GSOC2012: Dialog improvements

*Name:* Vincent

*Chinese Name:* Zuyin Kang

*Email:* Vincent.abiword@gmail.com

*Project Title:* Dialog improvements

*Synopsis:*

This idea wants to solve these two problems in Abiword:

Users can set table attributions(width, height, rotate-angle) preciously in table-setting dialog

Make Frame expandable when users enter extra line of text

I would like to split this idea to two part：
1. Table Setting: including dimension setting and 'rotate-angle' setting
2. Frame expandable, making Frame expandable when users enter extra line of text

I think we also have some works in frontend(UI) side. We need to make

this feature useable for all OS(Linux, Mac, Windows). so that we need

to add it in abstract level firstly, and then implemented in all OS

GUI.

*Benefits to the AbiWord (and/or other) project(s):*

Presently, users can set the height and the width of a frame by dragging and releasing the frame to a suitable dimension. Currently, if users enter an extra line of text in an already full text frame, the Frame will hide the text until the user changes the size of the box. And in this idea, we would like to change the frame dimensions automatically if the user enters an extra line of text. We call 'frame-expand-height' in Abiword.

AbiWord's table and Frame dialogs do not expose all features available to users. In the case of tables, this includes the ability to precisely set cell widths and heights.

*Deliverables:*

User will have a better experience to using abiword, in the following two issues:

1. User can set table’s widths and heights, rotate-text in UI

2. The frame dimensions automatically if the user enters an extra line of text.

*Project Details:*

*Frame expandable:*

In this idea, we would like to change the frame dimensions automatically if the user enters an extra line of text. We call 'frame-expand-height' in Abiword. In fact, abiword already has this feature but does not allow users to define it or change it from within the abiword User Interface.
So my suggestions are:
1. expose 'frame-expand-height' to users when users use 'Frame' in abiword, since I think 'frame-expand-height' is more friendly to users.
2. in UI (Dialog : Format text box), users can turn it on or off
   on : enable frame-expand-height
       off: disable frame-expand-height

in code level:
in function: void FV_FrameEdit::mouseRelease(UT_sint32 x, UT_sint32 y)
we need return a valid value for "frame-expand-height",m_sExpandHeight.c_str(),

Steps to do this:
Firstly, all properities are defined in the array AbiPropertyName.
static const char * AbiPropertyName[PP_PropertyMap::abi__count] = {
       "frame-col-xpos",
       "frame-col-ypos",
       "frame-expand-height",
       "frame-height",
       "frame-horiz-align",
       "frame-min-height",
       "frame-page-xpos",
       "frame-page-ypos",
       "frame-pref-column",
       "frame-pref-page",
       "frame-rel-width",
       "frame-type",
       "frame-width",
}

and then in static PP_Property _props[], we init them to:
 * Property Nme: Initial Value: Can Inherit: Pointer to class : tPropLevel
 * tPropLevel should be set by or-ing the values defined in PP_Property.h
{"frame-expand-height",    "0.0in",           false, NULL, PP_LEVEL_FRAME},
{"frame-height",           "0.0in",           false, NULL, PP_LEVEL_FRAME},
{"frame-horiz-align",      "left",            false, NULL, PP_LEVEL_FRAME},
{"frame-min-height",       "0.0in",           false, NULL, PP_LEVEL_FRAME},
{"frame-page-xpos",        "0.0in",           false, NULL, PP_LEVEL_FRAME},


when user change the frame, presently they drag and release the frame,
the following action happens:
1.  ap_EditMethods::releaseFrame(AV_View * pAV_View, EV_EditMethodCallData * )
2.  void FV_View::releaseFrame
3.  bool pt_PieceTable::_fmtChangeStruxWithNotify
4.  fl_ContainerLayout::lookupProperties()
5.  in the lookupProperties function:
           1, we get Frame Type:  pSectionAP->getProperty("frame-type",pszFrameType))
           2, we get Position-to value:
pSectionAP->getProperty("position-to",pszPositionTo))
               3,  also: wrap-mode      wrap-mode
               4, ...

       the one about this idea:
       if(pSectionAP &&
pSectionAP->getProperty("frame-expand-height",pszExpandHeight))
       {
               m_iMinHeight = m_iHeight;
               m_bExpandHeight = true;
       }

at this time, Abiword can receive "frame-expand-height" after user
enter extra lines. and the two values will be used to refresh Frame's
dimensions:
               m_iMinHeight = m_iHeight;
               m_bExpandHeight = true;

*Table setting dialog improvment:*

Same as Frame expandable, in table setting dialog, all the attributions are stored in:

static const char * AbiPropertyName[PP_PropertyMap::abi__count] = {

"annotation-author",

"annotation-date",

"annotation-title",

"background-color",

"background-image",

………..

};

Including "table-width", we can also need to add 'rotate-angle'.

in AP_Dialog_FormatTable, we will correct all attribution values and store them in vector. (UT_PropVector m_vecProps;)

Example: setBorderColor : background-color:

m_vecProps.addOrReplaceProp ("background-color", bgcol.c_str ());

Steps to implement:

So that in order to add the priority of setting the width and height. We need to add width and height to the vector.

1. Add evoke function in AP_Dialog_FormatTable

2. In the evoke function, setting corresponding value to the UT_PropVector.

3. These two functions will render the attributions:

bool pt_PieceTable::_realChangeStruxFmt

bool pt_PieceTable::_fmtChangeFmtMark

Add 'rotate-angle', we need to do:

1. Add attribution in static const char * AbiPropertyName[PP_PropertyMap::abi__count]

2. Init this attribution in static PP_Property _props[], we init them to:

* Property Nme: Initial Value: Can Inherit: Pointer to class : tPropLevel

* tPropLevel should be set by or-ing the values defined in PP_Property.h

3. the most important step:

Add render function to rotate-angle (this relate with another GSOC topic, I also have some interesting to implement it)

4. Add evoke function in AP_Dialog_FormatTable

5. In the evoke function, setting corresponding value to the UT_PropVector.

6. These two functions will render the attributions:

bool pt_PieceTable::_realChangeStruxFmt

bool pt_PieceTable::_fmtChangeFmtMark

*Project Schedule:*