Created attachment 127107 [details] Screen shots of Format Cells (LO & MSO) and Side bar. This is an enhancement request to add a 'Merge Cells' control within the Alignment tab of the 'Format Cells' window (Format > Cells). The addition would make LO Format Cell/Alignment equivalent to (1) another popular spreadsheet tool, and (2) the LO Sidebar/Properties. Screen shots attached.
You are likely aware of the Format > Merge Cells functions, also available per context menu and customizable for the toolbar. So the request is to have the same functionality in the cell formatting dialog. And I wouldn't do so because merging/splitting cells is a feature of the table and not the cell itself. The Excel solution is not necessarily the best. So I would close as WONTFIX.
I would be infavour of this, as all features should be available at last resort in the dialog. @Stuart, @Cor: Whats your take?
Agree with Heiko, the Merge Cells command is present as a top level Format menu action, and is also activated on the context menu when cells are selected. The Alignment tab of the Format Cells dialog deals with rendering of Text contained within the individual Cell(s). No existing panel in the Format Cells dialog is appropriate for the Merge Cell actions, and not clear there would be benefit to implementing such a tab.
If I may "argue" my case .... :) > I wouldn't do so because merging/splitting cells is a feature of the table > and not the cell itself. The Excel solution is not necessarily the best. I offer the examples of 'Merge cells' being included in the LO Sidebar and the Excel Format Cells as an indication that others thought 'Merge cells' should be available with other cell formatting tools as opposed to elsewhere. In my use of LO I primarily use Format Cells (Ctrl+1) as it provides a single place for nearly all "Cell" formatting needs ... except Merge Cells. > the Merge Cells command is present as a top level Format menu action If 'Merge Cells' is added to Format Cells than I suggest it be removed from the top level menu. While I hope the Text drop down menus will always be available to explore features I find them to be an inefficient way to access features in day to day use compared to Icon tool bars or Tool palettes like 'Format Cells' or the Sidebar. The usefulness of tool palettes is higher if everything needed is at hand, hence, the enhancement request. > No existing panel in the Format Cells dialog is appropriate for the Merge > Cell actions, and not clear there would be benefit to implementing such a tab. The request is not for a new tab but to follow Excel's lead and place 'Merge Cells' in the Alignment Tab. Anyone who has used Excel in the last few decades won't be surprised by its placement in the Alignment tab.
@Cor @Eike, @Bubli, @Samuel: Any thoughts on this?
I could see some utility to adding a tab panel to the Format Cells dialog, but see no need to follow MS example of adding the check-box the the alignment panel as it does not belong there. Also, one could argue that it does *not* belong on the Sidebar -> Properties deck -> Alignment content panel and should be in a content panel of its own with the rest of the Merge and Split actions. Beyond either of these, adding the check-box to the Format Cells -> Alignment Panel would be trivial. It is already that way in the Sidebar deck so would introduce consistency--I simply don't see that as the correct place to implement the Merge/Split actions.
So decide to do some app diving and here are the results. Calligra Sheets: Position tab WPS/Kingsoft Spreadsheet: Alignment tab Quattro Pro: Alignment tab Gnumeric: Not in dialog Google Sheet: No dialog
With respect to other spreadsheets I suspect the reasoning for placing the 'Merge Cells' check box within the Alignment/Position tab is that the user would also have available the Horizontal and Vertical positioning tools which are often used in conjunction with Merged Cells. I.E. Merge Cell then Center (or other positioning) then Wrap, etc.
I've been chewing on this and no strong opinion. But if we have it - and I can see why people do like it - I would follow bruce's suggestion: at the alignment tab. Hard to imagine what a tab Panel should hold, in any case. Ciao - Cor
We discussed this in last week's design meeting and decided to reopen it for the time being and that we would discuss it again at another design meeting.
Old ticket, missing further discussion. We have Merge Cells in the sidebar and run into issues when the selection spans over merged and normal cells (eg. C10:E10 are merged and you select D9:D11 => messagebox "not possible" or you select D11:E11 => merge is checked and you can only unmerge). The merge action is just not a _attribute_ of a cell.
We discussed the idea in the design meeting and decided to resolve as wontfix. There are plenty of ways to merge cells, ie. sidebar, main menu, context menu, customization, etc. So the properties dialog is the last resort and actually not expected by average users.