Read-Only Mode for StarOffice Documents and Help System

Selecting text in write protected documents via keyboard

Author: Frank Loehmann

Date: 07/04/2002

Status: Draft

What/When

Who

Linguistic review, July 8, 2002

Elizabeth Matthis

Change Edit mode to Read-Only, July 16, 2002

Elizabeth Matthis, Matthias Müller-Prove, Frank Loehmann

Overwork Proposal, July 16, 2002

Frank Loehmann

Added Cursor Definition, July 17, 2002

Frank Loehmann



Problem

1. The selection of text in the read only mode of StarOffice / OpenOffice is currently only possible with the mouse. This is a problem regarding accessibility requirements, which prescribe that all functionality be accessible via the keyboard.

2. Furthermore, the Edit/Read-Only modes could only be switched in the context menu of a read-only document and using the “Edit File” icon on the function bar, but not via a regular menu.

Note: This feature is only for Writer. This has no impact on Draw, Impress and Calc because they are able to select cells and objects even in read-only mode.

Proposed Solution

1. Implement a new selection mode for the read only mode. This mode could be activated in the context menu of a read-only document, the main menu (in the Edit menu) and with a keyboard shortcut. If this mode is active, the user can use a non blinking cursor (this cursor type indicates that no text could be entered) placed in the left upper corner of the currently visible document part.

Main Menu of StarOffice / OpenOffice

Contextual Menu



Shortcut (StarOffice / OpenOffice and Help Viewer)

Create keyboard shortcut to activate the new selection mode in the read only mode.

2. Change currently implemented “Edit” mode to a “Read-Only Mode”. (This change should make it clearer to the user why he can't change the document, because “Read-Only Mode” is activated (Button in the object bar is pressed). Currently this button is pressed when the edit mode is active, but the edit mode is the normal expected state of a doc and it is obvious for the user (blinking cursor).

Add a menu entry to the View Menu to correspond to the icon on the function bar and the entry on the context menu of the read-only document. Replace the “Edit File” icon on the function bar with a new icon (Christian Jansen (CJ) will create one) named “Read-Only Mode”

Contextual Menu

Change the current “Edit” entry of a read only document to:

The status (checked/unchecked) corresponds with the button in the object bar.