Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 28595
Unable to select text which is above a background (watermark) image
Last modified: 2013-08-07 14:43:03 UTC
After insertings an image, and settings it wrap options to "in background" and setting it as page background, there is no way to select the text using the mouse (or get to the text objects toolbar)- the images is always selected. Steps to repro: * Create a new writer document, and enter some text into to. * insert a graphic to the document. * in the graphic properties, set the wrap option to "in background", and check the box "background". I have set the image as anchored to the page, and as a watermark as well. * When done, attempt to select the text with the mouse for more editing (or to insert more text). Actaul result: The background image keeps getting focus, thus preventing any more editing to the text Expected result: Text should be selecteble, and the user should be able to enter more text to the doc. More information: Attempting to get to the text object toolbar by clicking on the triangle in the toolbar area fails- OOo just switches between image toolbar and the border toolbar. An example document is attached.
Created attachment 14908 [details] Sample doc. try to add or edit the text in the document.
I've encountered the same problem on every version from 1.0 to 1.1.2rc. The workaround is to click on the page and reduce the margins so that there is some blank text visible inside the margins, then click outside the watermark. Now you can move around using arrow keys (any attempt to use the mouse reselects the watermark again). There needs to be some way to put the watermark in the background so that one click does not select the watermark but the text instead. Of course, if that is done, one also needs a means of selecting the watermark, too. It is a disaster for the watermark to take precedence over the text -- well, in some cases it IS a disaster, especially if the watermark HAS to cover the entire page. I haven't tried it in 1.1.2rc yet, but I also find that putting a graphic of any size on a page with a watermark can cause extraordinarily bizarre behavior from crashes to the graphic absolutely refusing to stay put. This may or may not have anything to do with the watermark taking precedence over the text.
MRU->AMA: somehow in the future we should adress this problem. What I have in mind could be something like this: when clicking into text over a graphic "in Background", a dialog requesting wether the user would like to place the cursor, select text or select the graphic. This issue is somewhere between "Defect" and "Enhancement", so I assign this to you at first. I don't know if it's necessary to have the UserExp to decide about such things...
Simply press <ESC> if you're graphic is selected. Then you are able to edit the text on that page. That's the work-around. I don't like the idea of another dialog. I prefer a click into an already selected object should select another object or text at the same position (if available). If you have some overlapping object you have to click until the wished object is selected.
I agree that a dialog is a very bad ideas. However, if you take a look at the attached doc, you will notice that since *all* of the text is overlapping the graphic, clicking to select it just doesn't work. The problem with the esc. is similar- it indeed de-selects the graphic, however, the insertion point is always at the begning of the text. If I attempt to move it to another area, or select the text to manipulate it using the mouse (for example, I want to change the font face of the 2nd word at the 2nd line), the graphic gets selected again. The text in this exmaple is short, so it isn't such a big deal navigating using the keyboard. However, with longer texts, this is a real problem. I would like that in cases like this, when the graphic is the background of the full pages, clicking on the area of the text *will not* select the graphic, even if there is a graphic undernith it. In order to select the graphic then, click in some distance from the text.
Created attachment 14937 [details] Another example- imported word doc
Another example of this problem can be seen in the word2003 document I just attached.
If the graphic is *background*, then the click should select the text first. Then, given the nature of a watermark, clicking on the edges of the printable area can select the graphic. As it is, once you have a watermark, the mouse becomes useless. I have tried it on material sent with a large "For Review Only" watermark on each page only to find I had to remove the watermark to edit the text and add it again. Essentially, adding a watermark makes the text almost uneditable. The ONLY real workaround is to abandon the mouse altogether and resort to cursor keys only.
I agree, I named <ESC> as work-around because you're not able to get where you want into the text. My idea for a solution is to get one object/text after the other when you click the same mouse position again. It's only an idea, not already implemented. My next idea is to start such selection with the smallest object. If you have overlapping objects/text areas you select with the first click the most "inner" object/text. So in the first bugdoc you may select the graphic via click into the page margin and the text via clicking into the text (once).
> My next idea is to start such selection with the smallest object. If you have >overlapping objects/text areas you select with the first click the most "inner" >object/text. That is what I meant in my comment above. you worded better then me.
I think another solution would be, that selecting depends on z-order. In that case the text must get a z-order too. The actual situation should be corrected. Think of this scenario: You have a printed form and want to fill it. You have no typewriter and have to do it with your computer. You scan the form and put it into the background of your document. But you cannot put the text at the right positions because a mouse-click always activates the background-graphic.
*** Issue 37146 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
How this works in Quark, if you click on a stack of layers, if there's no text but a graphic where you click, the graphic/layer is selected. Else the uppermost layer is selected. By clicking with a specific key combination, (let's say ctrl-click for OO), you subsequently click down in the layer stack. Currently, in OO 1.1.3, even though you can see the borders of the individual layers ('layer' being any stacked object; it happens to frames with text or graphics, but for me not page backgrounds), clicking on the border of a lower-down frame doesn't select it, though the top layer is transparent. Hence some intuitive behavior is called for; 1. If you click on text on a top layer, that's what's selected; 2. If you click on a graphic (in a clear area, even within the page margins, say between paragraphs), then that is selected, whatever 'layer' it is on. 3. If the text is then clicked, even with the background frame selected, the focus should shift. 4. Consequently, you also need the key-combination click to select through the layers with each click for complex overlays, cycling back to the top after the bottom layer. 5. If you can't already (only installed it the other day), frames etc should be able to be locked so only the frame can be selected, not moved or the content altered, with a lock icon in the corner. Hence you can create you 'Confidential' watermark in a frame and send it to the back and lock it, and it won't interfere with the front. An item in the top menu should then be able to temporarily release all locks.
I agree with msandersen, having some kind of <CTRL> + Click to access the background image would be excellent. I want to convert our entire company to OpenOffice, but we've got a watermark on all our letterhead. We will also need to keep the ability open for switching from word to OOo and back to word again. I consider this 1 annoyance that any company using watermarks, and requiring both word and OOo would rate as one of the largest problems.
*** Issue 49976 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 53284 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
This probem becomes a bit more and more propular. I raised the Prio to 3 because frome usability view this is a quite disturbing problem. Also see issue 53284.
Also faced this problem today. I think the best way would be: If an image object is set as "background", it shouldn't get selected by a normal click but rather by Ctrl+click (or any other modifier-key plus click). This would also keep the "Direct Cursor"-feature working. Another proposal: Maybe if hovering text (cursor should turn into text-selector ), select text and if there's no text under the cursor (cursor is an arrow) select the image.
*** Issue 64211 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 66303 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 69852 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Dear developers, any progress with this issue? Thanks a lot for your attention!
*** Issue 75930 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 80857 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
I agree that one way to fix this is to use a modifier key to select the background image. A second click will select the text in Serifâ„¢ PagePlus, but Control + Click is almost as good. If a graphic is on top of text with wrap through then the graphic should be selected first, with a second click selecting the text below. Note that two separate clicks is different to double-click, but a modifier key could also be used. A second click would be more usable as it does not require the use of the keyboard.
That should have been, “A second click will select the background imageâ€, but the same is true of text beneath a foreground image, even if the text is not visible.
*** Issue 84938 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 84935 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 85159 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
This issue has been on the books for a very long time and continues to be a problem for businesses that use background images as watermarks. I also believe this problem runs counter to the primary purpose of a word processor, which is to create and edit text content. Recent changes to the behavior of hyperlink text in edit mode were made partly for this reason, that the focus of functionality should be maintained throughout the application. I would have rated that issue far below this one in overall impact and significance because that hyperlink issue was not a defect, while this one about background images has been around for years. I am challenging the prioritizing process here. I see this issue is marked as "Started" but also set for "OOo Later". Is any work being done? Could we please have an update on the status of this issue and have a target milestone?
I looked at the code and found even not an ideal solution but at least an improvement. With my changes a mouse click does not select an object in the background, the cursor will set into the "normal" text instead with two exceptions: 1. if the mouse click is into the page margin, even a "background" object will be selected. 2. if the mouse modifier <Strg> (<Ctrl>) is pressed, the object is selected, too. Fixed in CWS sw8u10bf05 edtwin.cxx feshview.cxx
I was hoping that if the user is placing a text insertion point, the text would be selected, but if using the drawing selection arrow, the image would be selected. But the solution as it stands is definitely an improvement! Thank you!!
Ready for QA.
Verified the "fix" in CWS sw8u10bf05. Unfortunately, direct text selection is still not designed, but this will be solved later.
Checked fix in DEV300m5.
I have tried many different times/ways and every time the picture just covers up the text. I want the picture as a background behind the text completely filling the business card and not as a watermark. I have tried "Arrange", "Wrap", "Anchor" and a few others. None do what I think they should. This should not be that hard, or that hard to figure out. The text that is editable and part of the business card, becomes non-editable after inserting a graphic as a background (2.00' x 3.50') It will not accept being "sent to back" and the 'wrap to background' causes the issue I mentioned earlier, only showing some of the text and disallowing any of it to be edited. Multiple graphics does not seem to affect the issue at all, however a small graphic (smaller than the whole card) does not seem to experience the same trouble. How about marking it as an "issue" to be fine tuned in future releases instead. It is definitely not right the way it is now... and needs to be tweeked to work "right". One should be able to 'insert' a graphic first, if they so wish, then add or remove text at will, or edit at any time the text OR the graphic (crop, or change the size or whatever) or do any combination of these in any order, to include making the graphic a 'watermark' with the ability to vary the "opaque-ness" of the graphic.