SUMMARY I tried to remove a text annotation I made, and couldn't (because I wasn't in Browse mode). I read the "Annotations" section of the Okular handbook (Help > Okular Handbook and at https://docs.kde.org/trunk5/en/okular/okular/annotations.html ), and it has misleading Notes that indicate annotations don't work e.g. "document does not allow removing annotations". STEPS TO REPRODUCE 1. Open a document with text annotations. 2. Switch to some Tool/mouse mode other than Browse such as Tools > Text Selection or annotation > Typewriter. 3. Try to delete a text annotation. 4. Read the Okular Handbook. OBSERVED RESULT The Annotations chapter's introduction says Note Due to DRM limitations (typically with PDF documents), adding, editing some properties or removing annotations could not be possible. "Removing Annotations" says Note This option could not be enabled because the document does not allow removing annotations. But in fact you can remove annotations fine so long as you are in Tools > Browse mode. EXPECTED RESULT Clearer documentation. The annotation chapter should either prominently say you need to be using the Browse tool/mode to edit, adjust properties of, or remove annotations, or add this step to all instructions to click; and it should explain the limitations of DRM documents better. I don't know the preferred terminology (Browse mode? Browse tool?) and this is incomplete, but the following changes would improve the handbook: In the Tools Menu chapter, change the section on Browse from: The mouse will have its normal behavior, &LMB; for dragging the document and following links and &RMB; for adding bookmarks and fit to width. to something like: The mouse will have its normal behavior: &LMB; for dragging the document, following links, and selecting annotations; and &RMB; for adding bookmarks, fit to width, and opening a context menu for annotations.</para> In the Annotations chapter, change to: Note It may not be possible to add, edit, or remove annotations in some documents (typically PDF documents) due to DRM limitations. ... To edit an annotation, switch to the Browse tool (<menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Browse</guimenuitem></menuchoice>), then click on it with the right mouse button and select Properties ... To remove an annotation, switch to the Browse tool (<menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Browse</guimenuitem></menuchoice>). Then either click on it with the &RMB;, ... Remove the note "This option could not be enabled because..." altogether. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Linux/KDE Plasma: KDE Plasma Version:5.25.4 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.96.0 Qt Version: 5.15 on Wayland
No, that sentence can not be removed, but there's defenitely a wording issue. Would you understand it better if it said " This option may be disabled if the current document does not allow removing annotations. " ?
I think the point is: it doesn't explain that for documents where removing annotations isn't prevented, you need to select the "Browse" tool to be able to select and delete annotations. I was caught out by that too.
Do you expect to be able to remove annotations in "text selection" mode? There's nothing that is "text selection" about removing annotations
No. A use case is: 1. Select an annotation tool and use it to add an annotation (e.g. an inline note) 2. Realise you've made a mistake and want to delete the annotation 3. Can't select the annotation to delete it because the annotation tool is still active 4. Check the help file. It seems to say you can't delete annotations, it does not say "first select the Browse tool to allow selection of annotations"
Well, since my suggestions seem so bad, you're welcome to suggest the perfect text, this is Free Software after all, everyone can contribute.
A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/graphics/okular/-/merge_requests/657
Git commit 0136eddb12151530bd162fd9b8862926a55007e3 by Oliver Sander, on behalf of Paul Worrall. Committed on 01/12/2022 at 15:29. Pushed by sander into branch 'master'. Handbook: Select Browse to edit/delete annotations Minor change to handbook to say that the Browse tool has to be selected before you can edit or delete annotations M +2 -2 doc/index.docbook https://invent.kde.org/graphics/okular/commit/0136eddb12151530bd162fd9b8862926a55007e3