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http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=71030
User raindrops changed the following:
What |Old value |New value
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Status|CLOSED |UNCONFIRMED
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Resolution|WONTFIX |
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------- Additional comments from [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Oct 31 22:40:46 -0800
2006 -------
I went through the ODF specs and some other documentation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument_technical_specification
http://netmoc.cpe.ucf.edu/Projects/OpenDocument/TestSuite.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument
And I'm convinced about my earlier statement.
Let me support that with a few usability issues:
Point-1:
--------
The XML file is clearly supposed to contain all text and paragraph properties.
So, when the file is opened in another OS (or a different PC, where OOo has
different default settings), the default settings of the second system MUST NOT
be applied to a file.
In the first place, the default settings are for creating a NEW file; not for
applying to someone else's file.
If someone makes a document in "A4 size, Landscape" format and sends it to me,
can my OOo automatically change it to "A5 size, Portrait" just because that is
MY default?
Similarly, if someone has made a document in Times New Roman size 12, I CANNOT
change it to Arial size 10, because that is my default!
Unless I edit the document specifically, ALL the properties must remain as per
the original author's settings.
The only exception is some rare fonts, which may not be installed in the target
system. In that case OOo may try to substitute the original font with a
near-equivalent. (MS Office does that). MS Office also offers another solution
by embedding fonts in the document itself, so that even if the target system
does not have those fonts, it would manage nicely. I don't know if OOo has this
feature-- The help does not talk about it.
So, if a document is fully defined in terms of text, paragraphs, tables,
margins, etc., how does the algorithm have so much flexibility to change the
actual layout by so much??
And even if there are infinite possible solutions, why does it accept all of
them? That is NOT what the user wants!
This is like saying that if I drew "Mona Lisa" in OOo, it could become "Julia
Roberts" tomorrow, and "Madonna" the day after; because they share the same
attributes. The only thing I am assured of is that they will NEVER have a
mustache (or will they?).
Point-2:
--------
I do not agree that even the currently selected printer should have influence on
a document's layout.
Suppose I have printers with different capabilities (this can happen in LANs).
Assume that the default printer is a black-and-white printer.
Why should OOo refuse to create a document in color? Would it mean I CANNOT use
colors in fonts, tables, etc?
OK this is subtle example. Suppose my default printer is an envelope printer.
Would that mean that OOo will not let me open an A4 document because I cannot
print it with the default printer?
What about the fact that I can change the printer afterwards? At this moment I
may have several printers connected on the LAN, with the flexibility to chose
any one of them.
Only print preview should adopt to the specific printer (or its mode); or give
me warnings if some featutes (e.g. color, margins) cannot be used with the
currently selected printer.
Point-3:
--------
The "Tools" menu of OOo provides distinct controls to update (a)Fields
(b)index/tables and (c)page formatting. There is a SEPARATE menu option to
"update all". It means that the a,b and c options listed above are mutually
exclusive.
In other words, when OOo updates the page formatting, it would NOT update the
other things. So when it shifts some text by 4-5 pages, many of the pointers in
the fields and indexes/tables turn wrong! (I have verified this with my TOC just
now, before posting this.)
In fact, thanks to its continuous adjustments even as the user is working, most
of the fields and indexes/tables ARE ALMOST ALWAYS WRONG, except for a few
moments when the user has manually used the "Tools>Update all" command.
If I take a print, the text may say something like "see page-xx for details",
and that will be on a different page altogether!
The only way to avoid this mess is to update ALL, and fire a print immediately.
If I delay the printing (looking for paper, etc), I am back to square one.
And god help me if I forget to update all manually!
Is THAT what we want??
***
To sum up, the current version of OOo is suited ONLY for small/medium documents
(e.g. a letter). But it is full of minefield for large documents; or book
manuscripts.
(I know this discussion spans a few of my recent bugs; not this bug alone. The
solution may not lie in "saving the file" alone. That's why I have mentioned
that all these bugs need to be considered together; not in isolation.)
Reopening.
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