Bug 142086 - FORMATTING: Wrapping text around equations
Summary: FORMATTING: Wrapping text around equations
Status: RESOLVED NOTABUG
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.1.2.2 release
Hardware: x86-64 (AMD64) Windows (All)
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2021-05-04 17:34 UTC by Dave
Modified: 2021-05-05 22:48 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Compare/Contrast Image Wrapping vs. Equation Wrapping (439.07 KB, image/png)
2021-05-04 17:35 UTC, Dave
Details
clip of wrap around frame (interactive) on canvas holding OLE Formula object (42.10 KB, image/png)
2021-05-04 19:11 UTC, V Stuart Foote
Details
Eq in a Frame (437.37 KB, image/png)
2021-05-05 20:00 UTC, Dave
Details

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Description Dave 2021-05-04 17:34:35 UTC
Description:
In Writer, when mixing text with equations, the wrapping options are very limited. Ideally, I would like to have the same wrapping options with an equation as I do with an image, but most are grayed out (unavailable.)

A specific case is an equation followed by a "where X is this and Y is that" type of text. For equations with many variables, the "where" clause becomes long and wraps around. But, multi-lines always end up pushed below the equation rather than pressed up against the right side of it. (See attached screenshot.) 

It would look much nicer to have the equation wrap behave like the image wrap or at least have the option of making it so. Is this a possible enhancement that could be made?

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Create an equation that is tall, like Z = {X} over {Y}
2. Type some text after the equation describing the variables, like "where X is something and Y is something else."
3. Keep typing until the text wraps around.
4. Notice how the text does not fit itself to the borders of the equation, but rather moves below the equation and all the way to the left.
5. Right-click the equation and click Properties in an attempt to change the wrapping.
6. Notice how all but one option is unavailable.

Actual Results:
Text will always wrap to below the equation.

Expected Results:
Text should flow as it does around an image or at least have the option to make it flow that way.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
Version: 7.1.1.2 (x64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: fe0b08f4af1bacafe4c7ecc87ce55bb426164676
CPU threads: 8; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 19041; UI render: Skia/Raster; VCL: win
Locale: en-US (en_US); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded
Comment 1 Dave 2021-05-04 17:35:34 UTC
Created attachment 171634 [details]
Compare/Contrast Image Wrapping vs. Equation Wrapping
Comment 2 V Stuart Foote 2021-05-04 19:09:44 UTC
Rather than inline. Place the Formula OLE into a Frame (interactive will be most comfortable to manipulate), you'll get wrap exactly like an image.
Comment 3 V Stuart Foote 2021-05-04 19:11:59 UTC
Created attachment 171637 [details]
clip of wrap around frame (interactive) on canvas holding OLE Formula object
Comment 4 Dave 2021-05-05 20:00:16 UTC
Created attachment 171660 [details]
Eq in a Frame
Comment 5 V Stuart Foote 2021-05-05 20:05:34 UTC
(In reply to Dave from comment #4)
> Created attachment 171660 [details]
> Eq in a Frame

Your point?  Adjust the frame and the formula padding to match if that is important to you.
Comment 6 Dave 2021-05-05 20:06:25 UTC
I agree the equation in a frame solves the text wrapping, but it alters the look of the equation. The result is shorter and more squat than the original. The equation cannot be resized to adjust this. There is a black border around the equation that cannot be removed.

Also, the process of putting an equation in a container to be able to wrap text around it is not intuitive. Wrapping text around an image is intuitive. I would argue, for the sake of a consistent user interface this is still a valid enhancement request. Not high priority by any means, but it would make the user experience more consistent.
Comment 7 Dave 2021-05-05 20:17:49 UTC
I would also add that beginning a reply with "Your point?" is probably not the best way to foster good relations with the user community. I offered this suggestion as an enhancement, not a bug. I spent valuable time creating a clearly worded request with screenshots to back it up. I also donate money to LibreOffice. In short, I created this enhancement request because I care about the product. I believe the enhancement will create a more consistent and polished user interface. If the project wishes to have continued input from the community, the attitude that we are inconveniencing developers with these requests needs to be dropped.
Comment 8 V Stuart Foote 2021-05-05 21:03:53 UTC
Not a developer, just a TDF member and longtime LibreOffice QA volunteer.

I can't tell you how many enhancement/bug report are for features that are already fully implemented in the project. If I were being snotty I would give you a "RTFM", but I try to be kind.

Formula in your added frame is being "squashed" (compared to a non-frame insertion) because it now has two sets of padding--for the formula OLE and for the frame.

You've got the wrap you wanted, adjust the padding.

@Regina, anything to add on wraping around an OLE formula?
Comment 9 Dave 2021-05-05 21:22:32 UTC
That was a totally half-assed apology if it even was one, but I'll take it. :-) Let's be civil from here on out. I admire your volunteer spirit and the support you give to one of the most useful open-source/libre/free software applications I'm using.

Let me take a moment to clarify my point.

To me, the idea of a formula in a frame is a work around. And a kludgy one at best. Why? because it is different than the way text wraps around an image. Wrapping text around an image takes little if any thought. Right-click, properties. Oh, look! There's a tab for wrap. Done!

Contrast that to wrapping text around a formula. Right-click, properties. Oh, look, there's a tab for wrap. What's this? All of the options are grayed out and unavailable for me to select. Well, this sucks. How am I supposed to wrap text around this [expletive deleted] formula.

This is how I envision it working. Gee, I'd really like to wrap text around this formula so it doesn't spill out over multiple lines in a genuinely visually displeasing way. I've never done it before, but I've wrapped text around images. I wonder if its the same. Right-click, properties. Oh, look! There's a tab for wrap. And it works exactly like it does for images. Isn't that neat! I [expletive deleted] love LibreOffice! Honey, where's the checkbook? I'm making a donation.

This is why I submitted the enhancement request.
Comment 10 Regina Henschel 2021-05-05 22:48:46 UTC
(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #8)
> @Regina, anything to add on wraping around an OLE formula?

Yes. We have two contrary use cases for Math formula, (A) a small formula inline and (B) a formula in own paragraph. Dave apparently needs case (B).

The default is case (A). That means, that the frame style "Formula" is automatically used, when a Math formula is inserted. This style has the anchor type "as character" and that anchor type cannot be changed in the style. This style has a padding, where zero padding should be, see bug 65067.

For use case (B) you need to change the anchor type individually for the formula, or you need to define an own frame style derived from "Frame". That one has the anchor type "to paragraph". In such a new own frame style you can set the desired padding. You will need to apply that style after the formula is inserted.

We might consider adding an option to select the preferred anchor type for formula, which would reduce the cases, where the user has to set the anchor type individually for each formula. Similar was done for inserting images.

There exists a third option: inserting a formula into a layout table. That is done by the autotext FN. I personally do not like it, because it is not possible to move paragraphs up and down with arrow keys across a table.

In case you need a formula in own paragraph often, defining an own autotext for that might be a fourth option.