Bug 112327

Summary: Disable "Master elements" when not in Master Slide mode
Product: LibreOffice Reporter: Regina Henschel <rb.henschel>
Component: ImpressAssignee: Not Assigned <libreoffice-bugs>
Status: NEW ---    
Severity: enhancement CC: cno, heiko.tietze, philipz85, sophi, vsfoote
Priority: medium    
Version: 6.0.0.0.alpha0+   
Hardware: All   
OS: All   
See Also: https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=112628
Whiteboard:
Crash report or crash signature: Regression By:
Bug Depends on:    
Bug Blocks: 85811, 102341    
Attachments: Example to test the Master Elements dialog

Description Regina Henschel 2017-09-11 14:13:25 UTC 
Created attachment 136174 [details]
Example to test the Master Elements dialog

If you use the item "Master elements" from menu Slide, you might think, that this disables the display of footer/header/page number/date-time for the current active slide or notes page. But it removes it from the associated master page even if you are not in Master view but in Normal view. At the same time the styling of the element is lost, so that enabling the element again inserts it with the default styling.

The item "Master elements" is linked to .uno:MasterLayouts. It has the extended tipp "Add header, footer, date, and slide number placeholders to the master slide. So it is very clear, that it is only intended for the master slide. Therefore it should not be active, if you are in normal view.

But the command is not needed at all.  If in master view, you can enable/disable the items in the "Header and Footer" dialog from "Insert > Page number" or "Insert > Header and Footer". (The duplicate way for the same dialog is in bug 104088.)
And if you are in normal view the "Header and Footer" dialog allows you to disable the display of the master element for the current slide or notes respectively.

The command .uno:MasterLayouts might be used in macros, therefore my request is not to remove it totally, but only to remove it from the UI.

I have attached a file, where I have enabled line and filling for the master elements, so that they can be seen easily. You can use it to test the command.
Comment 1 Yousuf Philips (jay) (retired) 2017-09-24 19:38:57 UTC 
I've removed it from the context menu in this patch[1], but like any other command, the user should know how it functions when they use it. If you feel that it can harm users in Normal mode who dont understand it, then maybe it should only be enabled in Master Slide mode.

Heiko, Stuart, Cor, Sophie: what are your thoughts?

[1] https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/42718
Comment 2 Cor Nouws 2017-09-24 20:16:16 UTC 
(In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #0)

> But the command is not needed at all.  If in master view, you can
> enable/disable the items in the "Header and Footer" dialog from "Insert >
> Page number" or "Insert > Header and Footer". (The duplicate way for the
> same dialog is in bug 104088.)

Why would there have been an option to remove those from the master page, if there is the choice to make them invisible?
Comment 3 Regina Henschel 2017-09-24 21:42:34 UTC 
(In reply to Cor Nouws from comment #2)
> Why would there have been an option to remove those from the master page, if
> there is the choice to make them invisible?

It was originally in View > Master > Master Elements. So there was no confusion because it was a sub-item under 'Master'. But now it is in Slide and it is no longer obvious, that it makes changes to the master.

But already in OOo 2 the 'Master Elements' has been unnecessary. The "Header and Footer" dialog exists at that time too, also in menu View.

I don't know, why both had been introduced. In OOo1.1.5 both of them do not exist.
Comment 4 Yousuf Philips (jay) (retired) 2017-09-24 23:24:56 UTC 
(In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #3)
> It was originally in View > Master > Master Elements. So there was no
> confusion because it was a sub-item under 'Master'.

Even with its old location i believe people would still be confused.

> But now it is in Slide
> and it is no longer obvious, that it makes changes to the master.

Yes i guess having it with three other slide-level master slide options can makes it less obvious.

> But already in OOo 2 the 'Master Elements' has been unnecessary. The "Header
> and Footer" dialog exists at that time too, also in menu View.

As 'Master Elements' is for removing it at the master slide level and 'Header and Footer' hides it at the slide level, both seem necessary to me.
Comment 5 Regina Henschel 2017-09-25 01:20:21 UTC 
(In reply to Yousuf Philips (jay) from comment #4)
 
> As 'Master Elements' is for removing it at the master slide level and
> 'Header and Footer' hides it at the slide level, both seem necessary to me.

Yes you are right. They are indeed both necessary. Perhaps disable Master Elements, when not at master slide level?
Comment 6 sophie 2017-09-25 06:49:07 UTC 
(In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #5)
> (In reply to Yousuf Philips (jay) from comment #4)
>  
> > As 'Master Elements' is for removing it at the master slide level and
> > 'Header and Footer' hides it at the slide level, both seem necessary to me.
> 
> Yes you are right. They are indeed both necessary. Perhaps disable Master
> Elements, when not at master slide level?

It seems the more logical and the less confusing for users if it's possible. Sophie
Comment 7 Heiko Tietze 2017-09-25 11:13:29 UTC 
(In reply to Yousuf Philips (jay) from comment #1)
> Heiko, Stuart, Cor, Sophie: what are your thoughts?

We will not finally solve the situation with master elements whether this menu item is shown, hidden, or disabled.