[Libreoffice-ux-advise] Template manager issues pending

Cor Nouws oolst at nouenoff.nl
Sun May 19 16:36:08 PDT 2013


Hi all,

Thanks for the ideas / proposals. Here few additions from me:

Cedric Bosdonnat wrote (13-05-13 09:50)
> Hi Mirek, Michel,
>
> On Sat, 2013-05-11 at 10:47 +0200, Mirek M. wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  60589 - [Template manager]: Can not copy styles between different files
>>>>  and templates
>>
>> [...]
>>     Given that I wasn't in favor of the
>> shift in focus to organizing templates rather than creating new
>> documents from templates,

For me that also was a rather unexpected move in the process: I did not 
understand before that also the menu File > Template and the sub menus 
with the various functions were to be removed. But that's history.

>> I'm not the best person to design for the dialog.

Still I find this design from you :)
 
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Design/Whiteboards/Copying_Styles_from_Templates

thanks!

- I've added a description of the situation pre 4.0
Which is useful to consider proposals for the needed new situation

Also I added some ideas for
- the design by Mirek
- the places where this dialog may be used,


>>>>  61396 - FILEOPEN: [Template Manager]Possibility to
>>>>  edit a template that
>>>>  is not in the repository, is lacking
>>
>>>  I saw a comment with the proposal :
>>>  "when a user does "Open" from the "File" menu and selects a
>>>  template, then LO should open the template" ; instead of
>>>  creating a new file from the template".
>>>  It seems to be a coherent behavior : the user selects the
>>>  command "open" so LO must open. When the user selects "new
>>>  from template", then LO must create a new file from a
>>>  template.
>>
>> Sounds good.
>
> If everyone agrees on that, then it should be pretty quick to fix.

Could work, but would _introduce_ the opposite problem, that a user 
cannot start a new file from a template that is not in the template 
repository...

Currently, I do not see a way out without adding a (visual) option to 
the file open dialog.. (as discussed in another thread).

Alternatively, I did thought of making the Edit button in the new dialog 
having a submenu, where you can choose "Edit other template" or something.
Little problem there: the Edit button is only active when a template is 
selected..
But maybe there is a solution?

>>>  If you really want to prevent modification of bad file, maybe
>>>  add an dialog asking confirmation : "Do you really want to
>>>  open the template 'test.ott' ? or create a new file from this
>>>  template ?"
>>
>> Perhaps an infobar might be better?
>
> Yes, InfoBar is the thing to use here.

That would indeed be needed to prevent unwanted editing of a file. Do 
not forget that a. many people do not get/notice the difference between 
.ott and .odt and b. file managers depending on settings hide extensions 
(but honestly I did not check how it looks on WIndows with that option 
checked for the Explorer.)

But I wrote _would_ be needed. As written further above: I don think 
alas that it is a solution.

>>>>  59427 -  [Template Manager] low discoverability of new
>>>>  template manager
>>>>    - we could use "File → Organize templates" menu
> >>
>>>  I agree
>
> Still on the todo-list, sadly didn't manage to come to it.

What are your ideas?
I find this a nasty problem to solve.
One could think of:
   File > Template > Save     (exists in 4.0 in different wording)
   File > Template > Edit/Magage

but then the latter would simply open the new File from template dialog?

Cheers,
Cor



-- 
  - Cor
  - http://nl.libreoffice.org
  - www.librelex.org



More information about the Libreoffice-ux-advise mailing list