cannot select multiple words in impress

users
#1

I use OSX, Maverick.
I'm not sure about that following happen in Windows or Linux, or else.

In the Writer, I can select multiple words starting with one word by double
click and dragging.
but the Impress doesn't allow me to do such job.
I only can select one word by double clicking.
Dragging doesn't do anything.

Another annoying feature is that unselected objects (especially figures) are
moving if i click it and drag.
this happens to content box, too.
Although I just want to select certain object, un-intended movement of mouse
makes the object to move.
It could be better, unselected object ignores click and drag behaviour.
As resizing is possible to the selected objects, moving should be possible
to the only selected objects, I think.

Is there something to do that I missed?
ps. I hope that you understand what I want to say.

#2

Sang-Hyun LEE wrote:

> I use OSX, Maverick.
> I'm not sure about that following happen in Windows or Linux, or else.
>
>
> In the Writer, I can select multiple words starting with one word by double
> click and dragging.
> but the Impress doesn't allow me to do such job.
> I only can select one word by double clicking.
> Dragging doesn't do anything.

Just clicking (not double clicking) and dragging works for me.

Piet van Oostrum <piet@vanoostrum.org>
WWW: http://pietvanoostrum.com/
PGP key: [8DAE142BE17999C4]

#3

It's possible that you have misunderstood the original questioner.

o Clicking and dragging selects text generally. That works in a presentation (Impress) document as well as in a text (Writer) one.

o Double-clicking selects the current word. That also works in both types of document.

o Double-clicking and then dragging *without first releasing the mouse button* selects the current word and then expands the selection word by word instead of character by character. The questioner points out that this useful technique works in Writer but not in Impress.

Brian Barker

#4

Brian Barker wrote:

> o Double-clicking and then dragging *without first releasing the
> mouse button* selects the current word and then expands the selection
> word by word instead of character by character. The questioner points
> out that this useful technique works in Writer but not in Impress.

I didn't know that. You are never too old to learn.

#5

I think others answered the question about selecting multiple words. You
also asked about selecting objects. When you click on something, Impress
selects the object on top. If you have a picture behind a text box and you
want to move the picture, first you have to move the text box to the back
then select the picture. To edit the text again, you have to move the
picture to the back.

Good luck.

BB

#6

As I worried, my words are insufficient to describe my second problem.
I will say the problem in other words.

If, assume there's some words/sentences in contents area.
and there's one figure, too.
after editing contents in contents area, I'd like to resize the figure.
So, I intended just to select the figure, to resize it.
But, the figure is not only selected but also moved to another position
because the mouse is moved while I select the figure.
It's my fault that I should not move the mouse while selecting the figure.
I should, first, position the mouse at the figure to select. and click then
release the button with caution not to move the mouse.
Sometimes, especially when the Impress is not a active window, the contents
area is moved another position.

Anyway, this is annoying to me. I think this requires too much concern to
users.
If unselected object ignores drag-and-drop motion which is used to move
object, this could be avoided.

I'm not sure which is better.
To move a object, requiring a-priori selection could be annoying to someone.
In my opinion, this is worth of consideration.

I'm curious, is there something I missed?

Thank you for reading.

#7

Thanks for your clear describing my question.
Yes, the useful feature (selecting a word by double clicking and expands the
selecting to other words by dragging) is not available in Impress.
I wonder why this is not available in Impress.
Is there a any considerable reason, or just a un-intended missed one?

I'm waiting this feature available in Impress.

#8

If, assume there's some words/sentences in contents area. and there's one figure, too. after editing contents in contents area, I'd like to resize the figure. So, I intended just to select the figure, to resize it. But, the figure is not only selected but also moved to another position because the mouse is moved while I select the figure. It's my fault that I should not move the mouse while selecting the figure. I should, first, position the mouse at the figure to select.and click then release the button with caution not to move the mouse.

It's difficult to know exactly what you are doing without being there to watch. But I have to say that I do not find selecting an item in a presentation problematic in this way. I'm wondering whether your problem is related to the way your mouse is configured generally rather than something within LibreOffice. My mouse driver, for example, provides a facility called ClickLock, which "[e]nables you to highlight or drag without holding down the mouse button". With that facility selected, I think you would see something like what you describe. Is it possible that you have this or something similar enabled? If so, you will probably find the setting for this in OSX's System Preferences, not in LibreOffice itself. If you disable any such facility, perhaps your mouse will behave as you prefer.

Anyway, this is annoying to me. I think this requires too much concern to users. If unselected object ignores drag-and-drop motion which is used to move object, this could be avoided.

But your intended click surely selects the object - so it isn't an unselected object at the time you are considering.

There may be a workaround. If you select an item and drag it, you have performed two processes. If you now use Edit | Undo (or Ctrl+Z), you can undo the movement - returning the item to its original position - whilst leaving the item selected. If it happens that you managed *not* to drag the item, using Undo will undo some other change instead - which action you will not want, of course. You could choose always to click and drag slightly, so that Undo would always serve your purpose.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#9

thank you for your answer.
I think that it's the wight behaviour in LOImpress that click-and-drag moves
object/figure, no matter whether it's already selected or not.
It's same in LOImpress in Windows.
I occasionally encounter this happening which requires Undo (Command+Z), as
you said.
I sometimes feel that it would be better if unselected objects cannot be
moved like resizing or cropping.
I'm not sure whether it would be better or worse to others.

#10

I often use the arrow keys to move objects in both Impress and word. I use
the mouse to move it to the general area I want the object then refine using
the arrow. What I have learned for experimentation is that using the arrow
keys alone moves the object a medium amount. When used with the SHIFT key
it moves farther. Used with the ALT key moves the object move a tiny
amount. In Write, it is also important to select the correct anchor and
word wrap options as both the text and object behave differently depending
on those settings. Good luck. Hope it helps.

Bill

#11

Hi :slight_smile:
Fairly soon after getting an image into a document maybe right-click on it
and change it's "Anchor" type from "to paragraph" to something else, such
as "to page". Then when you edit the text it might stay put or at least
move in a way that makes sense.

So, right-click on image before editing text. Select "Anchor" and in the
sub-menu choose "to page".

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#12

Hi :slight_smile:
You can post a "feature request" asking for this functionality to be added
to Impress. To do so i think you post it as a "bug report" but then one of
the drop-down menus or something should be able to mark it as a "feature
request".

I think quite a lot of us didn't know this functionality already existed in
Writer so it has been a useful thread for me. Thanks! :slight_smile:
Many regards from
Tom :slight_smile: