[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 140684] drop-down list "gutter position" is unsuitable UI

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=140684

--- Comment #8 from Regina Henschel <rb.henschel at t-online.de> ---
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #7)
> (In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #0)
> > My proposal is, to remove the drop-down list at all...
> 
> In this case we need a checkbox to enable/disable the (automatically placed)
> gutter.

To distinguish between 'loext:margin-gutter does not exist' and
'loext:margin-gutter="0"' would only be needed, if LibreOffice implemented
inheritance for page styles. And that will not happen soon. The element
<style:page-layout> does not even has a style:parent-name attribute for that in
ODF. Therefore it is sufficient to set the value to zero, which is default when
opening old documents or creating new once. There is no checkbox needed for
enable/disable. 

 And as a global document setting it needs to go to File > Properties
> (perhaps set from Tools > Options for new documents). The only place I see
> here is Custom Properties.

Custom properties can be referenced in a field. That is not the case for
"Gutter position". The way it is currently implemented is more a kind of
compatibility option in Tools > Options. But there user will not look for it.

> Doubt this will attract attention from many users.

Yes, document properties is an unsuitable place.

Therefore I have suggested to use a checkbox in the page style dialog with a
text, that emphasize the property is applied to _all_ page styles. In that
place user will expect any setting for margins.

> Or we reject the requirement to enable/disable the gutter and stick
> to tools > options for new documents.

You will get this property, if you open a docx, which uses it. So "for new
documents" will not work.

> But I'd prefer to solve bug 140570.

I too, therefore the issue. But that will likely not happen in the next years.
The people who had paid for the feature, would not like to get ODF documents,
which cannot be exported lossless to docx. Docx allows "Top" only as document
setting. And do you see any other than paid developers who will implement it?

But I see the need to clearly communicate to the user at this stage already in
the page style dialog what is possible and what is not.

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