Subject: Re: RFC: List (bullet, number...) overhaul
From: Randy Kramer (rhkramer@fast.net)
Date: Sun Oct 14 2001 - 09:14:18 CDT
Matti Picus wrote:
> I am taking this public for more comment. Martin and I have been discussing
> revamping the way AbiWord builds a label for a list. The following text
> does not use periods at the end of sentences, I thought it looked confusing
> with all the periods running amok.
>
> Currently, the mechanism utilizes a formatting string that looks like
> "(%L)" or "%L." As the label is built, the %L is replaced by the value of
> a counter, for example if the counter has the value 3, the format string is
> "%L." and the list type is lower case, the label-builder will emit
> "c." If the label has a parent, i.e. it should add on another, higher,
> level number, it prepends the higher level label to itself, to get
> something like 2.c.
>
> I propose a different mechanism that uses a formatting string that, for the
> example above, would look like "%1.%2." This will allow, for example a
> top-level label like "Chapter 2." and a second-level label like "Chap. 2,
> sect. c" We could get even more fancy by using a full-blown fprintf ripoff
> and allow formatting strings like "Chap. %1I sect. %2i" to get a label like
> "Chap. II sect. iii" but that may be over the top.
>
> If the issue were totally back-end and invisible to the user, I would just
> commit it and no-one would be the wiser :). But what use is a feature with
> no UI access to it? So the questions are:
>
> 1. Any comments on the general idea? Too much? Too little? Leave it for
> after version 1 release?
I'd like to have quite a bit of flexibility in the formatting of the
numbers, and it sounds like your approach gives a little more
flexibility. I can imagine chapter headings like these (among others):
- Chapter 2.4.3.
- Chapter 2, section 4.3
- Chapter II.A.iii.
- 2.4.3
>
> 2. What would a good UI dialog design look like? We seem to have a few
> problems maintaining all the platform-dependent dialog boxes as it is, how
> could we do this simply, cleanly, and not confuse the "church secretary?"
That's a tough one, which is one of the reasons I did not respond any
earlier. I'd suggest you try to get a look at the ways it can be done
in Word 97. (There are several, and I'd suggest Word 2000 also except
I'm not at all familiar with it.)
Especially look at the Format --> Bullets and Numbering dialog with the
three tabs, 8 panes on each tab, and the customize button. I'm not
saying it's the best interface, but I've learned to use it. There is
(at least) one odd behavior. If you create a custom numbering format,
it displaces one of the "standard" ones on the eight panes. Later, if
you want to use one of the standard ones that has been replaced, I don't
know how to find it. Unless I'm missing something, I have found no way
to sort of scroll those eight panes so they cycle through all the
numbering schemes, both custom and standard. That is a deficiency that
should be addressed.
(Aside: I might have missed that -- it's not really a big deal for me --
I have a few customized numbered formats, may make a new one for a new
project, but don't often use a lot of numbering schemes within the same
document. (And, I use templates, so my custom numbering schemes are
available for any document.))
Randy Kramer
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