[Libreoffice] Formula cursor : bug or feature ?

[Jean-Baptiste Faure]

Hi,

Le 29/12/2010 23:59, Jonas Finnemann Jensen a écrit :
>> If you need to remove cursor formula feature to implement your visual
>> editor, that proves there is some defect in your implementation.
>> Please, do not tell we do not need this feature when you do not know how
>> to implement your visual editor without destroying it.
> As I said position and selection synchronization between the two
> editors is possible.
> But it's not a priority of mine, fixing current bugs in the visual editor is :)
If visual editor remove cursors synchronization (formula cursor), it is
a bug.
> Note: That the visual editor is still an experimental feature, and not
> enabled by default!
> If the visual editor causes regressions in a magnitude worth talking
> about we can take that discussion when it's declared stable...
I prefer to alert you before...
>  - That is not happening now...
> But I will keep in mind that the current user base is not fond of
> regressions... :)
>
> By the way, do you totally discard the need for an easy-to-use formula editor ?
No. But what do you mean by "easy-to-use formula editor" ? "easy-to-use
formula editor" is not a specification for an editor. The specification
describe the set of functions you will implement and you expect that
this set of functions will let say the users: ok, now we have an
"easy-to-use formula editor".
In other words "easy-to-use formula editor" is a marketing expression
behind which you can have anything.

For me the current formula editor is already easy-to-use. However it
will be more easy to use if the command window was able to show the
complementary braket or brace. It would be very useful when you have
complex formulas with several levels of group brakets to write.
> I'm not saying that there's no need command text interface... And if
> you love the way the formula cursor works now... I don't think it's a
> problem to create a settings checkbox where you can determine formula
> cursor behavior...
I think that is, indeed, the least of the things to do if you want add a
visual mode to the current editor.
However the button to activate the formula cursor already exists, but it
does not work if experimental functions are activated.
In fact I would prefer a checkbox to choose the editor mode, text mode
or visual mode.
> But I'm hoping that at some point during the development the two
> things will blend nicely, so that it works out for everybody :)
For that you need to design your visual editor to allow the possibility
to write formulas without using the mouse. For example it would be nice
to write sqrt{} in the formula and obtain a square root.

Best regards.
JBF

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