The .riess Date Browser is a vintage open-source extension primarily designed for the Apache OpenOffice suite (including Calc, Writer, Impress, and Draw). Developed by .riess applications gmbh, it functions as a calendar picker and date lookup tool to help users insert formatted dates into documents quickly without typing them manually.
While a website or promotion might brand it dramatically as “The Ultimate Chronological Tool,” it is actually a legacy, lightweight office utility. Key Features of the .riess Date Browser
Pop-Up Calendar View: Provides a user-friendly, comfortable interface to look up any past or future date.
One-Click Date Insertion: Designed for power users who frequently fill dates into forms, spreadsheets, or text documents, automatically dropping the selected date into your file.
Multi-Application Compatibility: Functions across core office software like word processors (Writer) and spreadsheets (Calc). Important Compatibility Notice
If you are looking to download this tool, please keep the following technical limits in mind:
Outdated Software: The extension was originally released and last updated heavily around 2008.
Compatibility Issues: It may not function correctly with modern versions of OpenOffice or LibreOffice.
Built-in Alternatives: Modern spreadsheet programs like OpenOffice Calc and Microsoft Excel now have natively integrated dropdown calendar fields (under “Form Controls” or “Data Validation”), making secondary extensions like this mostly obsolete. Looking for True “Chronological Tools”?
If your goal is actual chronological planning, history logging, or visual timeline building rather than just picking a calendar date, you should skip the .riess extension and consider these alternatives:
TimelineJS by Knight Lab: A highly popular, free, open-source tool that converts simple Google Sheets data into visually stunning, interactive internet timelines.
Aeon Timeline: The premier software for creative writers, legal professionals, and history researchers needing to map out incredibly complex, evolving historical timelines.
Preceden: A web-based timeline maker tailored specifically for tracking sequential historical events and understanding how they interact.
Are you trying to add a simple visual calendar picker to a spreadsheet, or are you looking to build a complex timeline for a project? Tell me what you’re working on and I can guide you to the right modern tool! Timeline JS – Knight Lab