[Scribus] Text-Frame with 2 Columns?

[Pierre-Luc Auclair]

On Thursday 06 April 2006 12:55, Louis Desjardins wrote:
> Pierre-Luc Auclair a ?crit :
> > It would rather have to go in a paragraph tab, we already lack settings
> > that are only available via styles [that should go there].
>
> I agree this confuses everybody!
> Columns never come without a gutter. So 2 fields. Then we have the text
> inset... Rethinking it over doesn't convince me this solution will give
> the desired results. There will not be less confusion, imo.

Although that's practically true, columns can come without gutter. ;) I don't 
really see the confusion as to multiple fields, to me this is necessary.

> Maybe you'll agree the name of the tab itself brings the first
> confusion. How could "Shape" makes think about a text frame or an image
> frame? Could it be dynamically replaced by "Text Frame" when on a text
> frame, and "Image frame" when clicking on an image frame? Or simply
> "Frame" instead of "Shape" ?

I believe that it is semantically incorrect [to put it in Shape].

> Also, the way Scribus works, and correct me if I'm wrong, the paragraph
> style cannot accomodate columns or can it? My understanding is that
> columns are "text frame" dependant and not "paragraph" or "text"
> dependant. And how could we live with both worlds? What would take over
> and in what circumstances?

I believe that is correct. To me columns are a paragraph style and not frame 
settings (in a semantic point of view). It should be in paragraph, along with 
indentation and stuff like that. 

Complex paragraph behavior for semi-automatic type-setting, like I talked 
about with Avox and others on IRC a few weeks ago, could probably go in 
paragraph styles too, but behavior might want to and *should* probably be 
separated into another kind of style, Behavior style or something like that.

> But I would gladly welcome a "frame" style (idea already on the bug
> tracker).

To me a frame style is not the way to go (although I can definitely see the 
use for background color, outline color and stuff like that). To me the frame 
is a totally dissociated (semantically, again) element from text or 
paragraph. Also, this option lacks flexibility. For example you have 2 frame 
styles (only graphically) and 2 paragraphs styles, which can be mixed. If 
column formatting were into a frame style, you would need actually 4 frame 
styles to do the same.

Pierre-Luc