Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 34609
Font colour selector does not change the font colour
Last modified: 2008-02-18 21:39:38 UTC
In all other word processing applications that I have been able to test this on (MS-Word, WordPerfect, KWord), when no text is selcted, the font colour selector in the tool bar (the button that looks like an "A") changes the current colour of the font and that change is applied to text that is typed from that point forward. This is also how it works in ooCalc and ooImpress. I would suggest that once you select a new colour from the tool bar, any text typed should be in that colour. As this is the way it already works in ooCalc and ooImpress, this change should be made in ooWriter as well.
This works the same way also in Writer. Please describe step by step what you do. get and expect.
Step by Step: - Start a new text document. - Change the font colour to something other than black using the "Font Color" on the tool bar (looks like an Upper case "A"). Click and hold it until the colour selector appears and pick a colour. - At this point your cursor will change to a "bucket fill" icon. If you alt-tab to the document and type text it is still in black. If you click the document the "bucket fill" icon goes away and the text is still in black. - No matter what you do, type some text. The text will be still be black but the tool bar "Font Color" icon will show the color you selected under the letter "A". The following thread has a more detailed discussion which includes confirmations from several others. http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12603
By the way, I have also confirmed that this also works the same under StarOffice 7 for windows (sorry I don't have exact version number).
To apply a color to a font, you need to *select it* first. If not, left-click and drag the "bucket filll" icon on the words you want to modify. After that, press Esc to go out of the "bucket fill" mode.
closed
With all due respect es, I don't think you read the bug report or did not understand the point of it. Your comment: "To apply a color to a font, you need to *select it* first. If not, left-click and drag the "bucket filll" icon on the words you want to modify." is exactly the point. The process you have described for changing font color is not only different from every other font color selector in existance, but isn't even the same as the rest of the font color selectors in OpenOffice! Bottom line is, the current method for changing font color is a major pain and does NOT work the way users expect. The point is to be able to change the color of text you are ABOUT TO TYPE rather than go back and change text color after the fact. Please try OOImpress or OOCalc (or MSWord for that matter) to see what I'm talking about.
It is clear that "es" has not understood this issue at all. Sadly, this sort of peremptory, derisive dismissal of enhancement requests is the norm here. I sometimes wonder whether the Issuezilla software isn't preset to automatically discard any issue filed as an enhancement request. Certainly it would be nice if the person who decided to close an issue at least took the time to understand what was being requested. Clearly the person who closed this issue did not bother to understand what was being asked for. Instead, he or she decided that he or she knew best, that the workaround was good enough, and so the issue could be summarily dismissed, illustrated by the "worksforme" (sic) remark. As common as this sort of attitude is among those who respnod to enhancements requuests, it is nevertheless both disheartening and discourteous, and does nothing to foster or encourage the adoption of OOo. Therein lies the real shame in the eager rapidity with enhancement requests get thrown out here.
Ok, I got it now. closing this issue due to too much useless comments. Please see issue 36035 for a new start... *** This issue has been marked as a duplicate of 36035 ***
You should move the votes over.
I have found the solution to this issue. OOWriter has two different font color selectors. They are both named exactly the same and have identical icons. The "Font Color" icon that appears by default in OOWriter is actually more of "Font Painter". However, if you right click on the tool bar and select "customize". Then in the left pane click the plus sign to expand the "Format" tree and scroll down you will see two identical icons both called "Font Color". The top one is actually a "Font Painter", the second one is the traditional "Font Color" selector. I believe someone at OOWriter got the two confused and accidently included the wrong button on the tool bar by accident. Recomended Remedy: Default install of OOWriter should use the "Font Color" selector on the toolbar instead of the "Font Painter" as it is now. Also, "Font Painter" should be named as such to avoid future confusion.
this is still an issue in version 2.4 and a very tiny one too ! btw. thank you [wangster] for the great work around :-)