Using Comment notes the right way

[Daniel]

On 2023-11-19 22:30, Richard Kimberly Heck wrote:
> On 11/19/23 15:31, Daniel wrote:
>> On 2023-11-19 12:20, Jean-Marc Lasgouttes wrote:
>>> Le 19/11/2023 à 07:47, Daniel a écrit :
>>>>> On 2023-11-15 11:47, Daniel wrote:
>>>>>> 2. Allow free spacing in Comments. That is typically a feature in 
>>>>>> sticky notes in other applications which is handy if one wants 
>>>>>> just to quickly type stuff down without bothering with special 
>>>>>> formatting. 
>>>>>
>>>>> It basically offers more freedom to scribble as you like.
>>>>>
>>>>> Daniel
>>>>
>>>> And also KeepEmpty should be enabled in commnents for similar reasons.
>>>
>>> So you want MSWord in a box? I do not see why the feature would 
>>> require that. But of course it is not difficult to create a module 
>>> that transforms the inset in this way.
>>
>> I don't see what is MS Word specific about it. But if the commenting 
>> function of PDF readers is MS Word in a box, then maybe that is what I 
>> am thinking about. I guess the thought was that because the output is 
>> not affected anyway, it's fine to let the user choose how to write the 
>> comment. No need to put limits on it.
>>
>> But I would be already happy if there was some nice out of the box 
>> minimal commenting function that does not inherit the font but also 
>> does (maybe optionally) not affect the output. So far LyX has only LyX 
>> Notes (which inherit the font) and Comments (which affect the output). 
>> Isn't something missing?
>>
>> I know that a lot can be done with modules. But I am thinking about a 
>> common feature that seems handy in other application which LyX seems 
>> to be missing. It would be strange if one would have to include a 
>> module in order to write comments.
> 
> I take JMarc's point to be that what you are asking for seems very 
> specific to your specific use case. Since it's relatively easy to create 
> an inset like the one you want, and there are maintenance costs, etc, 
> connected with adding new things, it's not clear the cost is worth the 
> benefit.
> 
> Note, by the way, that the PDF modules already provide for other forms 
> of comments.
> 
> Riki

I see. But my point was that I don't think that it is specific to my use 
case. The reason being that the comment feature is a default feature 
found in many applications these days and that this indicates a quite 
general usefulness of it.

To provide a more common comment feature seems to me to justify such 
cost. I can see how one might think differently given that one has been 
able to comment on ones documents for years with LyX notes. It was the 
same for me until I realised that the quirks I had with using LyX Notes 
might be solved by a more common comment feature.

I don't take my suggestion to be the best idea. But I am pursuaded that 
there is clear room for improvement of LyX's commenting functuionality. 
I hope someone has some good ideas about this some day.

(For my private use, I am fine with building my own feature of course.)

Daniel