Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 20388
Label creation can be improved
Last modified: 2017-05-20 10:11:24 UTC
Having struggled through creating labels, there are a few areas I believe could be improved. Procedure to create labels : a) File --> New --> Labels There is no obvious way to choose label format except from New --> Labels. If you get the label size wrong, you have to go back and create another new file to amend it. Without reading through the help its not obvious that the "synchronise contents" box needs to be ticked, or how to create a data source. The process could be simplified : People either want to create different labels or identical labels so why not just ask which and guide them appropriately. b) Having created a new document, the page shows all the labels with the field names (i.e. all labels look the same, with the field names, not the field contents). A "synchronize labels" button is there but pressing it has no visible affect. - Why not show the contents of the field directly, or show them once the "synchronize labels" button is pressed. After pressing the button, its not obvious at all what is going on and what will print out. It should be clear. c) Pressing "print" brings up the mailmerge dialog box. - Why is the mailmerge box here? I've already specified which data source and fields should be in the labels so why am I being asked again? d) I click on OK and it prints the labels. Only now does the actual text of the labels appear on the screen - once they are on their way to the printer. - The actual text should appear much earlier in the process before printing. e) Finally I have the actual text of the labels on the screen in front of me. But I can't edit them. The sections are protected. I can only unprotect the sections by going to Format --> Sections and clicking unprotect for each label individually. - Why protect the labels? If there is a good reason to protect them, at least allow one option to unprotect all the labels. f) Not all the labels appear on the screen. - With every file I've tried, only the first page of labels displays; but all print. All the labels should display on the screen. g) Pressing "synchronize labels" again now does something - but not what I want. It makes all the labels the same as the first. - I can't think why I would want this behaviour. If it is doing anything, the button should always insert the correct fields into the labels. Here's a more streamlined way of doing the labels : i) The File --> Open --> Labels asks whether the labels should be different or the same. ii) The user specifies the fields to be used in the labels iii) The user specifies the label format (size etc.) iv) The screen shows all the labels, not protected, with values inserted (so they look like they will really look when printed out). v) The user has the ability to edit the label format and the fields inserted without creating a whole new file. vi) The whole second mailmerge dialog is no longer needed so never shows up (maybe the option to print just specific labels is needed, but that can be handled without the mailmerge dialog). Sorry, I had better stop!
reassigned to bh
> f) Not all the labels appear on the screen. > - With every file I've tried, only the first page of labels displays; but all > print. All the labels should display on the screen. Please tell me how you got more than one page of labels to print !!! I am on the verge of loosing yet another OOo convert because label production is so bad in OOo. Once again I find myself defending this product while my client is ignoring me and happily buying Access 2003. If you know a way please, please, please let me know. Thanks, Owen
OpenOffice.org Issue Tracker - Feedback Request. The Issue you raised is currently 'Unconfirmed' pending review, but has not been updated within the last 3 years. Please consider re-testing with one of the latest versions of OOo, as the problem(s) may have already been addressed. Either use the recent stable version: http://download.openoffice.org/index.html or consider trying the new OOo 3 BETA (still in testing): http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta/ Please report back the outcome so this Issue may be Closed or Progressed as necessary - otherwise it may be Resolved as Invalid in the future. You may also wish to search for (and note) any duplicates of this Issue that may have advanced further by checking the Issue Tracker: http://www.openoffice.org/issues/query.cgi Many thanks, Andrew Cleaning-up and Closing old Issues as part of: ~ The Grand Bug Squash, pre v3 ~ http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/announcementbeta.html
To grep the issues easier via "requirements" I put the issues currently lying on my owner to the owner "requirements".
Please attach mock-up.
No info from author.