https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=149230
--- Comment #8 from ajlittoz <page74010...@yahoo.fr> --- Since I seem to be the culprit for causing this discussion, I'll elaborate a bit on my idea about style UI. First of all, a document processing app like Writer is used for various purposes (types of document) by people with very different skills and typographical culture. The UI must not be repellent and block people from using it. It must allow to play with the app and discover what it can do without forcing people to read a thick austere documentation. After all, I started using it pressing buttons, using formatting menus, in short direct formatting my documents. With time, I learned how to structure my mind about writing principles and switched more and more towards styles, discovering progressively the tremendous advantages of separating contents and "shape". A UI should allow both "discovery" and "expert" uses. In "discovery" mode, the available commands are presented without any "organising" and educational goal. They are just here and user may test or combine them in any way. "Expert" mode should encourage a more structured approach, implementing or being support for a writing method. LO has a highly valuable feature in the choice of UI. In addition to the present toolbars/menus, we could have this new "expert" toolbar with an emphasis on styles. This would not disrupt present habits with existing UIs. Direct formatting is not a sin per se. There are many "commands" which can't be driven by a style, e.g. restarting a list number. So, an "absolutely-no-DF" methodology is not possible. However, using DF judiciously and consistently requires an expert knowledge of Writer possibilities. I'd say that DF is the approach of a complete newbie and at the extreme opposite of an absolute guru, the gap between both being style formatting. Also suggesting that in "expert" mode, style formatting should override DF is a fundamental flaw. Independently from Mike Kaganski's argument, having mode-dependent precedence rules is a huge flaw. We can't have para-char-DF in standard modes and DF-para-char in "expert/styled" mode. This will confuse users even more than Writer (see M.K.'s argument). In short, a style-oriented UI could be an additional UI, an arrangement of existing UI bits in a specific combination of menus and toolbars. Users will ultimately be free to choose this or not according to his skills and methodology. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are the assignee for the bug.
