[scribus] Story Editor Proposal.

Roger hovergo at net-tech.com.au
Wed Aug 13 03:25:53 CEST 2008


I would like to make a proposal for revising the story editor in Scribus.

Example:
I have a text box containing text positioned on the page.
To access the text requires a series of convoluted steps.

1 left click in the text box to bring up the menu.
Select <edit text> Make the change in the text then <ctrl W> to save.
The Story editor has text manipulation tools that can be usedto alter the text.

2 Click in the Text box  press <F2> <Properties>, go to <Text> make changes to 
the fonts which are not reflected in the Story Editor and cannot generally over 
write settings made in the Story Editor. A level of confusion remembering which 
feature was used to alter font attributes.

3 In the text box, double click to edit text - but this works only with 
significant zoom, say 300 percent.
The Tab settings are made in the text box but not reflected in Story Editor and 
can be upset by altering alignment in <Properties><Text>.

Proposal to simplify the text edit/manipulation system.

Double click in the text box you wish to manipulate - to bring up a zoomed 
version/image of the text box and <Properties> dialog with <Text> preselected.
-- Same aspect ratio  as the text box
-- Same fonts as the text box.
-- Same layout and design attributes but in edit mode
-- No font manipulation tools, replaced with the Style manipulation tools and a 
zoom tool or Mouse Wheel zoom.
-- Tab tools and ruler visible and operational.
-- Preference for unformatted plain text -- all manipulation achieved within 
this window.

To place unformatted text in a text box, either drag and drop or have the text 
file open, select/highlight  the portion of text and cut/paste <Ctrl C V>the 
text to the text box. I sort of do this but it requires the Story Editor to be 
open, adding an unnecessary level of complexity.

Possibility -  remove <Text> from the <Properties> dialog and attach it 
exclusively to this new edit window tool. It seems strange to have text 
manipulation divorced from and not reflected in the editor.

Hope this helps
Roger




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