@Daniel said in Improving Text in VS: A series of suggestions:
Auto create new pages, auto-fit to container and shrink text on overflow:
This might be added at some point after 1.4
Match Size: I click on one text box and then click on another, hit the button: Match Size. Now both text boxes match in size. You should be able to match width alone, height alone or both. Super useful.
This exists in the Alignment panel (must be enabled from the panel menu)
Dynamic text layer, text line, text box and text columns: Dynamic text layer already in VS. You click and start typing. The text goes on forever. But you can't wrap line. You should be able to. Text line - Already exists, but is miscategorised. Text on Path Tool. Why? Because it is a sub class of Dynamic Text layer. Instead of clicking and typing, you draw a line and type. No need for a separate tool. And yes, you should be able to wrap line here too.
Is this the Text Frame? If so this exists, just drag a box with the text tool and you get a text frame. Can also flow into any shape.
Embedding Graphics: Embedding graphics within text boxes should be a simple matter of either dragging a shape or image into the text frame in layer panel or pasting the object into the text box from the clipboard. Then there are the embedded graphics options.
This can be added in the future. A basic version where graphics or shapes can be used a symbols in text already exists.
Repelling and anchoring: Repelling and anchoring are the the true markers of a well-executed text function.
Is this the Text Wrap?
Named objects: You can give any object multiple names and then create links between texts and that object by linking text to that name. This is not the same as naming objects in layers. It is a separate category of names. You can also select objects based on their names. You can name anything. Colours, text, line patterns. Practically anything, and then select them as a group. This allows for impossibly quick selections.
What does these links do? Does the text flow inside these objects?
Table: Tables are quite difficult to get right. And get right Xara did. In Xara you can copy/paste any CSV file, and then covert it to a table with a single click. I can show you this later. This does not exist in VS. Equally, you can even flow tables across pages if you embed them in text boxes.
This could be added further down the road.
Matching styles: Say you have a piece of text in word and you want to bring it in to VS. And you have named styles in VS. When you bring it, you have the option of preserving the brought in style, or matching the style to your names. This is very intelligent and works better than in word. In MS Word, copy and pasting without preserving style means you have orphaned text with no style applied. But Xara creates a style for you. And that means, you can select and restyle it! Or even better, just match style when copy it in the first place.
Depends on the format of pasting (is it RTF?)
Word/PPT support - Xara fully supports Word and PPT export and import. Equally, it can import an entire webpage from online and preserve both text and image hierarchy perfectly. Super useful when you are prototyping.
This is probably the least likely to have (or just further down the road).
Per layer guide and per layer ruler setting: You can make guides only for specific layers. And you can have text ruler for each layer. Ruler settings can be copied and pasted along with all the text attributes. This is actually from PL. Still super useful.
Is this active when objects in other layers are moved?
Replacing font with one click: Let's say you have a text box with zero named styles. Mixed fonts and sizes. No problem. Click the layer and select a different font. Now you'll have a dialogue box that will let you choose which font you want to replace.
A bit more complicated, but this should exist in VS with Find/Replace
