Would be usable to apply styles with a single click in the sidebar?

[LeroyG]

When applying manual (direct) formatting (using the buttons on the toolbars or the sidebar), one click is enough.

But to apply styles, you need to double-click,¹ and sometimes the second click doesn’t come as fast as needed, so the style doesn’t get applied.

So, here comes the question title.

Is this worth an enhancement request?
Would this create a problem? Let’s say: Is there a function that requires selecting a style without applying it?

Thank you for sharing your views on this.

¹Note that to apply a style from the Paragraph Style field in the formatting toolbar, you also need two clicks, not as fast as double-click, but in two different places.

[anon87010807]

Interesting question. Years ago, I did some hobby programming with Turbo Pascal and Delphi. There, I noticed that a single click on a button or releasing the mouse button on a pop-op or roll-down menu item is always considered as accepting the corresponding action, but clicking on an item in a list isn’t. When you scroll through a list of files in the file manager, and you click on one, you don’t expect it to be opened right away. That is, of course, a convention introduced when the mouse was let loose on the world. So maybe it should be reconsidered for certain instances, like this one. It will certainly need getting used to, though, for oldies like me.

[mikekaganski]

Over the years, getting rid of double click was attempted multiple times. IE4/win98/winME “Web style”, Win8 Metro come to my Windows-centric mind. But they always got reverted. Still not the right time?

[Hrbrgr]

@LeroyG

and sometimes the second click doesn’t come as fast as needed, so the style doesn’t get applied.

Normally you can set the double-click speed in the operating system (at least for me in Windows) via Control Panel > Mouse.

[ajlittoz]

I think the double-click procedure makes sense considering the tremendous power of Writer. Unfortunately this may be taken as a real hindrance by most users even those with a long experience.

With time I have developed a sophisticated approach to document formatting and layout (translated in style collections and templates). I have a few “director styles” which define the broad appearance of document (think of built-in Heading, Header & Footer, Index and Text Body, not to speak of *Default Paragraph Style; same for character styles based on custom ones). I define a hierarchy of “sub-director styles” and my “natural” display option is Hierarchical.

As you know, the style list automatically expands when you click in text so that the current style is highlighted.

At times, I need to collapse some sub-hierarchy or expand one to check for some style name. For that I click on the small control triangle at left of style name. But I often don’t accurately point onto the triangle because of my haste. This results in clicking on the style name and highlights it (selects it). It would be really annoying if this would lead to applying the style to my current paragraph/character/frame.

The present behaviour is more fault-tolerant than a single-click (avoids the use of Ctrl+Z).

I admit that this is not necessary in the other display modes because there is no nesting. But, implementing two click behaviours would certainly be worse than the present uniform behaviour.

What I say here is also valid for the Navigator: it is safer to double-click to jump to some heading than single-click. And you have the same nesting feature in the Navigator as the style hierarchical view.

EDIT:

My preferred routine with my most frequently used styles is to define keyboard shortcuts so that I need not switch from keyboard to mouse and back, and I can type at “maximum” speed (considering I am not a professional typist). There are already the Ctrl+0 to 5 for Text Body and Heading 1-5. I add more Ctrl+digit for paragraph styles and I attach Alt+digits to character styles (Alt+0, = no character style, parallels Crtl+0 to return to “standard” or default style).

With this customisation, I have no longer any single/double click hesitation.

[EarnestAl]

A double-click is a positive intention compared to a single click which might be just selection. From an accessibility point of view; arthritis, a motor neuron disability, etc., double-clicking could be a problem. It can be overcome by investing in a mouse with extra programmable buttons, but that is expensive.

It might be better to add to the right click context menu an extra item, Apply Style. Two clicks but the cursor stays in the Style pane.

[LeroyG]

@Hrbrgr

you can set the double-click speed

Sorry, I should have clarified in the question that it’s not the speed of the double-click that’s the problem, but having to double-click when it could be a single click.
Anyway, the clarification could help someone reading this question. Thanks.

[LeroyG]

@mikekaganski

getting rid of double click

Many years ago, I switched to select with hover, and open with one click. There are pros and cons; more pros than cons for me.

[LeroyG]

@ajlittoz

avoids the use of Ctrl+Z

We should see what happens more frequently: the one-click aiming error, with the consequent ctrl+z, or the failed double-click, with the second attempt.

@ajlittoz

often don’t accurately point onto the triangle [a plus in a square in some operating systems]

I can slightly compare the experience to the menu Tools - Options dialog.

[KamilLanda]

If you want to see the properties of some Style in Sidebar, probably you will click by right mouse button on Style and it will show the Context menu (and you can select Edit Style …). But if you have this Context menu activate and you want to click to other Style to see the properties (for example you click to Heading 1 but you wanted Heading 2), you must storno the Context menu, mostly by clicking to somewhere outside the Context menu (than via pressing Esc). And then if you want to see properties of other style, there can be chaos by what button you must click, if left (as probably mostly users are strongly habituated) or right → to see the Context menu again but not apply the Style.
So I think it will be better to let it be for double-click.

[LeroyG]

Maybe I am not understanding your point. My question is about applying a style, not modifying it.

@KamilLanda

if you want to see properties of other style

If I open the context menu for the wrong style, I can secondary-click on the correct one again (which will close the first instance, but not open the context menu), and I’ll notice that I have to secondary-click on the correct style again.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

[KamilLanda]

But if the applying style will be via one click you wrote, then there would be the problem with modification (or only browsing) the Style I wrote .

@LeroyG

If I open the context menu for the wrong style, I can secondary-click on the correct one again (which will close the first instance, but not open the context menu), and I’ll notice that I have to secondary-click on the correct style again.

You can try it to do much faster - for example if you need to change properties in more styles :-). Yes, one click could be better for “slower” applying, but for faster work with more changes I see the problem than only clear benefit .

[jfn]

Hi,
you might want to have a look at the Formatting (Styles) toolbar. This toolbar contains several styles toolbuttons that are to be clicked just once, as you require. Moreover, you may enhance/customize that toolbar and add any style toolbutton you might wish.
I’m using that toolbar for some time now (while getting rid of the Formatting one) and customized it to my liking. For instance I added three zoom levels (optimal, page width, whole page) and a bunch of styles I frequently use.

HTH