Now that LibreOffice 7.4 support LanguageTool natively, is the extension still needed?
LibreOffice 7.4 does not support LanguageTool natively. It rather connects to a LanguageTool Server via API. Thus, for grammar check on your computer (and not remote/cloud/internet), you require the extension.
For example: I do lots of editing work offline (e.g. in the train, café, …). Hence, the extension is definitively my choice.
Well, you can also run the LT server locally and point the extension to that server (see LanguageTool embedded HTTP Server | dev.languagetool.org and New LibreOffice 7.4 LanguageTool Remote Grammar Checker - #2 by dnaber).
No you don’t. The fact it connects to a server doesn’t imply it must be a remote server. You can run a server locally, as @dnaber points out. I’m doing that with LibreOffice and it works wonder
I think, the native support of LT by LO 7.4 is a small and easy possibility to use LT as grammar check in LO.
But there are still some reasons to use the extension instead, I think. Some examples:
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It is possible to use LT by the 7.4 solution locale, but it is much easier to install an OXT in LO than to install a separate server.
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The native solution supports text level rules only at the level of paragraph. Rules that needs to analyze more than one paragraph will fail (a citation over more than one paragraph will result in two false matches - opening and closing quote in different paragraphs; a repeated beginning of sentence with the same word will only be detected, when the sentences are not split into different paragraphs; etc.).
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The extension allows easily to activate (optional) or deactivate rules by the option panel.
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All words known by LT (which are not included in the default dictionary) are supported.
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The support of recorded text changes will be integrated in LT 5.9
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Protected Text like table of context will not be checked in LT 5.9
Thanks for the explanations. I don’t understand the second point, though. Does it mean that the extension does not support text level rules that need to analyze more than one paragraph? And, on the other hand, the server version does support them? Or is it the other way around?
It’s the other way around. The extension supports a full-text check. The native solution supports only a check on the level of paragraph.