GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 82710
Word Wrapping needs to be more user friendly
Last modified: 2004-12-22 21:47:04 UTC
Word wrapping is currently confusing and printed text is difficult to read. For example, wrapping only breaks at character boundaries when printing, which makes printed text very difficult to read. I would suggest that the following could be done to make Word Wrapping more user friendly while maintaining the current features. 1. The terminology needs to be less tech-speak, and more plain english (or whatever language.) Terms like word boundary and character boundary don't mean that much to the average user. 2. The options need to be simplified, and the defaults need to be set as a basic user would expect them to be. For example, MS Notepad always frustrated people because wrapping wasn't on by default. Here's what I propose. In the Editor Options: * Wrap Text (Y/N - default to yes) * Keep Words Intact (Y/N - default to yes) In the Print Options: * Use Editor Options (Radio - default) * Customize Printing (Radio) * Wrap Text (Y/N) * Keep Words Intact (Y/N) In the View Menu, there should be the option to turn wrapping off and on. This would create a setup where text is wrapped and words are left intact by default, and where printing options would be the same as editor options. If someone toggles word wrapping in the view menu, printing would correspond to the editor options. All the current options are still supported and the Descriptions are clearer to non-tech types.
*** Bug 82708 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
ATM, word wrapping is not implemented while printing calum: what do you think about Rodd suggestions?
I think it's a reasonable enough suggestion... rather than "Keep words intact" I might suggest something even more explicit like "Do not split words over two lines". (An important question to ask is whether people ever want to do wrapping at character boundaries anyway? Is this really useful, or should the option just be removed altogether? Most other simple text editors don't offer you this choice.) cc'ing Eugene from the docs team to see if they have any suggestions about how wording could be improved too.
Irene is documenting apps - please add her to the CC list: irene.ryan@sun.com
Eugene: For what it is worth, you should be able to add anyone with a bugzilla account to the cc: list- that field doesn't require permissions to modify (IIRC).
"Do not split words over two lines" is much better than "Keep words intact" and I would heartily support this change. I'm not sure whether wrapping at character boundaries is actually that relevant either. I would have suggested dropping it, but figured some tech-heads might want it. Then again, if they want it that bad, then they are probably using vi or emacs. I say drop it and just have "Wrap Text" This would simplify the printing dialog too, and allow any toggle that might be placed in the view (or other) menu to be obvious. So, to summarize, I've taking my initial suggestions and modified accordingly: In the Editor Options: * Wrap Text (Y/N - default to yes) In the Print Options: * Use Editor Options (Radio - default) * Customize Printing (Radio) * Wrap Text (Y/N) In the View Menu, there should be the option to turn wrapping off and on. Sheesh, this would really make the options obvious, simply and powerful. What do people think?
Sounds good to me, too late to make the 2.0.0 string freeze now though :/
Partially fixed in CVS HEAD
*** Bug 98632 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
See also bug 99273 for changing the default to wrapping at word boundaries. These bugs are not mututally exclusive.
Is this still an issue?
For the most part it's looking much much better and you've simplified it even further which it great. Printing seems to ignore these setting with is fine by me (as it wraps lines and doesn't split words over two lines, but it might be missed by some. I'd say let them file a bug report before offering it up. I'm not sure how the Gnome HIGgggerrrrrfyrers feels about this, but should the "Do not split words over two lines" be indented below the "Enable text wrapping" to show that it's dependant on it? Otherwise, well done guys and a big thankyou to all.
Yes, it probably should be indented a little, although I guess it might look a little odd when there are only two controls on the page.
Is anyone going to indent the "Do not split words over two lines" or should I close this and move on?
For what is worth I'd prefer not to indent it since IMHO it looks uglier, beside note that the second item is not sensitive if the first is turned off, so the "subordination relationship" between the two is clear. Anyway we are UI frozen for 2.6.
Let's close it then!