Putting office suites to the test
Chameleon
The Chinese office suite also reveals itself to be extremely visually versatile. The Tools | Switch UI menu allows you to choose between several tile views of the interface or the classic layout; you must restart the respective program module to activate the selected interface. You can use the individual modules with different interfaces, because the selection only applies to the active module. This minimizes the learning curve for newcomers who stick to using the interface they are familiar with from the office package they previously used.
WPS Office is also very flexible and innovative when it comes to language support: The community is currently completing localization tasks, but the package is a delight, with its tremendous support of foreign languages. You can change the language with just a few clicks of the mouse from the Tools | Switch Language menu.
When you select the desired language from a new dialog, the system downloads the relevant language files from the web. WPS enables the new localization after restarting the respective program module (e.g., Writer, Presentation, etc.).
Unlike the visual themes, the language selection affects all modules of the suite, meaning you do not need to adjust the language in each and every module. WPS Office simultaneously stores several localized versions, so you can switch between languages in the language dialog box with a mouse click and module relaunch (Figure 9).
Similarly unusual is the way WPS Office manages backup copies. If the program terminates unexpectedly, it can still access the active document. After restarting, Tools | Backup Management will bring up a list view in the sidebar that displays all of the backup files. You can select the desired recovery file there.
File Formats
The Chinese office suite claims to be fully compatible with Microsoft Office documents. Although WPS Office has its own file and template format, it naturally provides conversion filters for the import and export of content in various Microsoft formats.
The WPS suite also offers filters for templates with built-in macros, the only contestant in this test to do so. Microsoft saves macros with a .dotm
or .docm
extension in the new versions of its Office program. Nonetheless, in many cases, WPS Office has to throw in the towel with Microsoft documents containing macros or scripts.
In my test with complex templates, WPS Office did not achieve full compatibility with its conversion functions for MS Office formats, although it had by far the best result compared with the other office suites, especially when taking on OOXML documents. Graphics, tables, and placeholders appeared in the appropriate places, with fonts rarely switched.
Beyond the Microsoft world, the WPS Office modules offer hardly any options for exchanging data, however. The suite only offers filters capable of handling web pages and the simplest text files without formatting. The office suite is apparently unfamiliar with the Open Document Format, although it still recognizes the dBASE database format, which in fact is no longer in use. The DIF format, also very dated and almost irrelevant in modern IT infrastructures, is still supported by the spreadsheet application (Figure 10).
Teamwork
WPS Office also performs pretty well with documents to be edited by multiple users. The office suite from Beijing is the only product in the test that highlights the comments and their related references and labels completely and with the correct colors. Simple symbols in the status lines of individual comments also make it easier to edit or delete annotations. You can create new references and comments with the Insert | Comment menu item, and the software automatically selects the relevant colors for new commenters, making it clear which person is the source of each comment.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
OpenMandriva Lx 23.03 Rolling Release is Now Available
OpenMandriva "ROME" is the latest point update for the rolling release Linux distribution and offers the latest updates for a number of important applications and tools.
-
CarbonOS: A New Linux Distro with a Focus on User Experience
CarbonOS is a brand new, built-from-scratch Linux distribution that uses the Gnome desktop and has a special feature that makes it appealing to all types of users.
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.