[Usability] text dialog not intuitive

[Bug Importer]

When I open the text window, I can set all the
specifications but I can't write the text. Why is this???

[Horkana-users (horkana-users)]

Please try not to file anonymous requests. instead please
get an account and login so we can ask for follow up
information if necessary.

Please try to describe in more detail what you mean, you do
not provide enough information to work with.

Closing this request but it can always be reopened if the
necessary information is provided.

Please also try checking through existing request to avoid
filing duplicate reports.

[Bug Importer (bug-importer)]

sorry,
When I try to write some text, I go Text-->Text and font. I
then can decide the font, style, size, but when I click on
the second tab and try to write the actual text, all I see
is a gray screen on which I can't write anything. Does this
help??

[Horkana-users (horkana-users)]

You need to use the text tool, the big A on the left toolbar

the text and font dialog allows you to modify already
created text but you need to create some text first.

you should probably read the tutorial under "Help,
Tutorials, Advanced"
[Note to self: no menu mnemonic for T in Tutorials, need to
patch it :( ]

reopening and refiling this as a feature request because
this highlights a nasty little dead end in the user
interface that needs to be improved to avoid allowing other
users to get caught in the same trap (and developers who say
you should read the manual are only partially right, as it
is only a workaround not a proper fix)

not sure yet how to restructure the user interface to
improve discoverability and affordance of the text system.

[Bug Importer (bug-importer)]

Thanks

[Buliabyak-users (buliabyak-users)]

Thanks Alan for handling this one, closing as a duplicate of
the "move all text controls to the text toolbar" which will
eliminate the text dialog.

[Horkana-users (horkana-users)]

reopening, users want far more text functionality than can
realistically be squeezed into the text toolbar.
the text dialog will be needed, for one thing it offers a
much clearer preview.

another thing is that users are likely to want much more
control over character spacing (manual kerns, justification
etc).

this bug is a valuable lesson showing Inkscape is also not
easy enough for many users, but you could probably say that
about more than half of the reports filed.

changing summary from "Why cant I write Text???" to
"[Usability] text dialog not intuitive"

[Horkana-users (horkana-users)]

this tracker sucks, bugzilla properly references the
duplicate reports.
a little extra effort for the triager but totally worth it.

link to that other bug bulia mentioned in where I also
mentioned the toolbar would not be enough:
[ 1506755 ] Reorganise 'Text & Font Dialog' with the Text
Toolbar
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1506755&group_id=93438&atid=604309

[Horkana-users (horkana-users)]

On IRC i mentioned another request based on a feature from
Freehand.

[ 1593080 ] built in text editor
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1593080&group_id=93438&atid=604309

It could possibly be considered as part of any overhaul of
the Text Formatting dialog. Personally I wouldn't recommend
it but I thought it only fair to mention it as a possibility
to anyone interested in redeveloping the dailog.