Hello;
Last March I filed issue #45593 on the subject of the limit of 2 decimal
places for dimensions (margins, tabs, fixed line spacing, etc.) in OO
Writer (and elsewhere). This is particularly a problem when using Inches
as the unit of measurement. A few days ago I posted a message about the
subject on the [email protected] mailing list. There were quite a few
messages in response, for and against. If you are interested in the
discussion that took place, please check that mailing list. I used the
same subject line there.
I then posted a message there which I am reposting here. I hope it is
taken constructively. One person complained about code bloat. Another
person commented about the "gatekeepers" policies regarding certain
improvements. This message was in response to them, and the overall
issues. Thank you.
John Hardy
From [email protected]:
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In Writer (and elsewhere), what harm would be caused by adding the
ability to specify dimensions to an accuracy of three (or more) decimal
places instead of just two decimal places? I make the following
observations:
1. There is already plenty of room in each little entry window for the
additional decimal places. Look at all of these dimension entry windows:
Tools/Options/General
Paragraph/Indents & Spacing (Including Fixed line spacing)
Paragraph/Tabs
Paragraph/Drop Caps
Paragraph/Borders
Page Style/Margins
Page Style/Headers
Page Style/Footers
Page Style/Borders
Page Style/Footnotes
Bullets & Numbering/Position
Bullets & Numbering/Options
Edit Paragraph Style/Indents & Spacing
Edit Paragraph Style/Drop Caps
Edit Paragraph Style/Borders
2. Regarding "code bloat", the size of the code would probably remain
UNCHANGED, since the number of decimal places would probably be
determined by a formatting variable. Change "Decimal_places = 2" to
"Decimal_places = 3" or "Decimal_places = 4" and the code is the same size.
3. The user is not forced to use the extra digits, so no harm is done to
those who are frightened or offended by the extra digits. The formatting
of the decimal display could probably be structured so that the extra
decimal places are not even shown unless the user enters a 3 or
4-decimal place value.
4. The changes in the code would probably take very little time to make
for the person who is in charge of working on this area of code.
5. It would give OO much greater accuracy for those who need it, without
any penalty for those who don't need it.
But apparently, there has been a policy that OO will NEVER have such
abilities. From Jonathon:
"More that historically, the gatekeepers have point blank refused to
even consider enhancement requests that could even remotely construed as
providing any desktop publisher capability to OOo."
What could the reason possibly be for refusing to make OO more capable,
with no increase in code size, and very little time required to make the
changes?
Is there some political issue simmering below the surface? Fear of a
lawsuit from a desktop publishing software company? Someone has a big
investment in a DTP software company? A secret effort to force the world
to use millimeters and/or points instead of inches? Some form of
punishment to those who do not use millimeters?
Were the developers born and raised in the metric world, and have no
clue about the existence of Inches? Are their own document requirements
so primitive that they don't realize the need for greater precision that
some users have?
Something is wrong here. We should all be striving for EXCELLENCE, yet
the gatekeepers and some of the users seem to be demanding MEDIOCRITY.
Thank you.
John Hardy
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