[scribus-dev] Inline objects as framework for dynamic text?

[Cezary Grabski]

> I don't think it's a good idea to implement dynamic text as inline frames.

No, I wouldnt like to insert inline frames.

> I would implement dynamic text similar to how we implement page numbers and
> page count.

Yes, but difficult for me is how to define special chars for that purpose.
So I thought about using SpecialChars::OBJECT for that, but changing behaviour 
of what is inserted instead of that special char. Just extend inline objects 
class for use it for inline frames, dynamic texts (inserted as text, but not 
editable like simply text) and references.

> In fact, IMO there should be a general <var name="scope.id" />
> element that can be extended to cover page.number, page.count,
> doc.attr-name, frame.attr-name, ref.name etc.

It is only way for saving it in SLA file and it is very small problem.

> For marking normal text to be used elsewhere I'd prefer an attribute to
> CharStyle. That way any text marked with "footnote" would be rendered as a
> footnote marker and the content would be reused in a specialized frame that
> contains the footnotes. For anchors you'd set for example a charstyle
> attribute label="some-name" and for references you'd use <var
> name="pageref.some-name" />.
> 
> Does this make sense to you?

Rather no because char styles behaviour is not acceptable for me in current 
state and I am far away from using char styles at all, but that is topic for 
another discuse.

For me it would be implemented (from user side) as that:
- in menu Insert new submenu Markers/References with new special items:
* variable marker
* cross reference anchor/marker
* index entry (maybe even TOC entry)
* footnote/endnote
- each selection invoke dialogue box where user can select options for 
inserting item like label for marker, point of reference (marker or frame 
name), numbering style and content for foot/endnotes, selecting definied or 
defining new variable marker etc.
- each inserted item is editable only by invoking from context menu Edit 
Marker/Reference and by deleting item. Text inserted dynamically is not 
editable like other "static" text.
- updating cross references can take some time with large document and many 
dynamic items, so it should not be performed automatically during simply 
editing but by manually invoking from menu Update Document or, if that is set 
in doc prefs, automatically before exporting page/document. I think 
automatically update should be performed when Master Pages, styles and pages 
properties are changed.

From dev side as I wrote before - I thought about use and extend inline 
objects class (by add to it kind of insertion and new rendering ways), but 
also new class for that puprposes can be created.
But I am not thinking about inserting text dynamically created by markers and 
references into inline frames! It should be like normal text with respect for 
styles, but not editable by typing (even cursor should jump over such dynamic 
text like it was in a frame).

cezaryece