WPS support

bbbear2002

Currently WPS is the most compatible and free alternative of Microsoft Office. It is better than Libreoffice and other free offices. Would Zotero make a plugin for WPS?

adamsmith

WPS is not free software in the free/libre sense of the Word and has no documented API, so the answer (as in previous threads on this) is almost certainly no, at least in the medium run.

bwiernik

And in particular, Macros/VBA, the main way Zotero would be able to interface with WPS, are a paid feature https://kingsoftoffice.desk.com/customer/portal/questions/14401976-using-macros-developer-tab

Given that most WPS users use the free/gratis version, without another documented API, it’s not really feasible for Zotero to make a plugin for WPS that would be usable to a large number of users. If you want WPS support, they would need to make API hooks available for third party developers to interface with (as LibreOffice, Google Docs, and Word do).

bbbear2002

The latest version of WPS has added support of Endnote. I think they will add Zotero API support soon.

bwiernik

That is something you would need to advocate for to the WPS developers—there isn't really anything Zotero can do to that end. For comparison, Apple developed support for Endnote in Pages years ago, but has expressed zero interest in supporting other reference managers like Zotero.

bbbear2002

Thank you @adamsmith @bwiernik for your clarification. I wish Pages will soon support caption auto-numbering, cross-reference and Zotero. As to WPS, its developers are very attentive to users so i guess Zotero API will be opened soon.

nwagbo203588

I really love zotero reference manager but then am still having issues with it since it's not yet compatible with WPS. I prefer WPS to Word and i do whole lot with my WPS. please i need you guys to develop a plug-in for WPS as soon as possible.

bwiernik

The situation has not changed on WPS’s end. Zotero could not develop a plugin for WPS even if they had the resources to unless WPS provides an API for it on their end.

bbbear2002

I have contacted WPS developers and they are eager for Zotero support but they don’t know how to contact you. Do you have some instant messengers that they can contact you please?

bbbear2002

@bwiernik @adamsmith How can they contact you all? Maybe you can leave your email.

bwiernik

adamsmith and I are only volunteers. @dstillman or @adomasven would be the people to contact.

johnmy

I hope the plugin for WPS be developed early.

bbbear2002

How can i get contact with @distillman and @adomasven? I just have messaged them without reply.

bwiernik

I suggest they post to https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!forum/zotero-dev

bbbear2002

@bwiernik I tried to post but my posts are lost

dstillman

You're not a WPS developer. I understand that you want this to happen, but there's nothing more you can do about it. It's not helpful for you as a user to post the sentence "How to enable WPS API for Zotero?" to the developer list.

We're not going to be developing a plugin for WPS ourselves. If WPS wants to add Zotero integration, they can do so, and they can post to zotero-dev with specific technical questions. They'd probably want to use the LibreOffice plugin wire protocol.

bbbear2002

@dstillman
Since now WPS is the most useful and viable Office alternative, i truly wish Zotero plugin for WPS will be ready soon. Why is Zotero not going to develop a plugin for WPS? I think WPS is way more handy than LibreOffice.

adomasven

adamsmith wrote:

WPS is not free software in the free/libre sense of the Word and has no documented API

To add to that, we have no reason to believe WPS office userbase is large enough to warrant a first-party support (unlike Google Docs or Microsoft Word), since a document processor plugin requires a considerable amount of work both creating and maintaining.

If WPS wants to work on a plugin we are happy to help. If Zotero users start asking for a WPS plugin en masse, we might also reconsider the position, but there's no planned support right now.

liuy6

Dear Zotero developer,

Since you said "If Zotero users start asking for a WPS plugin en masse", I would like to pledge my +1 request here.

@bbbear2002 thank you for your persistence trying to connect the developers.

WPS is the only office suite that maintains 100% compatibility (theoretically, 99.9% in practice) with MS Office. It is due to a permanent agreement to maintain compatibility MS signed with then-dominant WPS/Kingsoft when MS entered China.

Importantly, WPS provides such 100% compatibility on Linux as well. Given that Linux has no MS office. WPS is the *only* option for Linux users who need 100% MS compatibility.

Sincerely, Yi

bwiernik

Folks, the people you need to talk to are the WPS developers.

bbbear2002

@bwiernik I have contacted the WPS developers and they promised to get Zotero support in June this year.

pdjk

I have to agree with the lobby in favour of WPS plugin and add my name to that group in the hope that we soon reach the number which would qualify as 'en masse'

Many WPS users are former Libra Office users who have reluctantly abandoned it.
I would be happy to use Libra Office however unless it gets a serious modernisation it is no longer much use due to many compatibility issues with MS office software.

bbbear2002

Any good news?

damnation

First of all, things like this won't be done in a week or two.
Secondly, the people you need to speak to and annoyingly niggle are the ones at WPS. Zotero is all integrateable from its side. WPS needs to do the work, if they want their users to use Zotero.
So please, go to their forums. Bumping this thread does nothing.

bbbear2002

Both sides i'm asking.

bwiernik

It isn't useful to ask on these forums. The _only_ people who can do anything about WPS support is the WPS developers. Please stop bumping this thread.

dstillman

Closing this thread, since there's nothing for us to do here. If you're interested in WPS integration, you'll need to request it from the WPS developers.

If the WPS developers add Zotero support, we'll post an update here.