Created attachment 175961 [details] Well implemented breaks I like LibreOffice and I recommend it to other people. It already has a lot of great features and I can't wait for every new version, to check the goodies and improvements! But please make the breaks a little more practical. Mark all the breaks with special inline text, which clearly says the type: ---Page Break--- ---Section Break--- ---Chapter Break--- The same for all kinds of breaks. It is a lot easier to work with, like in other editors. For example, the blue dotted line for page break is not as intuitive and easy to see as breaks in other editors. I am attaching some examples to check out.
I agree - the break aren't that easy to spot how we currently implement them. Maybe we don't need to change the dotted line for the page/column break - just add an additional break marker at the place of the break when formatting marks are enabled.
Yes, when formatting marks are enabled, the user should see clear marks for all break types at the place of the break and should easily identify the break type from those marks. This will make breaks easier to work with, including deleting them. Implementing this will improve the work with text in Writer.
I worry that too much information may overload the interface, especially when the information is following the text. I would prefer that the label only appears when the mouse hovers over the break mark. Today, no symbol clearly indicates that the break is a clickable element.
@phv: I don't think it will be too much information overloading the text. Users won't normally see formatting marks if they don't specifically enable this. As for advanced users, they *need* to see them, to be able to correctly format a document. As for me, I correct documents resulted from OCR scan of old, low quality printed pages. Anyone that ever did this knows there's stuff to correct and clean after the OCR scan. And if I enable Writer to show non-printable characters and formatting marks, I want them clearly marked and visible.
possible source code pointer https://opengrok.libreoffice.org/xref/core/sw/source/uibase/docvw/PageBreakWin.cxx?r=dbd49cf9#123
FYI: https://opengrok.libreoffice.org/xref/core/sw/source/core/layout/paintfrm.cxx?r=cf739db1#3698
Why is it "more practical" to have a label telling that this break makes the text start on the next page or that a new section/column etc. begins? I mean you see what you get. With the label the line becomes more salient of course. But anything else could do as well. Besides I'm not opposing the idea and as kind of industrial standard it's an expected feature. The indicator is easy to switch off for users who feel distracted. So let's do it. Might be even easyhackable.
Created attachment 176166 [details] Section break from Atlantis
From my point of view, it is more practical to have clear in-line text labels for breaks (from which you can easily see their type) because then you don't have to take a closer look to see why isn't the text moving as you would expect when you delete something, for example. Also because it is easier to work with a break if you can see it in your text. If you don't want it at all, you select it and delete it, just like you do for text. Also, because you always know it's exact place in the document. Pilcrow is a mode to see formatting marks and characters that otherwise don't have a visible body. It is an advanced mode, beginners and light users might not use it. Advanced users know why the activate it. Let it be advanced then :) I added a screenshot of a section break from Atlantis Word Processor. Just look at how clear marked it is. If you want it deleted, double-click and delete. It you want it moved down for example, click in front of it and <enter>. It's that simple. I wish I could work like this with all break types in LO Writer.
Re-evaluating the EasyHack in 2022 This enhancement is still relevant. A text like "---Section Break---" would be good enough for someone to distinguish between different types of breaks. It should be visible when the formatting marks are enabled. Please note that the "---Page Break---" should only become visible when the page is not in the "print layout".
*** Bug 158151 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***