Bug 163847 - Calc doesn't respect hidden columns when filling
Summary: Calc doesn't respect hidden columns when filling
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 56799
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Calc (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
4.3.0.4 release
Hardware: Other Windows (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Cell-Management
  Show dependency treegraph
 
Reported: 2024-11-11 16:53 UTC by punoramic
Modified: 2024-12-12 13:32 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Raw data file (273.21 KB, application/octet-stream)
2024-11-18 12:25 UTC, punoramic
Details

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description punoramic 2024-11-11 16:53:18 UTC
Description:
I have a sheet that references another sheet using formulas.  The problem is that if columns are hidden the formulas (formulae?) don't get copied.  If the columns are not hidden then they get copied.

This used to work but I'm not sure when it stopped working as I only perform this operation occasionally.

Steps to Reproduce:
I have a sheet (with column headings) that uses formulas to access data on another sheet.
E.g. D2 contains =$'raw data'G3 and
     E2 contains =IF($'raw data'.B3="Various", "Various",CONCATENATE($'raw data'.B3,$'raw data'.C3))

1. I delete all but row 1 (heading) and row 2 (first line of data)
2. I highlight row 2, cols A-G
3. I drag that down to populate a certain number of rows
4. This duplicates the formulas all the way down (as expected)

5. I hide columns D and E
6. I highlight row 2. cols A-G
7. I drag that down to populate a certain number of rows
8. I show columns D and E
9. Columns A-C and columns F-G contain data from the sheet shown in their respective formulas
10.Columns D and E are blank, i.e. the formulas have not been copied down


Actual Results:
Formulas in hidden columns are not copied

Expected Results:
Formulas should be copied whether hidden or not


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No

Additional Info:
I'm only a simple user so didn't understand the bits about hardware but 
my processor is i3-6100 running Windows 10 Home
Comment 1 Bryan Zanoli 2024-11-11 21:51:15 UTC
Thanks for submitting the bug report. I attempted to recreate your steps as best I could, but could not reproduce the issue. When I copy cells, either by column or by selecting specific cells within a row, all formulas come over, for hidden columns as well. 

Could you please upload the document with the issue and share the LibreOffice version info from Help -> About LibreOffice.
Comment 2 punoramic 2024-11-18 12:25:58 UTC
Created attachment 197676 [details]
Raw data file

Hi Bryan

I originally tried replying to your email, only to be told that's not the way to provide attachments.  Sorry for the delay.

The attached file was originally written in Excel over twenty years ago to log my CD collection.  There may be better ways to do it but it serves its purpose.

The sheet I was working on was 'By year'.

Kind regards,

Al
Comment 3 QA Administrators 2024-11-19 03:16:25 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 4 Bryan Zanoli 2024-11-26 22:19:28 UTC
Could reproduce the issue using the file provided and specific instructions mentioned. For clarification, issue appears to be related to auto-fill and not impacted if direct copy-paste is used.
Comment 5 Bryan Zanoli 2024-12-04 01:57:03 UTC
Reproduced issue on version 4.3 with SHA fc8f44e82de4ebdd50ac5fbb9207cd1a59a927e3. Believe the bug is likely originating from initial version and not sure if expected behavior. Due to ordinary copy/paste behavior though, intuitively it would make sense that both autofill and c/p are the same.
Comment 6 Buovjaga 2024-12-09 05:32:41 UTC
From bug 56799 comment 21:

"Actually this was a deliberate change and not a regression. Hidden rows and columns are ignored where ever we touch some code that does not do it yet.

There are just too many issues that users had with accidentally overwritten content."

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 56799 ***
Comment 7 punoramic 2024-12-11 15:17:25 UTC
Hi Buovjaga

I’m quite happy that bug 163847 turns out to be a duplicate of 56799 and is ‘resolved’.  However, having looked at the many notes I am confused.

Back in 2017 gilder@interia.pl says the “problem still exists” and then Markus Mohrhard says it is a “deliberate change”.  This seems to contradict Mark (back in 2012) who says “This is an 3.6.x issue. LibreOffice Calc up to version 3.5.5 did this operation correctly”.  Mark also says (2013) “By the way, MS Excel does not show this behavior.”

It seems like your different developers have different ideas on whether auto-fill should operate on hidden columns, which is a little disappointing.  Surely compatibility with Microsoft should be the prime objective?

I would like the status of 56799 to be revised so that Libre Calc works the same way as Excel.

Kind regards

Alastair
Comment 8 Buovjaga 2024-12-11 15:22:51 UTC
(In reply to punoramic from comment #7)
> Hi Buovjaga
> 
> I’m quite happy that bug 163847 turns out to be a duplicate of 56799 and is
> ‘resolved’.  However, having looked at the many notes I am confused.
> 
> Back in 2017 gilder@interia.pl says the “problem still exists” and then
> Markus Mohrhard says it is a “deliberate change”.  This seems to contradict
> Mark (back in 2012) who says “This is an 3.6.x issue. LibreOffice Calc up to
> version 3.5.5 did this operation correctly”.  Mark also says (2013) “By the
> way, MS Excel does not show this behavior.”
> 
> It seems like your different developers have different ideas on whether
> auto-fill should operate on hidden columns, which is a little disappointing.
> Surely compatibility with Microsoft should be the prime objective?

There are comments from only one developer there, Markus.

Another developer, Justin, in bug 137774 comment 4 says:

"I would consider autofill affecting hidden rows as a bug it if were to happen. It very intentionally does not work that way.  See bug 113785."
Comment 9 punoramic 2024-12-12 13:32:42 UTC
Hi

Sorry if I have misunderstood the functionality but this is how it looks to me.

Many years ago I wrote a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel that auto-filled hidden columns.  I since moved to Libre Office and found it works differently.

I don't want to make unnecessary work for developers but I propose the following.  Port the test data I provided earlier to Microsoft Office.  If Excel works the same as Calc then I accept that's how life is.  On the other hand, if Excel works differently then I expect Calc to copy that.  *Compatibility* is key.

Regards

Alastair