Bug 155670 - Row selection on merged cells only possible at the top row
Summary: Row selection on merged cells only possible at the top row
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.4.7.2 release
Hardware: All All
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Writer-Tables-Select
  Show dependency treegraph
 
Reported: 2023-06-03 22:56 UTC by Ulrich Windl
Modified: 2024-01-25 11:26 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Demo Document with a table (16.94 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2023-06-03 22:56 UTC, Ulrich Windl
Details
Trying to select the first row using the "right arrow" (18.99 KB, image/png)
2023-06-03 22:57 UTC, Ulrich Windl
Details
Selecting the first table row (17.86 KB, image/png)
2023-06-03 22:59 UTC, Ulrich Windl
Details
Selecting the second tbale row (13.78 KB, image/png)
2023-06-03 23:00 UTC, Ulrich Windl
Details
Comparison MSO vs. LO (16.61 MB, image/gif)
2023-06-19 09:01 UTC, Heiko Tietze
Details
Narrated screencast demostrating the inconsistent selection behavior (2.77 MB, video/x-matroska)
2023-09-13 20:41 UTC, Eyal Rozenberg
Details

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description Ulrich Windl 2023-06-03 22:56:20 UTC
Created attachment 187706 [details]
Demo Document with a table

When a table contains rows where some columns have joined rows, table row selection via mouse at the left side of the table ("right arrow") behaves unexpected:

In the sample document the first row's first column consists of three joined rows.
Trying to select he first "optical row" by positioning the mouse where the text is (i.e.: in the second "line") selects nothing. Instead you have to move the mouse to the first "line", and then the *whole* first cell with three "Lines" is selected.
But still in the last to columns of the same "optical row" only the first lines are selected (see attached screen shot).

However when you row-select the second "optical row", all three "lines" of the last two columns are selected.

I think a least surprising selection behavior would be that positioning the "right arrow" anywhere withing the first cell, should select that row (first three lines), and when selecting the second row, the next two rows of the first two columns should be selected as well (to match the selection of the last two columns).

I know the text is somewhat abstract, and I failed to make a screenshot where the "right arrow" is visible, but the screenshots should help understanding.
Comment 1 Ulrich Windl 2023-06-03 22:57:28 UTC
Created attachment 187707 [details]
Trying to select the first row using the "right arrow"

Aligning the "right arrow" vertically with the text of the first cell selects nothing.
Comment 2 Ulrich Windl 2023-06-03 22:59:08 UTC
Created attachment 187708 [details]
Selecting the first table row

Selecting the first row does not select all "lines" that make up the "optical row".
Comment 3 Ulrich Windl 2023-06-03 23:00:25 UTC
Created attachment 187709 [details]
Selecting the second tbale row

Selecting the second table row does not select all "lines" that make up the "optical row".
Comment 4 Dieter 2023-06-17 11:31:53 UTC
Ulrich, I can confirm the behaviour with

Version: 7.5.4.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 36ccfdc35048b057fd9854c757a8b67ec53977b6
CPU threads: 4; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 19045; UI render: Skia/Raster; VCL: win
Locale: de-DE (de_DE); UI: en-GB
Calc: CL threaded

Steps:
1. Open attachment 187706 [details]. Excluding the heading this table contains 12 rows (in some columns 3 rows have been merged.
2. Place mouse cursor left from table and left from first row and click. Result: Merged cells are selected and first row
3. Place mouse cusor left from table and left from second row and click. Nothing happens (Unexpected; My expecation: at least second row should be selected); same with third row
4. Place cursor left from table and left from fifth row and click. Result: Fifth rom is selected (O. K. for me)

So I think there is a bug or at least the need for an enhancement
cc: Design-Team for further input and decision about expected result
Comment 5 Heiko Tietze 2023-06-19 08:21:51 UTC
Kind of duplicate for bug 143848. I wonder how consistent such the selection can be. Assuming B1:B2 and C1:C3 is mergeded vs. A1:A3, B2:B3 - what should happen when you select A1 in these scenarios?

Microsoft Word selects the virtual row of the merged cells in these cases but only if cells are empty. If filled, the selection extends to the content. And ultimately it works the same as with Writer.
Comment 6 Heiko Tietze 2023-06-19 09:01:52 UTC
Created attachment 187980 [details]
Comparison MSO vs. LO

(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #5)
> Kind of duplicate for bug 143848.
bug 43848 of course

Attached a screencast comparing MSO vs. LO
Comment 7 Eyal Rozenberg 2023-09-13 20:41:38 UTC
Created attachment 189561 [details]
Narrated screencast demostrating the inconsistent selection behavior

If the issue description is not entirely clear to you, please watch this narrated screencast for a demonstration (recorded on Linux, with Writer 7.6.0.3 gtk3 VCL)
Comment 8 Heiko Tietze 2023-09-14 06:58:46 UTC
Okay, let's make this a bug. Selection on merged cells can be done only at the top row.