Bug 160480 - An improved way to move cells around
Summary: An improved way to move cells around
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 38994
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Calc (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
24.2.2.2 release
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-04-02 12:54 UTC by J22Gim
Modified: 2024-04-02 15:58 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

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Description J22Gim 2024-04-02 12:54:41 UTC
Description:
I propose an improved way of moving cells (individually or a selection of multiple cells).

Steps to Reproduce:
Start: you have the cursor in a given cell.
Objective: move the selected cell to a different place in the spreadsheet.

From [1]:
1. click the cell (keep mouse key pressed)
2. move cursor one cell down (or up, right, left - doesn’t matter)
3. and move cursor back (still mouse key pressed - and you’ll see the cell highlighted with some background color).
4. Release mouse key and click mouse once more
5. Now drag the cell content to the new location

[1] https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/how-can-i-click-and-drag-a-cell-in-calc/48121

Actual Results:
You moved the cell, but first, you were forced to do a previous procedure that makes little sense (i.e. select a neighbor cell for a moment). We are all used to this and it is not a big deal now, but it is still awkward and I am sure most of use felt that the first time we had to move a cell in Calc.

Expected Results:
It would make more sense if the UX was a bit simpler and, perhaps, more intuitive (or, at very least, less strange). 
I propose to enable an input method that is exclusively used from now on to move cells. I would argue in favor of middle-click with the mouse (it is not being used now, at least in my setup, and it is a waste of a input possibility). Specifically, you would middle-click on the selection, and drag-and-drop to its new location, always using only middle-click.

Other options could be to press the ALT key while using left-click mouse (this combination is also unused right now).

In sum, any combination that makes sense. But I would advice avoiding the awkwardness of selecting something (neighbor cell) only to get back to your original target (the cell you want ultimately to move). 


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: Yes

Additional Info:
Note this proposal should also work for selections (ie multiple cells) as well.
Comment 1 m_a_riosv 2024-04-02 15:58:06 UTC
I know it is not the very same proposal, but it try solves the same matter, select one cell.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 38994 ***