Bug 138924 - Libre Writer does not properly execute the IMAGE anchor choice as coded in STYLES.XML
Summary: Libre Writer does not properly execute the IMAGE anchor choice as coded in ST...
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.0.3.1 release
Hardware: x86-64 (AMD64) Windows (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2020-12-15 03:55 UTC by John Lockridge
Modified: 2022-02-06 21:21 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Screen shots showing that the code is actually broken (710.86 KB, text/plain)
2020-12-16 22:19 UTC, John Lockridge
Details
This is the build of 7.1.0 that still has the problem. (208.55 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2020-12-16 22:42 UTC, John Lockridge
Details

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Description John Lockridge 2020-12-15 03:55:51 UTC
Description:
Every time I paste a photo into a text document, I have to manually change the ANCHOR setting to “as-char” in order to keep the photo located in the proper place.  The setting change does not carry over to the next photo…  you have to change the setting for EACH photo.  Sadly, for many applications this renders LIBRE WRITER pretty much useless.  There must be a dozen “fixes” and “work-arounds” archived on-line.  All of the ones I’ve found are klutzy and would not be needed if only a good programmer would spend an hour or so and track down the source of this problem and apply a fix.  Better yet, give us the option to choose which anchor we want to use as a default, although I realize that is a bigger project.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Edit the STYLES.XML and set image anchor type to "as-char"
2. Paste a photograph into a text document
3. Double click on the image;  you will see that the image anchor type is "to=char", not "as-char". 

Actual Results:
see under OTHER INFORMATION

Expected Results:
I could not find how to attach a file to this bug report.  I have a document that includes screen shots if anyone is interested I can send them.  Just let me know.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: Yes



Additional Info:
Bug:  Libre Writer    7.0.3.1  build d7547858d014d4cf69878db179d326fc3483e082 and 7.1 (Dev) both have the same problem.  This has been documented before, but the suggested fixes do not work.  Thus I am running it up the flagpole again.  This is a very important problem for many users.

Description:  When an image is inserted into text in a Libre Writer document, formatting behavior is not what is expected.  To say that this is very frustrating is a gross understatement, and has forced me and I suspect many others to go back to MSWORD for our sanity.

The problem would be resolved if the default setting for IMAGE TYPE in styles.xml would be set to ANCHOR AS-CHARACTER.  Instead, it always comes up ANCHOR TO-CHARACTER.  There is no way for the user to change the default;  even utilizing a template does not work.

The problem appears to have deep roots.  When first installed, the default setting in the STYLES.XML code is set to ANCHOR TO-PARAGRAPH.  However, if you create a document and paste in an image then double click on the image, the setting shows up as ANCHOR TO-CHARACTER.  See below.



If you edit the XML and change the setting to ANCHOR AS-CHAR it makes zero difference.  The image shows up the same and it does not actually exhibit the AS-CHAR behavior.

Here is the XML after the change was made:

                                                                


And here is the result shown by double clicking on the image:




It is exactly the same, no change.

I even made a pass using ANCHOR TO PARAGRAPH, same result.

SUMMARY:  Every time I paste a photo into a text document, I have to manually change the ANCHOR setting to “as-char” in order to keep the photo located in the proper place.  The setting change does not carry over to the next photo…  you have to change the setting for EACH photo.  Sadly, for many applications this renders LIBRE WRITER pretty much useless.  There must be a dozen “fixes” and “work-arounds” archived on-line.  All of the ones I’ve found are klutzy and would not be needed if only a good programmer would spend an hour or so and track down the source of this problem and apply a fix.  Better yet, give us the option to choose which anchor we want to use as a default, although I realize that is a bigger project.

Thanks for reading.
John Lockridge
Comment 1 Telesto 2020-12-15 18:59:06 UTC
Good news: default anchor can be configured with the upcoming 7.1 release: see bug 99646
Comment 2 Andrea Piovesana 2020-12-16 21:59:07 UTC
Good news: default anchor can be configured with the upcoming 7.1 release
i wish
Comment 3 John Lockridge 2020-12-16 22:19:13 UTC
Created attachment 168242 [details]
Screen shots showing that the code is actually broken

I've had two replies to my bug report, both stating that this will be fixed in 7.1.  I tested 7.1.0 and it is not fixed in that release.


It is version 7.1.0.0 beta 1  build 828a45a0b954e0e539f5a9
Comment 4 John Lockridge 2020-12-16 22:42:12 UTC
Created attachment 168245 [details]
This is the build of 7.1.0 that still has the problem.
Comment 5 Dieter 2022-02-06 07:48:42 UTC
Hello John, a new major release of LibreOffice is available since this bug was reported. Could you please try to reproduce it with the latest version of LibreOffice from https://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/ ?
I have set the bug's status to 'NEEDINFO'. Please change it back to 'UNCONFIRMED' if the bug is still present in the latest version.
Comment 6 John Lockridge 2022-02-06 21:21:12 UTC
2/6/22
Some months ago, this bug was FIXED.  I don't remember which release fixed it.  I am now running 7.2.5.2.

A couple of points worth noting:

1)  After the bug was fixed, the user still had to change the default setup to FORMAT/ANCHOR/AS CHARACTER.  (I don't remember what the original default is, perhaps "TO CHARACTER" instead of "AS CHARACTER".  Once the default is changed to AS CHARACTER it works exactly like a former Microsoft Word user would expect.

I think it would be better to make the DEFAULT be AS CHARACTER.  That way a new convert from MSWORD would not need to fumble around trying to figure it out, become frustrated and possibly just turn back to WORD

2)  If this fix is advertised, I would expect to see a lot of former WORD users pile onboard.

Thanks much for fixing this.