[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 118262] New: Use of Print Options is not Transparent

Wed Jun 20 08:51:16 UTC 2018

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=118262

            Bug ID: 118262
           Summary: Use of Print Options is not Transparent
           Product: LibreOffice
           Version: 6.0.4.2 release
          Hardware: All
                OS: Windows (All)
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: medium
         Component: Printing and PDF export
          Assignee: libreoffice-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
          Reporter: harald.koester at mail.de
            Blocks: 64679, 105748

In bug 47583 I already described a bug with respect to print options. Here I
will report some more problems of this function.

There are 3 dialogues where a user is able to change print options: (a) Tools >
Options > LibreOffice Writer > Print, (b) File > Printer Settings … > Options
…, (c) File > Print… > [different tabs]. For a user it's not transparent how
and when these options are used and saved. To my opinion they should be used as
follows: 

Case (a): These options are used as initial values of a new document. Changes
of these options are saved in the user profile.

Case (b): These options refer to a specific document and changes are saved
together with the document. These options are used as initial values in the
print dialogue.

Case (c): These options are only valid for a single print. They are not saved.
(Or: These options are only valid during a session?? E.g. in order to use the
options for direct printing??)

Perhaps above use was also intended during the current implementation. But the
function does not work as expected in all cases. And it is not transparent for
a user. Myself It took me quite a lot of time to understand the function. 

In order to improve the understanding of the function, additional descriptions
are needed within the respective dialogues:

(a) E.g.: “Options are used as initial values of a new document. Changed
options will be saved within the user profile.”

(b) E.g.: “Options are used as initial values for a print. Changed options will
be saved together with the document.”

(c) E.g.: “Options are only used for a single print (or: Options are used only
during a session??). Changed options are not saved.”

Also the help should be checked in order to improve the understanding of this
function.

Test against above description:

[1] Open new text document and insert some text.
[2] Change a printer setting: File > Printer Settings … > Options ...  , check
or uncheck a contents option. Then 2 times OK.
[3] Save and close document.
[4] Open document again.
[5] Open printer settings again: File > Printer Settings … > Options … The
change of step 2 has not been saved. Expected: Change should be saved.
[6] Close both dialogues Printer Options and Printer Setup with Cancel.
[7] Open print dialogue: File > Print… > Tab LibreOffice Writer > Check or
uncheck a contents option, then OK. The documented is printed.
[8] Open printer settings: File > Printer Settings … > Options … The change of
step 7 is not transferred to this dialogue. This is OK, because the change is
only used for a single print. Cancel both dialogues.
[9] Print again: Open print dialogue: File > Print… > Tab LibreOffice Writer >
Check or uncheck a contents option, then OK. The documented is printed.
[10] Open print dialogue again: File > Print… > Tab LibreOffice Writer. The
change of step 9 is still valid in this dialogue. Expected: Change should not
be used, because option is only valid for a single print. Cancel dialogue.
[11] Open printer settings again: File > Printer Settings … > Options. The
change of step 9 is  transferred to this dialogue. Expected: Change should not
be transferred to this dialogue, because the change was performed in the print
dialogue (step 9) and not in printer settings dialogue. Cancel both dialogues.
[12] Save and close document. 
[13] Open document again. 
[14] Open print dialogue again:  File > Print… > Tab LibreOffice Writer. The
change of step 9 has been saved and is still valid. Expected: No save and
reload of option. Cancel dialogue.
[15] Open printer settings again: File > Printer Settings … > Options … The
change of step 9 is valid. Expected: Change should not be used in this
dialogue, because the change was performed in print dialogue (step 9) and not
in printer settings dialogue. Cancel both dialogues.

Bug already exists in version 3.3.0. Hence inherited from OOo.