The current Column tab in the Table properties dialog allows setting the width of each column individually, but does not allow setting the widths of all columns at once. This means that if one wants to change the widths of all columns to a common value, one has to scroll through all the individual-column boxes to do so. In some cases, that can be 10, 20 or even more text boxes, over many "dialog's worths" of scrolling. Now, I'm generally not thrilled about the Column tab's UI, but given what it has currently, one way to implement this could be a checkbox labeled "Uniform Column Width". Checking that would disable and uncheck "Adjust columns proportionally"; and also replace the multiple individual-column -/+ boxes with a single such box, for all columns.
Oh, also, the menu item Table | Size | Column Width should also allow setting the width of _all_ selected columns at once.
You can do with the option "Adjust columns proportionally" in the tables properties dialog (requires "Adapt table width" which is enabled for non-automatic layouts). With all the prerequisites and constraints I would rather abstain from having a checkbox, for example, in the column width dialog that applies one value to all columns. The dialog is just meant for a single column. My take: NAB.
We also have the requests "Adapting table width by default" in bug 113960 and "Setting unevenly distributed columns sizes is hard and cumbersome the achieve using Table properties or set width" in bug 114633.
And bug 128279 "distribute columns evenly not working"
If you select some columns, you can use the context menu -> Size -> Distribute Columns Evenly do do that, It works even for some (contiguous) columns, not only for all.
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #2) > You can do with the option "Adjust columns proportionally" in the tables > properties dialog (requires "Adapt table width" which is enabled for > non-automatic layouts). I can make proportional adjustment, yes, but I can't set a single uniform value; rephrasing the title to indicate that. > With all the prerequisites and constraints I would > rather abstain from having a checkbox, for example, in the column width > dialog that applies one value to all columns. The dialog is just meant for a > single column. Well, I guess that would be a separate issue. So, please disregard Comment #1 and let this issue concern the Table Properties dialog only.
(In reply to Gerhard Weydt from comment #5) > If you select some columns, you can use the context menu -> Size -> > Distribute Columns Evenly do do that, It works even for some (contiguous) > columns, not only for all. Oh, that's nice, I'd failed to notice that. But - if this functionality is available via a context menu, then surely we should also have it via the full-fledged Table Properties dialog...
The topic was on the agenda for the design meeting. "Adjust Column Width proportionally" works well, after "Adapt Table Width" is checked for not full-size table, allowing to have 'remaining space' It's not clear why the dialog should size proportionally since new tables are created accordingly. More controls and options clutter the UI further. So the verdict is WF. Existing means to resize columns are okay.
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #8) > The topic was on the agenda for the design meeting. If several related issues are scheduled for an upcoming design meeting, it might be useful to post a note about it on one of the issue pages, or email the reporters/main commenters about it. Specifically, I would have tried joined you for discussing this one. > "Adjust Column Width proportionally" works well, after "Adapt Table Width" > is checked for not full-size table, allowing to have 'remaining space' I don't understand how that relates to what I asked. > It's not clear why the dialog should size proportionally since new tables > are created accordingly. I said nothing about proportions. This bug is about setting the same width for all columns. > More controls and options clutter the UI further. The UI redesign might take care of that. Right now, we don't even have O(1) controls! We have O(number of columns) controls :-P Actually, it's not even obvious we have to have another control for this. Think of how this is implemented in Microsoft Word: https://bettersolutions.com/word/tables/properties-columntab.png Or the context-menu-triggered dialog. Something which only appears contextually when multiple columns are selected, or whose functionality changes contextually is also a possibility. Anyway, I would ask that you reopen this for now, until the UI redesign, and then make a final(?) decision.
(In reply to Eyal Rozenberg from comment #9) > Anyway, I would ask that you reopen this for now, until the UI redesign, and > then make a final(?) decision. Feel free to do so.
Keeping open, and thank you Heiko; I know how as a maintainer one always likes to close issues rather than let them stay open as something you have to attend to later :-)