Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 81495
Filtering option tab pages in Tools - Options
Last modified: 2013-02-07 22:04:29 UTC
A filter text entry box should be inserted to the list of tab pages on the Tools - Options dialog. When the user enters a text to that box, the list of option tab pages is reduced to show only those pages on which the text appears. For example entering "Fax" or "fax" or "FAX" reduces the list on the left to show only the OOo/User Data page and the OOo Writer/Print page, because these are the only pages where that text appears. To enable this feature, every options tab page will have to supply a list of search words. Those words can be taken from the UI, and some more can be added, as "faxing" or "faxnumber" to enhance the filter's IQ.
Created attachment 48171 [details] Options dialog with Filter mockup
PLEASE DON'T DO THIS (sorry for shouting)! This is a step completely in the wrong direction. Instead of making the mess searchable, please clean it up, by removing some of the many unnecessary preferences. #31188 #31190 #69676 Are just three examples of prefs that could be simplyfied or removed.
There is no either/or We can have both - a search filter, and cleaning up pages
In addition to taking away the incentive to simplify the preferences (and there has been very little done into that direction since OOo 1.1), you'd add another UI element that cofuses the user. The empty search field is just one more element, in addition to the many that are already confusing as they are. The preferences dialog could use a complete redesign, not retrofitting yet another layer of complexity. Just my 2c.
Retargeting.