[Libreoffice-ux-advise] [Bug 33223] Sidebar: as container for toolbars, ability to add functions missing from Sidebar

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=33223

--- Comment #11 from V Stuart Foote <vstuart.foote at utsa.edu> ---
(In reply to Jay Philips from comment #10)
> I believe that if the sidebar was completed to its full extent, there
> wouldnt be a need to customize it...

No even when fully realized with defaults, the capability for users to modify
the GUI as preferred is a fundamental feature contributing to enhanced UX, and
is something that we already provide.

For example on toolbars we provide "Visible buttons" and the "Customize tool
bar dialog". Also, any toolbar can be rotated from horizontal to vertical and
docked as such. That flexibility in layout of the GUI (actions and arrangement)
is what is not fully realized for the Sidebar. 

Providing efficient means to modify the fixed "screen space" of the Deck with
customized content panels (either existing panels, or adding panels) would be
as useful as current ability to manipulate toolbars.

In fact, UNO API based macros could already extend the OpenOffice task pane,
and now can address any panels of the the Sidebar Deck.  We just have not made
that obvious or efficient in the Sidebar GUI as it has been for toolbars. It is
also not well documented. 

And, as suggested in this issue--ability for a user to efficiently add their
own custom content panel(s) made up of button actions from various toolbars, or
even of entire toolbars, is a reasonable for customizable GUI.  

Other needed customization features--e.g. bug 65351, bug 67230, bug 67770, bug
85905 etc. suggest there is a long way to go before potential of the Sidebar is
reached.

But for this all to be reliable, and for acceptable UX, we will also need to
improve user profile backup and recovery.  Currently customizations to
Toolbars, and of any  Sidebar layouts, are fragile and can not be reapplied
when a user profile becomes corrupted and has to be reset.

That mechanism for protection of profile (GUI layout and custom styles) is not
yet implemented--issues of bug 52387, bug 64439--but would become even more
important to the UX when both Toolbars and Sidebar panels are being more
commonly customized.

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