Dan Bricklin goes 1.0 with open-source wikiCalc

Dan Bricklin, the pioneering programmer behind the first PC spreadsheet, said that his open-source wiki spreadsheet has reached the 1.0 milestone.

On his blog on Thursday, Bricklin spelled out the details of the release process and said that the wikiCalc 1.0 code will form the basis of an open-source project sponsored by partner Socialtext, called SocialCalc.

wikiCalclets people create and share Web pages that include text as well as spreadsheets.

"With all of the excitement around the experimentation with products and services lumped under the term 'Web 2.0' it's time for a web spreadsheet engine that is open to all around which to innovate," Bricklin wrote in his blog.

Socialtext, which makes wiki software for business collaboration, is using wikiCalc in its product line. The SocialCalc project will take outside contributions and use a different, more corporate-friendly open-source license, Bricklin said.

"For me, this is a major milestone. It's been a long time since I've brought a product all the way from conception to 1.0 release. I love programming and I love developing products and the last year and a half has been a treat. I look forward to sharing the next phase with others," Bricklin wrote.