Bug 140914 - Alt+C does not work to create special characters in Calc
Summary: Alt+C does not work to create special characters in Calc
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Calc (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
6.4.7.2 release
Hardware: All Windows (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2021-03-09 12:19 UTC by j.eschmann
Modified: 2023-07-28 23:26 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


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Description j.eschmann 2021-03-09 12:19:35 UTC
Description:
When I need special characters I can create them in Writer by the Unicode number and then by typing Alt+C (e.g. 0161 Alt+C gives š). When I need a special character in Calc and there is no shortcut with the ASCII-number I must use the table via insert > special characters, which slows down working.

Actual Results:
Alt+C 0161

Expected Results:
nothing


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
š
Comment 1 Juliet 2021-03-09 12:27:54 UTC
Can you add steps to reproduce please?
I cant get "by typing Alt+C (e.g. 0161 Alt+C gives š)" to work in writer
Comment 2 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 14:43:00 UTC
(In reply to Juliet from comment #1)
> Can you add steps to reproduce please?
> I cant get "by typing Alt+C (e.g. 0161 Alt+C gives š)" to work in writer

The short is locale dependent - in some locales it is ALT+C, while the default is ALT+X - see: https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/shared/04/01010000.html?DbPAR=SHARED#bm_id3149991
Comment 3 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 14:44:20 UTC
No repro (German locale - ALT+C)

Version: 7.1.1.2 / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: fe0b08f4af1bacafe4c7ecc87ce55bb426164676
CPU threads: 8; OS: Linux 5.3; UI render: default; VCL: kf5
Locale: de-DE (de_DE.UTF-8); UI: de-DE
Calc: threaded
Comment 4 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 14:45:53 UTC
No repro (German locale - ALT+C)

Version: 6.4.7.2
Build-ID: 639b8ac485750d5696d7590a72ef1b496725cfb5
CPU-Threads: 8; BS: Linux 5.3; UI-Render: Standard; VCL: kf5; 
Gebietsschema: de-DE (de_DE.UTF-8); UI-Sprache: de-DE
Calc: threaded
Comment 5 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 14:55:13 UTC
No repro

Version: 6.4.7.2 (x64)
Build-ID: 639b8ac485750d5696d7590a72ef1b496725cfb5
CPU-Threads: 1; BS: Windows 10.0 Build 19042; UI-Render: Standard; VCL: win; 
Gebietsschema: en-US (en_DE); UI-Sprache: de-DE
Calc: threade
Comment 6 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 14:59:10 UTC
(In reply to j.eschmann from comment #0)
> > 
> User Profile Reset: No
> 

Could you please retry while running in LibreOffice Safe Mode through Help -> Restart in Safe Mode... (assure to click button "Continue in Safe Mode")?
Comment 7 j.eschmann 2021-03-09 17:16:26 UTC
I tried: It works in Safe Mode just as I wanted to have it.

Thank you.
Comment 8 j.eschmann 2021-03-09 17:56:41 UTC
I must add that it works now only in the Safe Mode. So if I need many special characters I must start the program in the Safe Mode. There should be done something to improve the program.
Comment 9 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 18:10:15 UTC
(In reply to j.eschmann from comment #8)
> I must add that it works now only in the Safe Mode. So if I need many
> special characters I must start the program in the Safe Mode. There should
> be done something to improve the program.

Due to you test result, most probably your user profile is corrupt - please perform a reset of you user profile. Please check https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/UserProfile on how to reset to factory settings or perform:

- Start LibreOffice
- Start in **Safe Mode** using `Help -> Restart in Safe Mode` and confirm the restart using button: `Restart`  
- Archive your profile expanding `Advanced` (click on the word *Advanced* right above `Help` button) and click `Archive User Profile` button   
- Select option `Reset to factory settings`  
- Activate `[x] Reset entire user profile`  
- Click button `Apply Changes and Restart`
Comment 10 [REDACTED] 2021-03-09 18:21:19 UTC
(In reply to j.eschmann from comment #8)
> I must add that it works now only in the Safe Mode. So if I need many
> special characters I must start the program in the Safe Mode. There should
> be done something to improve the program.

No, you don't need to start in Safe Mode to enter special character. The advice to perform *Safe Mode* run wasn't meant as a workaround but as a test to figure out, whether a corrupt user profile could cause your issue. And the fact, that everything is working in "Safe Mode" as expected, is a clear indicator your user profile is causing the issue. Therefore the following advice to reset your user profile.

Please provide a feedback and if everything is OK after having reset the user profile to factory settings, I'll close this report (your consent provided).
Comment 11 j.eschmann 2021-03-10 09:55:31 UTC
Obviously my user profile was really corrupt. So I made a reset as you suggested and the special characters appeared again in Calc. Thank you.
Unfortunately the problem was not completely resolved. To test it, I tried it out with some Czech characters, and I found:
I cannot type "u | 0159 | Alt+C" to obtain _uř_ neither in Writer nor in Calc, the same problem seems to be for several special characters after u.
In Calc after some special characters like ň (Unicode 0148), ř (Unicode 0159), ě (Unicode 011B) you can only continue writing by typing "space" or "->" (go to the right). 
Of course I only tried out some examples, but there might be other similar problems with the special characters.
Comment 12 [REDACTED] 2021-03-10 11:32:59 UTC
(In reply to j.eschmann from comment #11)

> I cannot type "u | 0159 | Alt+C" to obtain _uř_ neither in Writer nor in
> Calc, the same problem seems to be for several special characters after u.
> In Calc after some special characters like ň (Unicode 0148), ř (Unicode
> 0159), ě (Unicode 011B) you can only continue writing by typing "space" or
> "->" (go to the right). 


To make it work in any case you need to use "u|U+0159"|ALT+C" to make clear, were the unicode starts. On my system all the codes you mentioned do work this way. And my understanding of help is, that using "U+" is required (though leaving off leading "U+" works in many cases, esp. in case of standalone codes, works). Alternatively you could select the characters, which should be considered building a unicode character, and then press ALT+C.
Comment 13 j.eschmann 2021-03-13 11:05:19 UTC
I have tried it out, and up to now it worked; but in Calc you must type "space" after the special character. 
It should be explained somewhere, because I am not the only person who has to cope with this difficulty.
These shortcuts are very helpful if you type texts with several languages in them, and you don't want to change the keyboard. 
Thank you very much.
Comment 14 [REDACTED] 2021-03-14 09:50:28 UTC
(In reply to j.eschmann from comment #13)
> ............................................ but in Calc you must type
> "space" after the special character. 

Can't confirm this
Comment 15 j.eschmann 2021-03-14 12:06:04 UTC
I take an example from Czech. I want to type the word _běh_ "running".

- I type _b_
- I type _u+011b_
- I type "Alt+C"
- I get _bě_ on the screen.
In Writer I can now go on typing _h_, 
- in Calc I must first type "->" (go to the right), then I can go on writing by typing _h_. If not, the character _ě_ is deleted. Sometimes the cursor then jumps to the next case on the right. Sometimes it also works by typing "space". But I have not yet found out the exact conditions for this behaviour.
Comment 16 Martin Srdoš 2022-05-25 19:40:48 UTC
(In reply to j.eschmann from comment #15)
> I take an example from Czech. I want to type the word _běh_ "running".
> 
> - I type _b_
> - I type _u+011b_
> - I type "Alt+C"
> - I get _bě_ on the screen.
> In Writer I can now go on typing _h_, 
> - in Calc I must first type "->" (go to the right), then I can go on writing
> by typing _h_. If not, the character _ě_ is deleted. Sometimes the cursor
> then jumps to the next case on the right. Sometimes it also works by typing
> "space". But I have not yet found out the exact conditions for this
> behaviour.

When I understand correctly, the problem with creating special characters is solved now. Is it so?
Comment 17 Stéphane Guillou (stragu) 2023-07-28 23:26:51 UTC
The original issue was solved with a profile reset.
The follow-up issue was solved by clarifying that only a full code-point will make the desired result unambiguous, given that Alt + C/X is a toggle and not a one-way action.

j.eschmann's remaining issue (inconsistency between Writer and Calc in that a toggling between character and Unicode code point with Alt + C/X results in a selection in Calc but not in Writer) can be reported in a separate ticket, for clarity.

Thank you both!