Text editing

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pierruel

Good morning,
I'm not exactly a beginner but I downloaded the 1.6.3 version yesterday and I have a beginner's problem: I used to click into any text frame and then got the text editing window open where I was able to add or delete text, choose a typo style, aso. Since I'm with the 1.6.3 V. the text editing window doesn't open and I can't make any editing on my texts. What's the matter ? Did I do something wrong ? Is there something I should know and don't ?
Thank you in advance for any advice.
Friendly regards
touche_a_tout

AdmFubar

I think you are talking about opening the story editor window. I never opened by simply selecting the text frame.  You have select the text frame(Left Click), them right click and in the popup menu choose "Content/Edit Text in Story Editor". Alternatively, you select the text frame and press CTRL-T.

Using Scribus 1.5.8 & 1.6.2, openSUSE 15.5
Advanced hobbyist

utnik

hi pierruel

what is a 'text editing window'?
there is the old 'story editor' (which i never use and don't recommend...) it opens with 'ctrl'+'t', and there is the 'text properties'-palette. this palette was part of the 'properties' in earlier versions. (maybe up to 1.4.x...) it opens with 'f3' (and is usually the way to go...)
but if you can't edit the text at all, the problem sits somewhere else, as you can always edit the text direct in the frame. (the text frame could be locked or it is not on the active layer...)

utnik

edit: admfubar was faster...

pierruel

Hi Utnik and AdmFuBar and many thanks,
This issue will be complicated because your copy of Scribus is an English one and mine is French, and in addition my English is far from good, and we can't simply translate the name of Scribus' features from one language into he other. First of all I would like to make clear what I mean with "text editing window". When I'm able to have it open, it take the whole screen, with a upper part with menus, commands, description of the typo characteristics, and below this part, the main part of the screen (I mean about 85 % in high) is divided into two windows, a larger one on the right, about 2/3 of the screen, where the text of the text frame is dispayed and the other on the left, where you can choose the style of each paragraph. To get to that "text editing window" you have to left click on the concerned text frame just to select it, right click to have a popup menu opened and then the item in French says "Editer le texte dans l'éditeur..." what I translated as a "Text Editing Window". The problem is that when I select a text frame and right click on the menu item "Editer le texte dans l'éditeur" nothing happens. The same happens with Ctrl/T. Hope my question is more clear. Thank you for your ideas. Regards
pierruel

utnik

hi pierruel

ok. it's the 'story editor'.
my guess is, that the editor opens somewhere outside of your screen. did you ever work with two screens? then it might be on the missing screen...
the position is stored in a preference file. either in 'prefs150.xml' or in 'scribus150.rc'. if you delete (or rename) those files or the folder 'scribus', where they are stored, scribus will rebuild the preferences – and with a bit of luck your story editor will be there again.
but as i already wrote, i would recommend to use the 'text properties' (in french 'propriétés du texte') to apply your styles. the 'story editor' ('éditeur de texte') is a dinosaur from ancient scribus times...

utnik

pierruel

Thank you Utnik,
I'll try your solution. As far as dinosaurs are concerned, in my family they know hat I'm a human beeing of ancient times, it fits. By the way, since we both live in Switzerland, probably both of us struggle for writing in a foreign language which I do not master ! Funny.
Best regards
pierruel

pierruel

Hi Utnik,
Sorry but I didn't get it. In the popup menu of a text frame if I click on properties I get a frame where I can trim the style of the text but I can't for instance correct errors like orthographic mistakes.
I do work know with two monitors but my story editor doesn't appear anywhere. What's funny is that some minutes ago I got the story editor open but now I can't. So much time lost !
Thank you in advance for explanation (but don't waste yours)
Regards
pierruel

AdmFubar

I bet the window position in the config file is set to something weird. Two options here, navigate to the config file and without scribus running, rename the file, then restart scribus, open the document you want to edit and open the story editor for the text you want to edit. You may need to redo some of the preferences for scribus if you made any changes in them. When you restart scribus without a configuration file it will create a default.

You can also navigate to the scribus (or do a search for it) config, it is named prefsxxx.xml were the xxx is the version you are using. in that file search for StoryEditor, some of the values are probably set to something extreme. Mine loos like this;

<context name="StoryEditor">
<attribute key="height" value="400"/>
<attribute key="left" value="10"/>
<attribute key="main" value="-1"/>
<attribute key="side" value="-1"/>
<attribute key="top" value="10"/>
<attribute key="width" value="600"/>
<attribute key="winstate" value=""/>
</context>
 
Most likely the left and/or top values have incorrect values.
Using Scribus 1.5.8 & 1.6.2, openSUSE 15.5
Advanced hobbyist

utnik

hi pierruel

Quote from: pierruel on February 18, 2025, 12:17:01 PM...if I click on properties I get a frame where I can trim the style of the text but I can't for instance correct errors like orthographic mistakes.
the usual way to go in text edit mode (or in content edit mode in other frames...) is to double click inside the frame. the handles on the frame will disappear and the cursor changes to the text editing cursor. now you can do your editing in the frame or apply styles to a selection with the 'content preferences' palette.
 
if you really need the story editor, admfubar gave you some hints to solve the issue...

utnik

pierruel

Many thanks Utnik,
Now things are absolutely clear, I will be unbeatable on these matters ;-)
Best regards
pierruel