Bug 75518

Summary:	UI: Add "Export as PDF" to list of printers in Print dialog
Product:	LibreOffice	Reporter:	dg1727 <dg1727>
Component:	Printing and PDF export	Assignee:	Not Assigned <libreoffice-bugs>
Status:	REOPENED ---	QA Contact:
Severity:	enhancement
Priority:	medium	CC:	jorendc
Version:	4.2.0.4 release
Hardware:	All
OS:	All
Whiteboard:
i915 platform:		i915 features:

Description dg1727 2014-02-26 02:55:14 UTC

This enhancement request is Linux-oriented, but I'm not sure that it would be a problem if it were implemented for Windows and MacOS too.  

Typical Linux applications (Web browsers, e-mail programs, text editors, even programs like Inkscape & Dia that have explicit PDF export commands) have "Print to File" (which includes PDF) as one of the printers listed in the Print dialog.  

If a user has been working in some of those other applications and then switches to LO and wants to export a document to PDF, the first impulse is to choose File > Print... and select the "Print to File" option ... but there's no such option in the Print dialog ... so the user then has to close the Print dialog and click the "Export Directly as PDF" button or choose File > Export as PDF...  

The enhancement request is to add an entry for "Export as PDF" to the list of printers in the Print dialog.  (I used the LO wording, "Export as PDF," rather than the GTK wording of "Print to File," because it may be easier to use existing UI elements from File > Export as PDF..., and those UI elements may differ from the GTK "Print to File" options.)  

The suggested enhancement may also occasionally help new users (on any OS) who want to produce a PDF and don't at first notice the existing "Export as PDF" options.

Comment 1 Jorendc 2014-06-24 12:42:29 UTC

(1) We clearly have a menu button by default in the toolbar to export as PDF, we do have a menu entry 'export to PDF'. Plus the 'Export to PDF' menu entry comes before the 'print' menu entry in 'File'. So if you are completely new you'll notice.

(2) In Mac OSX 10.9 the print dialog do have a button on the left bottom of the print dialog with 'PDF' on it.

(3) I can recall in Linux and Windows there is an option in one of the tabs 'Print to File'.

So I don't agree having again more buttons/entries for the same thing. I think it is already obvious enough. This will only clutter menu's and dialogs more.

Comment 2 dg1727 2014-11-25 03:02:04 UTC

There seem to be a few misunderstandings about this enhancement request.  Can my comments below be considered?:  

(In reply to Jorendc from comment #1)
> (1) We clearly have a menu button by default in the toolbar to export as
> PDF, we do have a menu entry 'export to PDF'. Plus the 'Export to PDF' menu
> entry comes before the 'print' menu entry in 'File'. So if you are
> completely new you'll notice.

Rather than for completely new users, my concern is about the ergonomics for more experienced users.  Those users might be rapidly switching between other applications, printing to PDF the same way in application after application; then they need to make a PDF from LibreOffice and have to "switch gears" unexpectedly.  (I've been in this situation, which is why I filed this request.)  The Print dialog can be invoked by shortcuts like Ctrl-P, in which case the user is likely not to be reminded of the PDF icons in the toolbar or menu.  

As I noted originally, LibreOffice wouldn't be the first major libre application to have both (1) a separate "Export to PDF" (or similar) and (2) [at least on Linux] PDF integration into the main printers list in the File > Print dialog.  

> (2) In Mac OSX 10.9 the print dialog do have a button on the left bottom of
> the print dialog with 'PDF' on it.

I'm glad this feature is in MacOS X.  I hope the Linux print dialog can also have a plainly available option for PDF printing, preferably the same way it is commonly done in Linux applications.  (I assume the Windows print dialog will easily get the feature along with the Linux dialog.)  

> (3) I can recall in Linux and Windows there is an option in one of the tabs
> 'Print to File'.

Yes, on the Options tab, there is a "Print to File" checkbox.  I think this is too hard to get at, compared to the PDF virtual printer that's available in many other Linux applications.  

> So I don't agree having again more buttons/entries for the same thing. I
> think it is already obvious enough. This will only clutter menu's and
> dialogs more.

I don't propose to add anything to any menu for this request, only to the Print dialog.  Also, the basic change needed for the requested feature is just to add an entry to the existing printer list; this doesn't involve adding any controls to the dialog at all.  There will probably also be code required to disable options that apply only to a physical printer, and to prompt for a folder path & filename (code already exists that does this when the "Print to File" checkbox is selected).  

If the requested entry in the printers list is implemented, it would be fine with me if the "Print to File" checkbox is removed.  

I read somewhere that it isn't preferred to reopen bugs.  If I should make a new bug with the clarifications above, please let me know.

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