Disable manual formatting

Nothing is perfect! This is where you can post your ideas and wishes for functions you'd like to see in Help & Manual. Current version only please (H&M7).

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Robert Echtler
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:22 am

Disable manual formatting

Unread post by Robert Echtler »

Especially in multi-user environments, it would be helpful if manual formatting could be disabled to force the writers to use styles. Some people tend to click on the formatting buttons instead of using the appropriate defined style, even if you tell them over and over again :-(
For me it would be sufficient if you could disable manual formatting just by an option within preferences (no read/write management, password protection, etc. needed).
Andreas Boettcher
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:52 am

Re: Disable manual formatting

Unread post by Andreas Boettcher »

I agree.

We have a lot of SMEs/contributors who tend to use manual formatting.
Simon Dismore
Posts: 454
Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:29 pm
Location: London, UK

Re: Disable manual formatting

Unread post by Simon Dismore »

Robert Echtler wrote:It would be helpful if manual formatting could be disabled to force the writers to use styles.
In days gone by I wondered about having a single-topic editing tool – basically a radically cut-down version of the Pro editor – that contributors could use. I'd envisage it having only:
  • File ribbon: Open xml topic file; Close; Save; Save As; Exit; maybe Version Control?
  • Project ribbon: Topic status; Print topic; Spell Check current topic; Screen Capture; maybe Image Editor?
  • Write ribbon: Clipboard commands; Find & Replace; Apply Styles; Insert Link, Media, Comment, Anchor, Symbol, QR Code.
  • Table ribbon: everything?
  • View ribbon: Appearance commands.
  • Help ribbon: Online Help; About Help & Manual.
  • There's no TOC and no support for editing hmxz files, project configuration, XML source or Topic Options.
I'm supposing that the license would allow the cut-down editor to be distributed to any number of contributors. Price is t.b.d., could be a free of charge addition to the Pro license, assuming that wouldn't cannibalize additional author seats.

Would something like that be helpful?
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Tim Green
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Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
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Re: Disable manual formatting

Unread post by Tim Green »

This is an issue that we're actually considering, along with the introduction of Tidy XML coming in 7.3 and the new Normalize Styles function coming in PP Toolbox to be released at the same time, which enables you to integrate styles imported from HTML into your stylesheet and strip manual formatting globally.

However, it's also a very complex issue and there are a lot of side problems and potential unintended consequences that need to be considered. First and foremost, of course, what to do with existing projects already full of manual formatting. If we do introduce something like this, which isn't a given yet, it would have to be with a major version update.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Simon_Dismore
Posts: 205
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:57 pm

Re: Disable manual formatting

Unread post by Simon_Dismore »

Tim Green wrote:there are a lot of side problems and potential unintended consequences that need to be considered. First and foremost, of course, what to do with existing projects already full of manual formatting.
What if you simply leave any existing manual formatting in place, but disable the UI for adding or changing manual formatting, leaving only the ability to apply existing pre-defined styles?
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