This feature doesn't seem to be working.  (Or probably something I'm doing--newbie here).  I have the following on:  Enable Snapping, Snap Bounding Boxes, and Snap to Edges of a Bounding Box.  I cannot get it to snap from one objects Bounding Box edge to another.  If I understand correctly, with this choice selected my "sides" of two objects should snap (and then I could slide up or down).

It does work if I select any of the other three choices.

Thanks.  

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Snapping.html#Snapping-Objects

Thank you.  Still a little confused.  So the "Snap to edges of a bounding box."  Doesn't do any alignment?  Not sure I understand the purpose of this tool?  For example, I thought I could take a rectangle and say a star and using this feature make the two edges meet anywhere along their common edge?    I know I can accomplish what I want thru other methods...just trying to understand better.  Thanks.

A bounding-box by definition only has vertical and horizontal edges. It has four corner points and four edges with midpoints, plus centerpoint. Any of the side or corner points will allow snapping alignment edge-to-edge to another bounding box, with arbitrary position along the edges. 

To align a star/polygon's angular edge to the edge of another object, snapping with the bounding box is not the method to use.

If this is not helpful, please describe your goal in greater detail.

Tyler,

I really appreciate your help and patience.  If I understand correctly, when I have the first two snapping icons for bounding box selected (Snap bounding boxes, and Snap to Edges of Bounding Box).  Nothing happens--in order to get any type of snapping I have to select other options?  Here's a quick video showing what I'm asking about.   

Good video, thank you.

The first icon in the bounding box snapping group is the button that activates the group of bounding box snapping tools. It's like the master switch for that group. 

And, as described in the manual, the edges themselves cannot snap, corners or side-midpoints also active will allow snap. 

Similarly, the other snapping groups (paths, others) have activation buttons to turn on/off snapping for their entire group.

Yes.  I understand the first button.  So, I (finally) think I understand.  It just seems intuitively to me that the second button (Snap to Edges of Bounding Box) isn't working properly--because it does nothing (either when activated or not) by itself or with the remaining buttons.  Maybe having that able to snap might be an future enhancement?  Thanks, again for all your time and patience. Appreciate it.  I'm loving this software and it seems the more I explore the more powerful it seems.

The side button active allows snapping to the bounding box side at arbitrary locations, not just midpoints or corners.

OMG... Okay, finally, I get it now.  Thanks so much!!