added digital fonts to its offerings...
, Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
Some previously commercial versions of SoftMaker Office were later released as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
(SoftMaker Office 2006 and SoftMaker Office 2008).
Components
SoftMaker Office includes:- TextMakerTextMakerTextMaker is a word processor developed by the Nuremberg based software company SoftMaker and available as part of the SoftMaker office suite...
, a word processorWord processorA word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material.... - PlanMakerPlanMakerPlanMaker is a spreadsheet program that is part of the SoftMaker Office office suite. Versions are available on Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows CE and Linux....
, a spreadsheetSpreadsheetA spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
application - SoftMaker PresentationsSoftMaker PresentationsSoftMaker Presentations is a presentation program developed by SoftMaker and compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint. It is part of the SoftMaker Office productivity suite...
, a presentation graphics application that is compatible with Microsoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerPoint, usually just called PowerPoint, is a non-free commercial presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system... - BasicMaker, a Win32-only VBAVisual Basic for ApplicationsVisual Basic for Applications is an implementation of Microsoft's event-driven programming language Visual Basic 6 and its associated integrated development environment , which are built into most Microsoft Office applications...
-like programming toolProgramming toolA programming tool or software development tool is a program or application that software developers use to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications...
Functionality
SoftMaker Office has many functions of the correspondent programs from MS OfficeMicrosoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
, OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
or WordPerfect Office
WordPerfect Office
WordPerfect Office is an office suite developed by Corel Corporation. As of March 2010, the latest version is WordPerfect Office X5 , which is available in three editions: Home & Student, Standard and Professional....
and also adds features such as its ability to run off USB flash drives and integrated reference works. It uses not only its own native formats, but is also highly compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. It can read and write Microsoft Office file formats as well as OpenDocument Format
OpenDocument
The Open Document Format for Office Applications is an XML-based file format for representing electronic documents such as spreadsheets, charts, presentations and word processing documents....
(word processor only), RTF
Rich Text Format
The Rich Text Format is a proprietary document file format with published specification developed by Microsoft Corporation since 1987 for Microsoft products and for cross-platform document interchange....
and HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
. Export to PDF function is included. Multi-language spell-checking
Spell checker
In computing, a spell checker is an application program that flags words in a document that may not be spelled correctly. Spell checkers may be stand-alone capable of operating on a block of text, or as part of a larger application, such as a word processor, email client, electronic dictionary,...
, hyphenation and thesaurus
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning , in contrast to a dictionary, which contains definitions and pronunciations...
is supported; furthermore an integrated five-language translation dictionary (English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish).
The user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
is based on Microsoft Office's look and feel
Look and feel
In software design, look and feel is a term used in respect of a graphical user interface and comprises aspects of its design, including elements such as colors, shapes, layout, and typefaces , as well as the behavior of dynamic elements such as buttons, boxes, and menus...
.
See also
- Comparison of office suites
- Comparison of word processorsComparison of word processors-General information:This table provides general information about selected word processors.-Characteristics:This table gives characteristics of each word processor.-Operating System Compatibility:...
- Comparison of spreadsheets