[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 144814] New: Settings that are stored in the document should be marked as such

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=144814

            Bug ID: 144814
           Summary: Settings that are stored in the document should be
                    marked as such
           Product: LibreOffice
           Version: 7.1.5.2 release
          Hardware: All
                OS: All
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: medium
         Component: UI
          Assignee: libreoffice-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
          Reporter: johnsmithbeatles at gmail.com

Description:
There is a very serious UI problem with LO settings. The problem is that some
of these settings are stored in the document/template, and some of them are
stored in the application itself.

**It is assumed you have a new LO user profile and LO uses US measurement units
(specifically, inches) by default. We will test the Writer application.**

Open "Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > General" and notice the following
two settings: "Measurement unit" and "Tab stops".

a) The value of "Tab stops", if you change it to a custom value and then save
the document, will be stored in the document.
b) ... While the value of "Measurement unit" is always stored in the
application.
c) Ah! And if you change the value of "Tab stops" to a custom value **without**
saving the document, this custom value will be stored in the application and
not in the document.

And please notice that there are no hints to the user that these settings are
stored so differently.

And here is how confusing it can be in the real life:

1. Create an unsaved document.
2. Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > General:

   1. Measurement unit = Change it from "Inch" to "Centimeter"
   2. Tab stops = Change it from "1.25 cm" to "1.00 cm"

   HERE IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY GOING ON:
   * "Meas. unit" is stored in the application (as always)
   * "Tab stops" are stored in the application as well (this because we
      aren't going to the document at this moment of time, see the next step.)

3. Close the document without saving it.
4. Create another document. Notice the settings are the ones you have set up:
"Centimeter" and "1.00 cm". This is fine.
5. Save the document.

   HERE IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY GOING ON:
   * "Meas. unit" is stored in the application (as always)
   * "Tab stops" are stored in the document (since you have saved the document)

6. Change the values to "Millimeter" and "6 mm"

   HERE IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY GOING ON:
   * "Meas. unit" is stored in the application (as always)
   * "Tab stops" are stored in the application as well (this because we
      aren't going to the document at this moment of time, see the next step.)

7. Close the document without saving it.
8. Open the saved file. Its values will be "Millimeter" and "10 mm"

This is really confusing even for many experienced users who already aware of
how this works. This is because the are many different settings and users
**cannot** remember which of them are stored where. And so they cannot predict
how some settings will change if you change the template. Or if you open the
document on another computer.

And this is much worse for many people who aren't so experienced.

It seems to me that settings that are stored in the document and not in the
application

Solution-1: Should be "marked" as such. For example, instead of "Tab stops" it
should be "Tab stops [D]" (where D stands for "document").

or

Solution-2: They should be moved to a separate section.


Steps to Reproduce:
see above

Actual Results:
see above

Expected Results:
see above


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
see above

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