tabMode request for WP-style tabAlign

Curry Kenworthy curry at pair.com
Sat Sep 1 13:16:47 EDT 2018


I have submitted a feature request for word processing style tab stop 
aligns:

<https://quality.livecode.com/show_bug.cgi?id=21554>

https://quality.livecode.com/show_bug.cgi?id=21554

Current LC 7+ tabAlign is perfect for columns, including tables. That's 
because it is, in fact, column alignment.

Each text is positioned left/center/right within its column, which is 
the space BETWEEN two tabs.

However, that's very different than word processing tab stops.
Except in tables, Word processors align text relative to the tab stop 
itself.

For example:

1. Make a field.

2. Enter a line of text with some tabs between phrases.

3. Try to center text around the tabstop itself rather than the column 
space between tabs.

Expected: text centers around tab stop position.

Current: text centers in space between tab stops.

Desired: tabMode to allow both align behaviors. Both modes are needed. 
They are different.

(See the test stack attached in the QA report; right/left are also 
different, not just center.)

It's possible to hack in workarounds for this, but they are imperfect.

So, for anyone who has noticed this and wanted true WP-style tab stops, 
here's a request that you can sign onto. I propose the tabMode property 
per line (or p) of text.

(And for anyone who hasn't noticed the difference yet, here's a chance 
to learn more about tabs; sign onto the request if you would like to see 
this feature.)

I couldn't find any existing requests for this, so if there have been, 
or if any other ideas, feel free to add.

This would be very useful for WordLib, and I'm sure for many other 
LiveCode projects, since people use such a great amount and variety of 
text and text entry in LC. Thanks.

Best wishes,

Curry Kenworthy

Custom Software Development
LiveCode Training and Consulting
http://livecodeconsulting.com/




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