On 10/19/2009 02:35 PM, John Kaufmann wrote:
> Joe, I've learned that you think about these things at a pretty deep
> level, so I try to make sure I understand the nuances...
I'm no expert, by any means; I'm just interested in using OOo effectively.
> In a message dated 2009.10.19 11:54 -0500, Joe Smith wrote:
>
>> The concept of "default tab stops" or "tab at every half-inch" are
>> only supported at the application level, not per paragraph, and you
>> will do well to avoid them in any case.
>> ...
>> Setting a paragraph's tab stops using the Format > Paragraph dialog
>> window is like a sharp stick in the eye--use the rulers instead.
>
Why is it better to define a Paragraph style's tab stop(s) [which,
to use the rulers, must be defined to AutoUpdate, correct?] with the
rulers rather than numerically?
Mainly for two reasons:
1) You can clearly see what you're doing.
If I have paragraphs containing two distinct items separated by a tab,
and I want the items to appear in two neat columns, I can simply click
on the ruler and drag the tab stop to a position that's wide enough for
all the items in the left column; I can easily see everything I need to
set the tab stop at an appropriate position.
Changing the tab stop later is just as easy.
2) The tab dialog is difficult to use.
The dialog's design makes it impossible to edit a tab stop. You have to
delete the stop and add it again, in the process, losing the alignment
and leader settings.
Further, the change/view cycle is awkward: You have to open the dialog,
make a guess at the position, then confirm with OK and check how it
looks--then, if it's not right, rinse and repeat.
You're right that using the ruler to edit the tab stops in a style is a
bit of a nuisance. I generally just grit my teeth and use the Edit Style
dialog, or move the tab(s) with the ruler and then update the style
manually. I don't much like the idea of auto-updating styles, so I
haven't tried that route.
For a one-off job, I just use direct formatting from the ruler--nothing
wrong with that, IMO.
On 10/19/2009 03:04 PM, Michael Adams wrote:
...
Setting a paragraph's tab stops using the Format> Paragraph dialog
window is like a sharp stick in the eye--use the rulers instead.
Not if you want precise distances. Some are happy with near enough
being good enough - others want anally perfect. OT Comments below*.
Very true. If you need precise positions, you have to use the dialog.
There is a lot of support for an enhancement[*] to make the rulers snap
to some convenient spacing--0.1" or 0.1cm, something like that. That
would make it reasonably easy to get precise stops from the ruler.
If you need more than one or two stops in a paragraph, you may be
better off with a table.
Yes, perhaps i should have. I wanted a scale of numbers equally spaced
across one line in the document.
I can think of a few ways to do that; what's best would likely depend on
what you need the scale for. If you wanted to use tabs, you're right: It
would probably be easier to just enter the positions in the dialog.
* Sir Isaac Newton, the renowned alchemist, is the one that did the
experiment where he poked a sharp stick (a bodkin) into his eye socket.
Fascinating. ;-)
<Joe
[*] Issue 24070: Items on ruler (i.e. tab stops, paragraph indent, table
borders) should snap.
http://qa.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=24070
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