[Libreoffice] Formula cursor : bug or feature ?

[Jonas Finnemann Jensen]

Hi,

> Well, how say that kindly ? ;-) :
> For me the main advantage of Math module is that it is *not* like
> MathType.
I agree that for some people, power users, the command text interface
might be faster to use...
But it's next to impossible to convince normal users to sit down and
learn a command language.
(Most non-programmers can hardly set brackets for parsing correctly).

But, there's no plans to remove the old command text interface...
And loss of the square cursor is probably not a problem for power users :)

> Ok, we do not have the same definition of "user friendly". :-)
I'll admit that I haven't done a usability study on the subject...
 - Those things are utterly boring to do :)
But if the target group is ordinary office users, and a course in
formula writing isn't a prerequisite, I can pretty much guess the
result...
I'm not saying that the command text interface isn't faster and easier
to use once you've learned it... (But so is vim and emacs).

Anyway, command text interface is not disappearing... So you have
nothing to fear...

--
Regards Jonas Finnemann Jensen.



On Wed, Dec 29, 2010 at 17:17, Jean-Baptiste Faure <jbf.faure at orange.fr> wrote:
> Le 29/12/2010 16:20, Jonas Finnemann Jensen a écrit :
>> Hi,
>>
>> If you have enabled visual formula editing (The  "Enable experimental
>> (unstable) features" checkbox).
>> Then the cursor should act more like MathType etc... e.g. like a
>> WYSIWYG editor...
>> It's demonstrated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3foNqKYAlYY
> Well, how say that kindly ? ;-) :
> For me the main advantage of Math module is that it is *not* like
> MathType. It was a reason because I switched from MS-Word to StarOffice
> at the end of the last millennium.
> I use the mouse to select a formula element *only* when I can't remember
> its syntax.
> [...]
>> The visual formula editor is a move towards something more user
>> friendly like MathType.
> Ok, we do not have the same definition of "user friendly". :-)
>> You'll still be able to write the formulas using the command text
>> interface. But the formula cursor will not
>> be rectangular anymore... And at the moment it will not synchronize
>> it's position with the command text interface cursor.
> If I can continue to write formulas using the command text interface
> *and* to have the cursor in the formula window synchronizing it's
> position with the command text interface cursor, there is no problem for
> me if you want use your MathType clone.
> In other words, if you want to code a MathType clone, you must keep
> entirely the current edit mode and add the possibility to switch from a
> mode to the other.
>
> Formula editor is a very good compromise between keyboard only editor
> like Latex and mouse only editor like MathType. So, please, do not
> destroy that.
>
> Best regards
> JBF
>
> --
> Seuls des formats ouverts peuvent assurer la pérennité de vos documents.
>
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