Do you use the selection box?

If so, since you probably already use the mouse a lot, how about 
double clicking on the place-holders in the graphic display?
This will select the text for the place-holder in the command window.
Does that suit you?

Did you notice that you can travel between those markers by pressing 
(I think) F2 and shift-F2 in the command window?

If this suits your needs just put a response in this bug and I will 
close it, otherwise I'll pass it on for someone to decide abouzt this.
Though I have to say that the chances are it won't be changed because 
since it is already used this way a long time, the import/export of 
already existing documents with formulas would need to be changed 
accordingly.

Personally i don't use the selection box very often, I find it much
faster to "code" the formulas by hand. But as physics and math
teacher, I have to teach my pupils how to use the formula editor, and
they almost always use the mouse and the selection box, and my reason
for suggesting the change from <?> to {?} is simply at matter of
convenience for selection box-users, since I find that the <?> is very
rarely substituted by a single number or letter, but by things that
need grouping anyway. And e.g. 1 and {1} is already treated the same
way by the editor today.

Double-clicking placeholders in the graphic display doesn't always
work the way you would expect, e.g. if you want to add the fractions
1/n and 1/m to get (m-n)/mn, you have to type {m-n} in the
placeholder, not just m-n as you reasonably could expect. That kind of
problems would be resolved by the suggested change.

I'm not really sure I understand how and why this will affect old
formulae, but this is not the right forum for discussing taht, I think.

I'm not really sure I understand how and why this will affect old
formulae, but that's not 

How about replacing <?> by {<?>} in the selection menu and the 
context menu of the command window?

Would that be OK?

It can also be considered to replace <?> by sth. like {X}. Of course 
then no placeholder icon will be displayes but only an X.
Any other suggestions?

I still would need approval for the change though.


About old formulas:
If you like having {?} work like <?> (and still displaying the 
placeholder icon) it will effect old formulas since when loading <?> 
it has to be translated into {?} while loading. Also the parser needs 
to be change.
The main issue is if you like to have {?} being displayed as the 
placeholder icon. 
To replace the text <?> that gets inserted in the command window by 
another one (without further special effects) is a simple matter.

Replacing <?> with {<?>} would be OK, that would surely solve the 
"fraction problem" I mentioned earlier. (And it might please former 
MathType/ Equation editor - users that "boxes" behave the way they're 
used to ;-))




Although I prefer keeping symbols as simple as possible, I think 
replacing <?> with {X} might be confusing, if it means that no 
placeholder will be displayed.

TL->BH: To you for decision.

Set to "NEW"

reassigning, setting keywords according to new RFE-process

OpenOffice.org Issue Tracker - Feedback Request.

The Issue you raised is currently assigned to 'Requirements' pending review, but
has not been updated within the last 3 years. Please consider re-testing with
one of the latest versions of OOo, as the problem(s) may have already been
addressed. Either use the recent stable version:
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
or consider trying the new OOo 3 BETA (still in testing):
http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta/
 
Please report back the outcome so this Issue may be Closed or Progressed as
necessary - otherwise it may be Resolved as Invalid in the future. You may also
wish to search for (and note) any duplicates of this Issue that may have
advanced further by checking the Issue Tracker:
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/query.cgi
 
Many thanks,
Andrew
 
Cleaning-up and Closing old Issues as part of:
~ The Grand Bug Squash, pre v3 ~
http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/announcementbeta.html