Bug 134200 - UI: Alt + left/right arrow keys shortcuts to adjust column width cannot be eliminated
Summary: UI: Alt + left/right arrow keys shortcuts to adjust column width cannot be el...
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Calc (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
Inherited From OOo
Hardware: All All
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Customize-Dialog-Keyboard Shortcuts-Accelerators
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Reported: 2020-06-21 17:38 UTC by bchemnet
Modified: 2024-08-28 15:38 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Testdocument to examine alt+arrow (15.25 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.calc)
2020-06-22 18:10 UTC, Regina Henschel
Details

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Description bchemnet 2020-06-21 17:38:18 UTC
Description:
The shortcuts alt+left and alt+right have no assigned value when customizing the keyboard layout in Libreoffice overall or in Calc.  However, in calc, these keys do have a hard-coded shortcut of changing the column width.  It is possible to override the change-column-width behavior by assigning another function to these key combinations, but it is not possible to simply turn off any behavior.

This leads to some unexpected behaviors.  For example, when working with a plot and trying to move an element using the keyboard, it is standard for "alt + arrow" to mean "small movement".  However, in Calc I end up changing the width of one of the columns underneath the plot!  The column does not even have (apparent) focus.

Can this be changed to expose this shortcut, so that it can be changed or adjusted like other shortcuts?

There is a Mac-specific version of this request here: https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=114047

That is requesting a change in the specific shortcut (where ALT becomes OPTION on a Mac) rather than exposing the shortcut for modification, so this is not a duplicate but it is closely related because addressing this one might solve the other as well.  I do not care if the default shortcut remains as it is, I would just like the ability to turn it off like other shortcuts that do not work for me.  I have observed this behavior for years, but recently I have found myself trying to use "alt+arrow" a lot more so this has become annoying enough to open a bug.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open a spreadsheet.
2. Press Alt+Right or Alt+Left, and watch column change size.
3. Go to Customize and find that Alt+Right and Alt+Left are not assigned any function.  I also did not find something like "increase column width" or "decrease column width" as functions that could be assigned.

Actual Results:
Cannot remap shortcut to "nothing".

Expected Results:
Would like to remap shortcut to "nothing" so my columns stop changing sizes.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
Version: 6.4.4.2
Build ID: 1:6.4.4-1
CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 5.6; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3; 
Locale: en-US (en_US.UTF-8); UI-Language: en-US
Calc: threaded

(I am pretty sure this issue existed prior to LibreOffice.)
Comment 1 Regina Henschel 2020-06-22 18:10:07 UTC
Created attachment 162318 [details]
Testdocument to examine alt+arrow

I think it is not a problem in configuration but a simple bug. If a chart is in edit mode, the key should only apply to the chart, not to the table.

Open attached document. Double-click chart to bring it in edit mode.
Click on the rounded rectangle. Use Alt+Arrow to move the rectangle.
Notice that not only the rectangle moves, but at the same time the column/row of the current cell is changed.

It can be a separate enhancement request to add text to those short cuts, which have a special meaning not related to an .uno:command, in the customize dialog.
Comment 2 Heiko Tietze 2020-06-24 09:02:52 UTC
Let's consider this a bug. Ideally we make the feature a UNO command so it can be customized.
Comment 3 QA Administrators 2022-08-28 03:34:25 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 4 bchemnet 2022-08-28 13:16:50 UTC
This bug still exists unchanged.

Version: 7.4.0.3 / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 40(Build:3)
CPU threads: 8; OS: Linux 5.18; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: en-US (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Debian package version: 1:7.4.0~rc3-1
Calc: threaded
Comment 5 QA Administrators 2024-08-28 03:15:58 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 6 bchemnet 2024-08-28 15:38:31 UTC
The bug persists as described.  One additional note that is that it possible to override the default column-adjust behavior of these shortcuts by assigning them to a custom function (for example, some zoom setting).  Once assigned to a different function, they function as expected by only adjusting the plot when the plot has focus, doing the assigned function the rest of the time, and never both at once.  However, this does not negate the original issue, which is that alt+right and alt+left have an inherent effect when even assigned to "no function" and that effect causes multiple simultaneous behaviors when plots have focus.

Version: 24.2.4.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 420(Build:2)
CPU threads: 16; OS: Linux 6.8; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: en-US (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Debian package version: 4:24.2.4-1+b1
Calc: threaded