5 table annoyances

[Joachim_L]

I would call it a bug if something bugs me, but I bet it is just a feature request or feature requests. For the three annoyances I made a small movie so that you can visualize it.

Annoyance 1: Selecting text in cells. Starting with a zoom of 99% placing the cursor the first text seems to be quite easy, but marking the complete text inside this cell or selecting other text in another cell results in just selecting the cell. So I have to zoom in until the cursor changes from "Arrow" to "Text".

Annoyance 2: I mark two rows (on purpose) and want to delete them. I hit the tiny triangle and select "Delete row". I would expect to delete both rows, but only one row is deleted. Of course it is saying "Delete row", so only one row is deleted. If I want to delete both rows I have to right-click to get "Delete row(s)". Inconsistent! The programme should detect that two rows are selected.

Annoyance 3: Starting with zoom of 99%. I want to select the first three columns, where column 3 is merged. At a zoom of 99% it is impossible to get all cells selected. So again I have to zoom in to get the cells selected.

Annoyance 4: Not in the video. I simply want to insert a row below. Impossible. Always a row is inserted above.

Annoyance 5: Not in the video. Speaking just for me I need tables that could span over several spreads instead of splitting them per spread.

Tables are such a powerful tool, but right now they need more love from Serif.

[GarryP]

1) I don’t know about this one. Probably something to do with the ‘granularity of the mouse’ (whatever I mean by that) when the software is trying to work out what you are pointing at. I don’t think there’s a workaround and I don't know how else it could work which wouldn't 'break' something else that works.
2) I think I created a bug report for this last year (or maybe when Publisher was still in beta, can’t remember).
3) Maybe a similar issue to the first one.
4) You can add a row below by adding a row above the one below. If you want to add a row (or many rows) to the bottom you can drag the ‘double-arrow-head’ icon, at the bottom-left of the table, down.
5) Other people have requested this so you’re not alone.

[Joachim_L]

16 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Probably something to do with the ‘granularity of the mouse

I think it has something to do with the zoom level. Don't you agree that I want to select text, when I have the (Frame) text tool selected?

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3) Maybe a similar issue to the first one.

Selecting the wanted cell should work regardless of the zoom level. Imagine lots of columns in a complicated table setup. So I have to zoom in and scroll to get the wanted cells selected?

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4) You can add a row below by adding a row above the one below.

Workarounds everywhere. But it would be nice to say above or below and even nicer to add a xy number of rows inside an existing table structure and not only xy rows at the end of the table. I think tables were a definitely-had-to-be-there-from-the-start feature. Comparing the table features between ID and APu it was - sorry - a massive decline to APu. With APu I have to plan a table, in ID I was just doing it. I hope we some improvements in 1.9x.

[GarryP]

I don’t think the software can intuitively know – when the cells are close together – whether you want to select a cell or whether you want to put the text insertion point into a cell. When the cells are close together – or at low zoom levels – it has to default to one or the other and the developers seem to have chosen that you are more likely to want to select cells rather than edit small text. I can’t say whether this is the right decision or not. I also can’t say whether more people would prefer it one way or the other.

I agree that it would be nice if there were “Insert <row/column> below” options along with the existing “Insert <row/column> above” options. I also agree that it would be nice to be able to add/remove multiple rows/columns mid-table, rather than just at the end, at the same time. I think all of these functionalities have already been requested but requesting them again may help them to ‘float higher in the request pool’. Although, having more requests for the same thing doesn’t always mean that the thing will get higher priority for being added to the software. (They will probably come in time, as the software matures.)

[Joachim_L]

10 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I don’t think the software can intuitively know – when the cells are close together – whether you want to select a cell or whether you want to put the text insertion point into a cell.

This software == APu. ID is doing better, see the video where I zoomed out. It seems to be, that the cursor is adapting to the level of zoom here. But you are right, future will tell.