An AI-assisted software developer has expanded his efforts to recreate popular desktop applications, unveiling alternatives to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The applications could offer users free, open-source productivity tools while demonstrating how artificial intelligence can accelerate software development.
Brandon Thomas, who previously worked on an AI-assisted recreation of Adobe Photoshop, developed three applications named WordCraft, GridCraft and DeckCraft. The tools target document editing, spreadsheets and presentations, respectively. The applications are still under development. It might not match the reliability or advanced capabilities of Microsoft's established software.
Thomas used Anthropic's Claude AI to help develop the applications. His approach shows how AI coding assistants can help developers build complex software, from designing interfaces to implementing features.
The applications also target Windows, macOS and Linux. Their open-source approach allows developers to inspect the code, contribute improvements and adapt the software to their requirements.
WordCraft focuses on document creation and editing. It aims to reproduce Word's ribbon interface and offers features such as text formatting, styles, tables, references and track changes.
The application supports DOCX files and several other document formats, including ODT, RTF, HTML and Markdown. It also includes mail merge capabilities, which help users create personalized documents from structured data.
GridCraft targets Excel users with a spreadsheet interface that includes a ribbon, formula bar and keyboard shortcuts. The application supports XLSX files and implements a range of spreadsheet functions.
However, compatibility remains a key challenge. Complex layouts, advanced formatting and documents containing specialised elements may not render exactly as they do in Microsoft Word. Its usefulness will depend on how accurately it handles formulas, formatting and complex workbooks.
DeckCraft aims to simplify presentation creation and editing through a PowerPoint-inspired interface. It supports PPTX files and seeks to reproduce common presentation workflows. The project still requires further development and testing.
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