Before the last LO update that I allowed, the Master Document navigator could be used for navigating a Master Document. Is there any way to add, remove and maintain files in the v7.6.4.1 (x86_64) navigator or is it just a section viewer now?
If it is, which version of LO do I need to revert to in order to have the real navigator back?
What do you mean? What is your OS? If Windows, it frequently requires rebooting to finish up the installation process.
What do you see presently? We can’t see your screen; describe with words as accurately as possible the situation.
What do I mean?
In a previous version of LibreOffice (the version I would like to revert to if anyone can tell me what it is), the dialog box which was called “Master Document Navigator” was useful. In version 7.6.4.1 (x86_64) on all platforms, ALL useful functionality has been deferred to the operating system.
One of the uses of the old MD navigator was that it could be used for navigating a master document. (“Navigate” means to steer, control or manage). The dialog box that replaces the MD navigator in 7.6.4.1 (x86_64) has had all the file management functionality removed.
I am quite willing to cut my own version of LibreOffice if I can get a version number and source code for the old, functional version. Alternatively, I am happy to help the developers who screwed this up learn how to do Usability-oriented programming again.
Are you looking for this?
You can also get it as an independent floating window with F5.
My LO version is 7.6.4.1.
Have you THOROUGHLY checked your statement? If so, which are your various environments? I doubt any OS provides such a specialised feature as master+subdocuments management which is very specific.
Well done ajlittoz, you’ve found the dialog I’m talking about and it says “Navigator”. So either the person who put that word at the top of the dialog doesn’t speak English as a first language (check the dictionary definition of “navigator”) or they decided that nobody uses the features that you now say are impossible.
This reminds me of the time I designed an EMC system for a Korean steel company. A critical part of the design used a software feature for load balancing that had been part of the middleware for 15 years. EMC then released a new server version that broke its own load balancing facility and rather than fix it, the support dept. said that load balancing wasn’t a feature, it was a “documentation bug”.
So you say that someone decided that a previously working LibreOffice feature (yes, with F5) is now impossible so it’s been taken out? Is that just a guess or have you talked to the person who removed it?
ajlittoz, please don’t try to answer this for me any more. You are clearly out of your depth on this one.
Well I’ll answer for the last time since you addressed me personally.
I am no developer and I am not involved with TDF in any way. Consequently I have no idea on who makes UI decision or when. If a feature I rely upon suddenly goes “missing”, I try to see if it was relocated somewhere else (in the menus, dialogs, options, …). Usually, this is reported in the release notes, though I admit honestly I rarely take the pain to read the release notes.
I have been thrown out of balance by the changes in the recent releases. See my complaint here. I am just another user, like you, and I suffer from unexpected changes like you.
Where did you read that I acknowledged your beloved feature has been taken out? Personally I didn’t even notice that the label changed, perhaps due to a long habit of no longer seeing ads on web pages (just focusing on the information I need). I mentally erase what does not seem interesting for my current task. I should mind that because it already made me miss the information.
When you enable the Navigator, it opens in the “file mode” (personal wording for lack of a known official name) with Headings, Tables, … section. If your current document is a master, there is an extra button at left of the top drop-down menu to jump to the sections. This button is *Toggle Master View". This tip appears when you hover your mouse over it.
Have you considered looking at the Writer Guide, very early in the chapter on master documents it describes the navigator and how to switch to master document mode. Writer guide can be downloaded from English documentation | LibreOffice Documentation - LibreOffice User Guides
Thanks EarnestAI, those are the docs I have. They seem to also assume that the “navigator” is now just a viewer.
I have a resolution, though. The feature was removed in the LibreOffice code branch, but is still supported in the OpenOffice branch. I’ll switch to Openoffice.
Not correct.
From
Version: 7.6.4.1 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: e19e193f88cd6c0525a17fb7a176ed8e6a3e2aa1
CPU threads: 8; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 22621; UI render: Skia/Raster; VCL: win
Locale: en-NZ (en_NZ); UI: en-GB
Calc: CL threaded
If you cannot get this functionality then possibly there is some corruption in your installation. Try in LibreOffice safe mode or with a temporary profile, for details see LibreOffice user profile - The Document Foundation Wiki