[Scribus] Survey: using tabs when alignment is other than 'left'

[Eilert]

Andreas Vox schrieb:
> Hi folks!
> 
> I've a question for the users: how should tabs work in justified,  
> right-aligned or centered paragraphs?

This depends on the situation and what the paragraph/line is meant to be 
for.

My situation 1:

The classic table made by tab stops. Here it's the line that counts, i. 
e. one line per paragraph, all standing from top to bottom (in OOo and 
MSWord you may even have one paragraph with only NewLines doing the 
same), and a decimal comma/point separated tab is possible, too.

Article      no     spec      price
my article    1     abc        34,45
next one     10     xyz-h       3,56

or something like a schedule

date    time     topic
23.07.  13:40    about tab-stops in DTP
24.07.  14:30    what it's all about

and so on.

Situation 2:
There are indentures, negative and positive ones, where you need just 
ONE tab per paragraph making the step:

23   This is an indented
      paragraph with a
      number or bullet or
      whatever.

There is, of course, the need to justify such paragraphs such as

23   This is an indented
      paragraph   with  a
      number or bullet or
      whatever.


This is what came to my mind when I read your question.



> c) consider right-aligned text with a left tab: should there be some  
> minimum space where the tab is?

Yes, that's necessary I think, maybe one or more ems?

> d) consider typing a right-aligned paragraph: which tabstop should  
> the first TAB key use, the leftmost one or some other?

The leftmost I think. At least this is how I know it.

> Currently my ideas go to supporting tabs in justified text by  
> restricting justification to the part after the last tab stop (does  
> anyone want justification between tabs?).

I think, for a table-like thing this would be more than enough luxury 
:-) Maybe it's even too much good, because the type of the tab-stop says 
how to align the text.

> When using tabs in right-aligned text I'd choose in the same order as  
> I would in left-aligned text, just flushing the text before ther  
> first tab right and justifying the text after the last tabstop.

If the text flows over the length of the line or the right tab-stop, the 
text may continue flowing left-aligned. I think, the word processors do 
it like that.

> I dont plan to support tabs in centered text.

Wouldn't make sense, would it?


Regards

Rolf