[libreoffice-users] Re: LO 4.0.3.3: 'Insert: Horizontal rule' is missing

Hi, Tom,   :-)

On 6/14/13 5:46 AM, Tom Davies wrote:
> Hi :)
> You are making it sound more complicated than it really is.

No, not really.

Maurice's point is the abandonment of the horizontal rule breaks his 
older documents.  Readable or not.

Steve's point is the breaking of old documents by removing the 
horizontal rule is the same type of practice for which people bad mouth MS.

<snip>

> 3.  You can find programs that still use the older formats.  Even LO can be switched to using older 
> formats.  See
> Tools - Options - "Load/Save" - General

So, I guess if Maurice still wants to use the horizontal rule ( or any 
other deprecated features) he should abandon the current LO and use the 
older programs?

Pray tell, if you drop the horizontal rule from the new version, how do 
you load and save a document that has a horizontal rule?

> 4.  The devs have created a new format for LO that wraps up the 3 older formats, 1.2 (not extended), 1.1 and 
> 1.0 and are calling it something like "1.2 Extended (compat)".  Files created using that format 
> will be able to be read by legacy software that can only read 1.0 or only 1.1.  Presumably at some point we 
> are going to find the options listed in
> Tools - Options - "Load/Save" - General
> to drop from 4 formats back down to 2.

I submit that files created by the new format will only load correctly 
in the older software if the features in the new documents are supported 
in the old software.

> The whole point of ODF is that even if or when programs do abandon a particular version of it that 
> format is still readable because the format is implemented as specified.  The point is NOT to 
> condemn us all to sticking with an unchanging format for the next few hundred years!  Change is 
> inevitable.  Documenting those changes is part of the aim of ODF so that old files can be read.

Readable does not equate to useable, which I think is Maurice's point.

Making the file readable by legacy software is rather a waste of time 
anyway, since the legacy software will eventually be broken by the 
evolution of the different OSes.  Making older files with the legacy 
formats useable, not just readable, is a valid goal.  That saves the 
user having to take the time to redo the document when it's a document 
that is still being used.  Such as a template.

Even if the new software can't save in the old format, if you read the 
old format 100% correctly, then all you have to do is Save As in the new 
format.  And the user gets on with life.

I would have to agree with Maurice, dropping the horizontal rule is 
dumb, especially if it now takes more work at the user's end to create 
one with HTML tags.  One of the reasons for computers is to get rid of 
having to do repetitive things by the human.  Have the computer do it.

For me, it's becoming a moot point.  I'd rather pay for program(s) that 
do what I need without issues (never 100% possible, but I'm finding more 
possible than with LO) and constantly mess with free software. 
Thunderbird is the other program for me that is on very thin ice.

> This is going waaay off-topic again.

True, but it's a good conversation.  :-)


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.8.4
Firefox 20.0
Thunderbird 17.0.5
LibreOffice 4.0.3.3


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