[Libreoffice-ux-advise] [Bug 143197] Writer: hidden link between list and chapter numbering

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=143197

--- Comment #10 from ajlittoz <page74010-sf at yahoo.fr> ---
@Heiko Tietze is spot on the point.

Mixing list style direct formatting approach with chapter numbering results in
an undefined state.

I like the present Chapter Numbering dedicated configuration despite its
restriction on the type of "numbering" (no bullet). What I criticize is the
possibility to interfere through F12 which messes up the CN configuration and
creates inconsistencies.

One of these inconsistencies is

>Under the heading "Level 3" in there it says "Note the bullet" - but there's no bullet.

where saving the file "renormalized" what I tweaked (apologies, I didn't check
that save-close-open roundtrip kept everything as I forced them). I forced a
bullet "numbering" on levels 3 and 4. Bullets shows up in the headings (Heading
3 and 4 paragraph styles) but were not transferred to the TOC (Contents 3 and 4
paragraph styles).

>The ultimate question is: can we make the chapter numbering comfortable to use and easy to understand at the same time without too much restriction?

>From my point of view, chapter numbering is quite comfortable to use but I am
no longer a reference for newbie opinion. I haven't used Word for years and I
don't remember how chapter numbering is implemented there, whether as a variant
of list numbering or some other mechanism.

Merging list and chapter numbering is appealing but we must keep in mind the
differences (perhaps artificial?):

- a list style may be attached to many paragraph styles, and this paragraph
style will be used on all levels.
- a single paragraph style may be attached to a chapter numbering level through
the CN configuration dialog
- the internal chapter numbering style cannot be attached to any paragraph
style outside the CN dialog, enforcing the single style rule

For my advanced uses of Writer (which are likely not those of the majority of
users), I'd like:

- to be able to differentiate paragraph styles per list level (CN→LS extension)
- to have also bullets in CN (LS→CN extension)

I don't think that assigning CN to several paragraph styles at the same level
is a "good" extension because it may look weird. Outline formatting must remain
homogeneous for obvious aesthetic reasons. But if uniformity calls for making
CN an explicit user-accessible list style like Numbering 123, I won't object.
It'll user responsibility to avoid ugly look.

Whatever the evolution of LS/CN, the most important goal is to avoid any
unexpected state which would confuse user.

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