Bug 68589 - Allow linking of text frames in Draw
Summary: Allow linking of text frames in Draw
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Draw (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
Inherited From OOo
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
: 34402 64008 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks: 67299 DTP 68259 105567
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Reported: 2013-08-27 03:36 UTC by Brennan Vincent
Modified: 2020-07-28 08:51 UTC (History)
10 users (show)

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Crash report or crash signature:


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Description Brennan Vincent 2013-08-27 03:36:43 UTC
Text frames in Writer can be "linked" so that text flows from one to the other: https://help.libreoffice.org/Writer/Inserting,_Editing,_and_Linking_Text_Frames

I can't find any similar feature in Draw. It would be nice if text frames in Draw could do something similar.

MS Publisher feature-compatibility and MS Publisher file import are blocked on this.
Comment 1 Justin L 2013-10-05 11:06:25 UTC
Publisher capabilities are highly desired by us for producing literacy books.  Text Frames need to be a "first class citizen" in Draw for that to happen. (First class meaning text flows, and character/paragraph styles). The Literacy department does not like using Word/Writer for creating books since picture management and other alignment issues are much harder to do in "Word" than in "Publisher".
Comment 2 Owen Genat (retired) 2013-12-07 11:11:05 UTC
Bug 64008 is likely requesting the same enhancement, although the bug here is markedly clearer in description. My comment in the other bug has not helped as the summary was originally misleading but now includes the term "flowing". A text box is a type of frame. Even though in ODF v1.2, Part 1, it states:

> 19.118 draw:chain-next-name
> The draw:chain-next-name attribute specifies a name that is used to chain text 
> boxes together for cases where the content of a text box exceeds its capacity. 
> The content flows into the next text box in the chain. The value of this 
> attribute is the name of the next text box in the chain.

... the reference is to a frame (Insert > Frame...) which of course is not available in Draw / Impress as you indicate. I have edited the summary to replace "boxes" with "frames" for consistency with what is stated in comment #0. Version set to Inherited From OOo. Platform set to All/All.
Comment 3 Buovjaga 2016-01-26 16:34:32 UTC
*** Bug 34402 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 4 Buovjaga 2016-01-26 16:35:07 UTC
*** Bug 64008 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 5 Buovjaga 2016-01-26 16:35:39 UTC
This feature now exists thanks to Matteo Campanelli, but it needs a UI.
Comment 6 Heiko Tietze 2016-06-30 07:28:28 UTC
(In reply to Buovjaga from comment #5)
> This feature now exists thanks to Matteo Campanelli, but it needs a UI.

Not sure what you mean. Draw has the option Insert > Floating Frame..., but is this the same as a text frame? Never used this feature but I would expect the same functionality as in Writer meaning you add two frames, link them (via toolbar or menu Format > Frame & Object in Writer), and enter text in the first one (which floats into the second).
Comment 7 Buovjaga 2016-06-30 10:27:12 UTC
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #6)
> Not sure what you mean. Draw has the option Insert > Floating Frame..., but

See here etc. http://gsoc15-draw.logdown.com/posts/283339-text-chaining-in-draw-results-at-midterm
Comment 8 Heiko Tietze 2016-06-30 13:07:03 UTC
Thanks for adding this reference. So it needs in fact a UI, at best the same as known from Writer.
Comment 9 Regina Henschel 2017-10-22 12:23:03 UTC
The object "floating frame" is totally different form "text-box". A "floating frame" corresponds to the HTML iframe. Its purpose is to show foreign content, which is linked, similar to OLE.
Comment 10 Heiko Tietze 2020-07-27 14:18:39 UTC
Regina, how to we proceed here?
Comment 11 Regina Henschel 2020-07-27 15:54:38 UTC
The Draw text box is the same as the Writer frame and supports linking in file format. Only our edit engine in Draw does not support it. (If you set linking manually in the file, you even see some floating to the next frame. But it ends in an endless loop.)

For me it is valid enhancement request.

In general, it is a larger task to consolidate the Draw and Writer engines. Such task includes rotating of Writer frame, and includes OLE-Objects (e.g. Math equations) and images in Draw text box. Linking text boxes in Draw would be just another aspect of such task.

It would be a nice feature. You "only" need to find a developer.
Comment 12 Heiko Tietze 2020-07-28 08:51:29 UTC
So let's do it. Don't see immediate need for input from UX.