Bug 40389 - Re-formatting as text fails if previously contained apparently valid cell reference
Summary: Re-formatting as text fails if previously contained apparently valid cell ref...
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Calc (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
Inherited From OOo
Hardware: Other All
: medium minor
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Calc-Cells
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Reported: 2011-08-26 00:58 UTC by andréb
Modified: 2023-12-05 18:49 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

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Crash report or crash signature:


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Description andréb 2011-08-26 00:58:44 UTC
If a cell is formatted as text, all values subsequently entered are treated as text.  (Expected behavior)
If a cell is formatted as a number (explicitly or by default), and text beginning with "=" is entered, it will be interpreted as a cell reference if that would be a valid cell reference format.
If one then re-formats it as text, it continues to be interpreted as a cell reference, instead of text.

Expected behavior :
If a cell is re-formatted as text, it will be accepted as literal text, and never interpreted as a cell reference.

To produce:
1. Enter any value in A1
2. Ensure that A2 is formatted as numeric (explicitly or by default)
3. Enter "=A1" in A2.
4. A2 displays contents of A1.
5. Re-format A2 as text.
6. A2 still displays contents of A1.  It should display "=A1".

Note that this bug also existed in Openoffice 3.2.1 (and probably before).

(Operating system is Linux on PC hardware, but that should be unrelated.)
Comment 1 Björn Michaelsen 2011-12-23 12:32:37 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 2 andréb 2011-12-27 04:13:08 UTC
Still valid in libo 3.4.3 release.
(Very easy to test with whatever version of libo is installed.)
Comment 3 Florian Reisinger 2012-08-14 13:57:25 UTC
Dear bug submitter!

Due to the fact, that there are a lot of NEEDINFO bugs with no answer within the last six months, we close all of these bugs.

To keep this message short, more infos are available @ https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/QA/NeedinfoClosure#Statement

Thanks for understanding and hopefully updating your bug, so that everything is prepared for developers to fix your problem.

Yours!

Florian
Comment 4 Florian Reisinger 2012-08-14 13:58:46 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 5 Florian Reisinger 2012-08-14 14:03:20 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 6 Florian Reisinger 2012-08-14 14:05:34 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 7 andréb 2012-08-14 19:11:08 UTC
in response to comments 3, 4, 5, and 6 (all produced the same day),
this bug is still valid in LibO 3.5.3.2 (the latest I have installed).

Note that if one reformats the cell with the reference to text _before_ entering the reference, it correctly displays the reference text instead of the contents of the cell referred to.

Try it.  It takes all of 30 seconds to confirm. (see the initial description for details.)
Comment 8 andréb 2012-08-14 19:20:18 UTC
workaround :
after changing the format of the apparent reference to text, then modify the value.
Such as editing the cell, adding and removing a space (or other character), and saving the cell (which has the same content).
It will then display the content as text, instead of the content of the cell it apparently references.
Comment 9 Florian Reisinger 2012-08-16 10:56:17 UTC
Please always use the oldest version in version field..
Comment 10 andréb 2012-08-16 15:03:36 UTC
Ok, but this bug existed in Libreoffice from the beginning, and in Openoffice before.
Version 3.4.3 release is the version I was using when I confirmed that it was still valid, 4 months after reporting it.
So should it have the first version of Libreoffice ?

BTW, why the oldest confirmed version ?
It seems that most projects prefer the latest confirmed version.  Otherwise they query if the bug is still valid.
Comment 11 Florian Reisinger 2012-08-16 16:20:30 UTC
It is important for devs when there are looking for a problem...
Comment 12 QA Administrators 2015-01-05 17:51:04 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 13 Buovjaga 2015-01-21 08:37:08 UTC
Problem still exists.
Severity to minor as workaround is available.

Win 7 Pro 64-bit Version: 4.5.0.0.alpha0+
Build ID: 07e84cae983c08afdba03018413a19d01abb3006
TinderBox: Win-x86@62-TDF, Branch:MASTER, Time: 2015-01-19_06:15:38
Comment 14 QA Administrators 2016-02-21 08:34:38 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 15 QA Administrators 2017-03-06 14:57:06 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 16 QA Administrators 2019-12-03 13:57:52 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 17 andréb 2019-12-04 05:04:17 UTC
Bug still exists with libo 6.2.8.2 , the latest I have installed.
The workaround in comment 7 still works as well.
Comment 18 QA Administrators 2021-12-04 04:43:28 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 19 QA Administrators 2023-12-05 03:16:14 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 20 andréb 2023-12-05 18:49:03 UTC
Just tested on Libreoffice 7.4.5.1 (the latest installed from my distro).

The bug still exists (as explained in initial post).
The workaround in comment 7 also still works.