When a toolbar is presented as text (words) rather than icons (pictures), the number of elements visible is severely constrained. This is because each text element is generally much wider than the icon equivalent. To make such a toolbar more practical and useful, text should be presented on two rows rather than just one. Each text element should use a font approximately half as high as the icons so that both rows of elements can fit into the same vertical space as the single row of icons. This is a technique I first saw on very old versions of WordPerfect. I've wondered since why it hasn't been adopted more widely.
Meanwhile we have the Notebookbar which offers non-standard toolbar layouts.
I appreciate that this ticket was still active after six years (!) and I'd still love a real solution. But I've never heard of the Notebookbar and, apparently, neither has my current LibreOffice installation. Entering that term to search the help does not find any reference. I'm running Fedora's "Build ID" 6.1.5.2-2.fc29. Where can I learn about the Notebookbar?
(In reply to Dave Close from comment #2) > Where can I learn about the Notebookbar? https://help.libreoffice.org/6.2/en-US/text/shared/01/notebook_bar.html?DbPAR=SHARED#bm_id190920161758487840 https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2016/12/21/the-document-foundation-announces-the-muffin-a-new-tasty-user-interface-concept-for-libreoffice/ https://design.blog.documentfoundation.org/2016/12/21/evolving-past-the-restrictions-of-toolbars/ https://design.blog.documentfoundation.org/2017/01/16/diy-ui-how-to-create-your-own-notebookbar/ https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Design/ToolBar https://mikekaganski.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/libreoffice-muffin/ (and any of the gazillion news after the recently published version 6.2 that makes it non-experimental) The point is, toolbars are single row controls. LibreOffice aims to be as close to the system's look and feel as possible and we wont change the standard layout.
Thanks for the explanation. The last cited reference states, "LibreOffice believes that it should be pleasant and easy to use by anyone; and it will never take steps (like other softwares sometimes do) that will sacrifice one group of users’ preferences just to please another." But everything I see makes it hard or harder to use for those of us who prefer *TEXT* buttons, not pictures (icons). For example, there is no way to change all toolbars globally to text mode, and it appears to be very difficult, if not impossible, to make text mode changes persist when the same document is later reopened. One of the references cited seems to continue this bias against text mode by asserting that text labels should not or cannot be used with the notebookbar. I truly wish that the quotation above could be believed but it doesn't look that way to me. This ticket was opened because I prefer to use text buttons. Offering a new way to arrange icons is not a solution. If LO doesn't want to support text, that's certainly your privilege, but it won't make me happy.
(In reply to Dave Close from comment #4) > But everything I see > makes it hard or harder to use for those of us who prefer *TEXT* buttons, > not pictures (icons). For example, there is no way to change all toolbars > globally to text mode... You could create your own icon theme without any items. Or go with the MUFFIN idea and create some special Notebookbar without icons. Sounds like an interesting idea though I doubt you have enough space for all commands (consider non-English localization).