Features I would like to have in Mellel(2)

[raymond]

I would like Mellel to have Hyperlinks. I mean that when one writes an URL in the body of text in Mellel it becomes a live URL.

[nicka]

I think this poll should be split in two:

1) for/against clickable hyperlinks as a feature in Mellel, so that a bit of text can be designated as a link to a website or a file, or as a mail-to link.

2) for/against autoformatting of URLs as hyperlinks, as Word does.


I'm in favour of (1), probably as part of the implementation of cross-references, and against (2).

[rpcameron]

I agree with nicka. Autoformatting of URLs/URIs into a clickable link ought to be an explicit insertion (if provided for at all), and conform to Mellel's style system; for each "link" element you insert, you choose a character style and variation.

I also feel that links should be limited to other sections/anchors in the same document/project. Mailto links and internet URLs/URIs should not be permitted, but links/references/bookmarks to other locations in the document (such as for a TOC, index, note stream/reference or cross-reference).

I fail to see why users of a word processor, which is used to create printed documents, want to see links to the internet or email addresses. In the creation of a long document, links to references/locations within the document can be quite handy for navigation—this is why cross-reference and TOC links should be the scope of them.

[nicka]

I fail to see why users of a word processor, which is used to create printed documents, want to see links to the internet or email addresses.

I use word processors to produce pdfs these days more often than to produce printed documents directly. The pdfs are designed to be read on a computer as well as to be printable. For the first use, external links make good sense. For example, if I put pdf notes on the web for a lecture that I am giving, I would like to put clickable links in the pdf -- to my webpage, perhaps to items in the bibliography, and a mail-to link to make it easy for students to email me.
I doubt that this is an unusual need for an academic these days.

External links aren't as important to me as cross-references, but it would be good to have them nonetheless.

[Phil82]

I think this poll should be split in two:

1) for/against clickable hyperlinks as a feature in Mellel, so that a bit of text can be designated as a link to a website or a file, or as a mail-to link.

2) for/against autoformatting of URLs as hyperlinks, as Word does.


I'm in favour of (1), probably as part of the implementation of cross-references, and against (2).

I fully agree. It's damn annoying in Word when URLs get auto formatted to blue with an underline when you're doing a print document. [1] is definitely the way to go.