If writing is part of your job or your everyday routine, you might find the Nextcloud open source file sync and share application a very useful tool. First, it provides you with free, secure, and easily accessible cloud file storage.
Second, it's fully customizable, which means you can choose different writing tools, such as the four useful editorial apps described below, depending on the task you're trying to accomplish. You can find these and other useful add-ons on the Nextcloud app store.
Author documents with Collabora Online
Collabora Online is an online office suite based on LibreOffice, one of the most powerful open source alternatives to Microsoft Office. It provides you with a complete set of formatting tools, which allow you to change your text style and document layout, insert different objects, and do even more, directly in your browser.
You can edit and view many kinds of office documents, including DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODF, Visio, and Publisher.
Collabora Online also offers some collaboration capabilities. You can co-author documents with other Nextcloud users or use a public link and invite people without a Nextcloud account to collaborate anonymously on your files. Collaborators can comment on shared documents and reply to others' comments.
To use this application, you need Collabora Cloudsuite installed on your server.
For more information, access the Collabora Online source code.
Preview markdown with Markdown Editor
Markdown is a popular formatting language used by many bloggers and communities, including GitHub and DigitalOcean users. Markdown Editor allows you to make changes to a markdown document and immediately see how it will look like when published on a website. This is particularly useful and time-saving if you are new to markdown syntax, but that's not all. The app also offers advanced options for working with objects; for example, you can insert images and videos stored on your Nextcloud, create checkbox lists, add and highlight code in your document, work with equations, and add graphs.
Take a deeper dive into the Markdown Editor source code.
Write and organize your thoughts with Notes
Notes is an open source app for distraction-free note taking. The minimalist interface helps you focus on what really matters—your text. Notes are saved as simple TXT files and automatically placed into your Notes folder, where you can view and edit them with a text editor. It also supports Markdown syntax.
Managing your notes is easy, too. You can mark important notes as favorites or, with a single click, easily delete things you no longer need.
See what makes up this app in the Notes source code.
Collaborate on documents in real time with OnlyOffice
You can use OnlyOffice to write and edit text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. This app also offers a variety of collaboration features for efficient teamwork on your documents.
My favorite feature is that you can choose how you collaborate with your team. You can co-edit documents in real time (like in Google Docs) and see all the changes as soon as your co-authors make them. Or, if your team needs more confidentiality, you can change the settings to see co-authors' changes only when they save them. And, if you need more control, you can use review mode, in which you have the option to reject or accept your collaborators' changes. Chat and comments are also available for real-time communication. OnlyOffice also offers add-ons for features such as symbols, photo editor, or YouTube video.
To use this application, you need OnlyOffice document server installed on your server.
Access the OnlyOffice source code to learn more.
What are your favorites?
If you're a Nextcloud user, what are your must-have apps for writing or collaboration? Please share in the comments.
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