1. start spreadsheet, add some numbers save as sourceDataTest.ods 2. start spreadsheet, add some text save as targetDataTest.ods 3. Copy from sourceDataTest.ods 4. in targetDataTest.ods: Paste Special > Link save 5. Look at Edit > Links link is set to manual, changing is not possible According to Help DDE links should be/could be set to automatic Was possible in version 3.3.0
Created attachment 134791 [details] screen shots dialog Edit Links in versions 330 and 367
Pasting as Link doesn't create a DDE link but a normal external reference, these don't have an automatic update mode (and afair never had). A DDE link would be =DDE("soffice","/path/to/file.ods","Sheet1.A1") for example.
(In reply to Eike Rathke from comment #2) > Pasting as Link doesn't create a DDE link but a normal external reference, > these don't have an automatic update mode (and afair never had). Still I see a different behavior in 3.3.0 and 3.6.7 (and recent master) > A DDE link > would be =DDE("soffice","/path/to/file.ods","Sheet1.A1") for example. The HELP (opened from dialog Edit > Links) reads: "Automatic [...] The Automatic option is only available for DDE links. You can insert a DDE link by copying the contents from one file and pasting by choosing Edit - Paste Special, and then selecting the Link box. As DDE is a text based linking system, only the displayed decimals are copied into the target sheet."
(In reply to Eike Rathke from comment #2) > A DDE link > would be =DDE("soffice","/path/to/file.ods","Sheet1.A1") for example. Ah in 3.3.0 paste special results in {=DDE("soffice";"<file-full-name>";"sheet.range")} and in later versions {='<file-full-name>'#$'sheet'.range"}
@Eike: mind to comment? (I can install some versions between 3.3.0 and 3.6.7 to see how it works there.)
3.3.4rc1 and 3.4.6rc2 give similar results as 3.3.0, i.e. paste special, check 'Link', results in valid DDE. In 3.5.7rc2 the behavior has changed: no DDE links as result from paste special, check 'Link'. So the change is introduced somewhere between 3.4.6 and 3.5.7. (this all on Ubuntu Linux 64 bits)
That change was on purpose, pasting as Link should not result in a DDE link because a) such DDE link works only with the soffice executable whereas a general (external) reference works in any application that consumes ODF .ods b) DDE is a Windows-only solution, only LibreOffice/OOo handle that internally as an own implementation on other platforms c) DDE is deprecated anyway ;-) So this is actually outdated documentation, reassigning to component.
(In reply to Eike Rathke from comment #2) > Pasting as Link doesn't create a DDE link but a normal external reference, > these don't have an automatic update mode (and afair never had). It seems to work in master copying from (1) Writer to Writer and (2) Calc to Writer. > A DDE link would be =DDE("soffice","/path/to/file.ods","Sheet1.A1") for example. (1) looks as <text:section text:style-name="Sect1" text:name="soffice2" text:protected="true"><office:dde-source office:dde-application="soffice" office:dde-topic="/<path>/link-from.odt" office:dde-item="__DdeLink__498_4036932267" office:automatic-update="true"/><text:p text:style-name="P4">Link Source Document</text:p><text:p text:style-name="P3"><text:span text:style-name="T3">Text body UPDATED</text:span></text:p></text:section><text:p text:style-name="Standard"> <text:bookmark text:name="__DdeLink__498_40369322671"/><text:bookmark text:name="__DdeLink__498_40369322673"/><text:bookmark text:name="__DdeLink__498_40369322672"/><text:bookmark text:name="__DdeLink__498_4036932267"/></text:p></office:text> (2) looks as <table:table table:name="Table1" table:style-name="Table1"><office:dde-source office:name="soffice1" office:dde-application="soffice" office:dde-item="/<path>/testLINK.ods" office:dde-topic="'Server - Mail'.A64:C64" office:automatic-update="true"/> NB Not disputing that DDE is deprecated and soffice only, of course.
(In reply to Eike Rathke from comment #7) > That change was on purpose, pasting as Link should not result in a DDE link > because > a) such DDE link works only with the soffice executable whereas a general > (external) reference works in any application that consumes ODF .ods > b) DDE is a Windows-only solution, only LibreOffice/OOo handle that > internally > as an own implementation on other platforms > c) DDE is deprecated anyway ;-) > > So this is actually outdated documentation, reassigning to component. I have a patch for the help page for links to external files ( https://help.libreoffice.org/7.1/en-US/text/shared/01/02180000.html ) and found this report in that connection. I am willing to make the appropriate changes, but have no knowledge of the technical issue. If you could tell me what should dropped/added, etc., then the change will be made immediately. Here is the current text for Automatic. Automatic Automatically updates the contents of the link when you open the file. Any changes made in the source file are then displayed in the file containing the link. Linked graphic files can only be updated manually. This option is not available for a linked graphic file. The Automatic option is only available for DDE links. You can insert a DDE link by copying the contents from one file and pasting by choosing Edit - Paste Special, and then selecting the Link box. As DDE is a text based linking system, only the displayed decimals are copied into the target sheet.