Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 76306
AutoCorrect turn of "Replace Custom Styles" in the default settings
Last modified: 2013-02-07 22:42:59 UTC
This is plea to fix this serious defect in OpenOffice. I am not sure which version was the first to introduce it, but I have just encountered it with a fresh copy of 2.2. The problem: AutoCorrect has a setting "Replace Custom Styles" that, when activated, will replace all instances of custom styles with one of a selection of default system styles. Quote from the help text: "Replace Custom Styles Replaces the custom paragraph styles in the current document with the "Default", the "Text Body", or the "Text Body Indent" paragraph style." This would not be so bad if the setting were automatically "off", but it is automatically "on" when OpenOffice is installed. I do not see the logic in this. In fact, I consider it an extremely bad decision, since OpenOffice is designed to make custom styles useful and simple and this default setting stands in its way. Please make this default to "off" in future. Some further links to people having problems with this issue, including my rant on the subject, on oooforum: http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=55599 http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=55719 Related bug reports here on openoffice.org are: Issue #49175: which recommends a button to turn off all AutoCorrect defaults. I would strongly suggest that the developers consider doing this. I have voted for this issue. Issue #72339: this issue reports a further bug in AutoCorrect, where even after switching options off, Tools|AutoFormat|Apply will still enforce some of them. I'd jsut like to repeat that this is *not* a "feature request" or "enhancement" report. One of the biggest "features" of OpenOffice is its custom styles. Effectively removing this with a default castrates OpenOffice and turns it into a much worse contender for replacing Microsoft Word or other overblown word processors. Thank you for reading my bug report -- and an even greater thank you for working as a programmer to improve OpenOffice for us users!
Clear description. I think that every setting that can confuse a new user must be set "off" by default: it is more easy to explain "how to do something" than "how to _correct_ something already done".
Reassigned to SBA.
Hi eenymeeny, I agree with you that unwanted/unexpected replacement of styles is no good. As far as I understand this autocorrect feature, it only works if one chooses Format|Autoformat|Apply. Does this make your judgement a litle milder :-) Thanks, Cor (user/trainer)
Changing type to ENHANCEMENT.
SBA: Reassigned to requirements. Put FL on cc.
IMO your idea to turn of "Replace Custom Styles" in the default settings makes most sense (see also my previous comment). I change the summary accordingly.