Bug 52941 - EDITING: ReportBuilder - property 'Print repeated values = No' without effect except data-fields of type "VARCHAR"
Summary: EDITING: ReportBuilder - property 'Print repeated values = No' without effec...
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Base (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
3.3.0 release
Hardware: Other All
: low minor
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2012-07-30 07:43 UTC by Robert Großkopf
Modified: 2013-08-09 06:36 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Labels will allways be hidden, datafields not. (15.29 KB, application/x-download)
2012-07-30 07:43 UTC, Robert Großkopf
Details
Description "Print repeated values" - how it works and how it should work (78.42 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2012-08-01 10:07 UTC, Robert Großkopf
Details
Report-example for printing repeated values (29.96 KB, application/vnd.sun.xml.base)
2012-08-08 10:40 UTC, Robert Großkopf
Details
New description where you find "repeated values" and how it should work. (83.31 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2012-08-08 10:50 UTC, Robert Großkopf
Details
Only text in datafields isn't repeated, when set to "Print repeated - no" (83.31 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2012-08-08 18:18 UTC, Robert Großkopf
Details

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Description Robert Großkopf 2012-07-30 07:43:15 UTC
Created attachment 64938 [details]
Labels will allways be hidden, datafields not.

Open the Report-Builder for editing a report. Take a Label-Field. Look at the properties. There you can change to "Print repeated values" "No". When you choose this option for a Label-Field, it isn't shown any more - if repeated or if not repeated.
Take a Text-Box. Cange it to "Print repeated values" "No". When you choose this option for a Text-Box it is shown, whether it is repeated or not.
Comment 1 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-01 10:07:41 UTC
Created attachment 65027 [details]
Description "Print repeated values" - how it works and how it should work

The function "Print repeated values" only hides label-fields complete. It hides this even when they are not repeated.
The data-fields cuoldn't be hidden. They are shown, even when there are repeated values.
Comment 2 Rainer Bielefeld Retired 2012-08-07 04:41:21 UTC
Unconfirmed, Version and other info missing ...
Comment 3 Rainer Bielefeld Retired 2012-08-07 05:29:14 UTC
I do not understand "Description "Print repeated values" - how it works and how it should work", Reporter does not cite any source for the "expected behavior"

Steps how to reproduce with Server Installation of  "LibreOffice 3.6.0.4 rc  English UI/ German Locale [Build-ID:  932b512] on German WIN7 Home Premium (64bit) :
Preparations
0. download Attachment 56260 [details] of "Bug 45338 - EDITING ReportBuilder: 
  'Details - General Keep Together' without visible effect"
1. Open Database Document
2. In Database pane click "Tables"
3. In Tables pane open Table "Name" with double click
   in records 0 ... 1 you find "Erich", "Karl", "Anna"
4. Scroll to table end, Behind ID "<Auto" add one by one 
   "Erich", "Erich", "Karl", "Karl", "Anna", "Anna"
   (records 41 ... 46)
5. Click Save icon
6. Menu 'File -> Close'

Test

7. In Database Pane Click "Reports"
8. In Reports pane rightclick -> Edit report "detail_hold_together"
9. Click "=Name" field in "Detail", in "General" Tab set "Print repeated values" 
   to "Yes" if necessary
10. Click "Execute Report" in toolbar
    > Report will be created
    > As expected at the end you see records 41 ... 46  "Erich", "Erich", 
      "Karl", "Karl", "Anna", "Anna"
11. Close Report
12. Change to 'Edit Report' view if necessary
13.  Click " "=Name"" field in "Detail", in "General" Tab set "Print 
     repeated values" to "No" 
14. Click "Execute Report" in toolbar
    > Report will be created
    Expected: records 41 ... 46  "Erich", Record with empty name field, 
              "Karl", Record with empty name field, 
              "Anna", Record with empty name field
    Actual: As expected.

I read the "expected behavior" in the German "Base Handbuch 3.5", but I can't imagine for what this function should be useful.

LOCALHELP finds "Print repeated values" under "Properties" in Database / Report Builder Help, but there is no help for that item. Help has to be improved for Report builder, currently It' completely useless.

So currently I do no know what I should expect, but observed behavior is in accordance with the only help source I have, so NOT reproducible!

I did not find a related AOOo issue.
 
@reporter:
Thank you for your report – unfortunately important information is missing.
May be hints on <http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugReport> will help you to find out what information will be useful to reproduce your problem? If you believe that that  is really sophisticated please as for Help on a user mailing list
Please:
- Write a meaningful Summary describing exactly what the problem is
- Attach a sample document (not only screenshot) or refer to an existing 
  sample document in an other Bug with a link; to attach a file to this 
  bug report, just click on "Add an attachment" right on this page.
- Attach screenshots with comments if you believe that that might explain the 
  problem better than a text comment. Best way is to insert your screenshots
  into a DRAW document and to add comments that explain what you want to show
- Contribute a document related step by step instruction containing every 
  key press and every mouse click how to reproduce your problem 
  (similar to example in Bug 43431)
– if possible contribute an instruction how to create a sample document 
  from the scratch
- add information 
  -- what EXACTLY is unexpected
  -- and WHY do you believe it's unexpected (cite Help or Documentation!)
  -- concerning your OS (Version, Distribution, Language)
  -- concerning your LibO version (with Build ID if it's not a public release)
     and localization (UI language, Locale setting)
  –- Libo settings that might be related to your problems 
  -- how you launch LibO and how you opened the sample document
  –- If you can contribute an AOOo Issue that might be useful
  -- everything else crossing your mind after you read linked texts

@David:
Can you please try to gain more information for Help?
Comment 4 Rainer Bielefeld Retired 2012-08-07 05:33:15 UTC
Also NOT reproducible with "LibreOffice 3.4.1 RC1 - WIN7  Home Premium (64bit) German UI [OOO340m1 (Build:201)]", same behavior as with 3.6.0
Comment 5 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-08 10:40:29 UTC
Created attachment 65274 [details]
Report-example for printing repeated values
Comment 6 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-08 10:50:00 UTC
Created attachment 65276 [details]
New description where you find "repeated values" and how it should work.

I have tried to make a better description. I have had a look at the description of the report-builder: http://www.openoffice.org/dba/specifications/index.html
But in the specifications the only is written
"Print repeated values specifies that recurring values are printed."

I think that means: All values of a field are printed, if they appear at the first time. When the value directly following a value is the same, this is a repeated value and would not be printed.

I do not know an example, where I would use this. But it couldn't be right, that all label-fields disappear when this property is set to "No", and all data-fields appear with this property.
Comment 7 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-08 10:51:27 UTC
I have set the Importance to "low" and "minor". I don't know, if anybody uses this function. But it didn't work right.
Comment 8 Rainer Bielefeld Retired 2012-08-08 11:19:55 UTC
@Robert:
Did you find anything in the specs concerning the intended Behavior? As I said in Comment 3 it works correct due to current (German) Base Manual, but I have some problems to find an application where the current behavior (suppression of following identical field) can be useful. 

May be: from an address list only the first (always Headquarter, Postoffice) should be in the report, all following ones should be suppressed ... . But I would not trust my sort order and would prefer some filtering. And for something like that the current way is unusable because only the repeated value itself will be suppressed, what seems rather crude to me.

We need a "Killer Application" with a clear and simple description what and why is required before manpower should be invested here.
Comment 9 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-08 14:05:23 UTC
(In reply to comment #8)
> @Robert:
> Did you find anything in the specs concerning the intended Behavior? As I said
> in Comment 3 it works correct due to current (German) Base Manual, but I have
> some problems to find an application where the current behavior (suppression of
> following identical field) can be useful. 

No, there is nothing but the comment:
"Print repeated values specifies that recurring values are printed."

I have had a look at your test-case. You have the repeted values in one data-row - you repeated the same field in the same row and then it is supressed. Don't know an example for such a report.

When I saw, that I can change labelflieds also with this property and they are not shown any more, the only really bug is, that this property has nothing to do with label-fields and must not be written there.

> We need a "Killer Application" with a clear and simple description what and why
> is required before manpower should be invested here.

The only thing that could be done: let's put away this property from the label-fields. We don't need a label-field, which would never be printed - and that is, what the property makes with such a field.
Comment 10 Jochen 2012-08-08 17:11:41 UTC
Hi Robert,

what is the oldest LO-version appearing the problem you describe?
Comment 11 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-08 18:18:46 UTC
Created attachment 65306 [details]
Only text in datafields isn't repeated, when set to "Print repeated - no"

I have tested a little bit more. 
With label-fields all labels aren't shown any more, when "Print repeated values" is set to "No". No differece if repeated or not.

In the datafields I could confirm the behaviour, that text like names isn't printed, when it is set to "Print repeated values":"No". You could see this in the example.
But also in the datafields all repeated numbers, decimalnumbers and dates are shown - if set to "Print repeated values":"No" or "Yes".

So we could say: Works right as expected with Char-datafields. With all other fields, if label-fields or Date-datafields or Integer-datafields it didn't work.
Comment 12 Jochen 2012-08-08 22:29:14 UTC
Hi Robert,

remembering concerning LO-version.

What is the oldest LO-version appearing the problem you describe: LO 3.6.0.4?
Comment 13 Rainer Bielefeld Retired 2012-08-09 07:53:26 UTC
@Jochen:
<https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugTriage#Process>  item 5
Modifying from NEEDINFO to NEW without a comment is more or less improper proceeding "by definition".
NEW means "Ready for Fix", but here we still still are thinking what the solution might be. Drop function or complete redesign?
Comment 14 Rainer Bielefeld Retired 2012-08-09 07:54:24 UTC
So UNCONFIRMED here is the appropriate Status
Comment 15 Jochen 2012-08-30 11:31:14 UTC
@Robert
I´m not sure if your report is a bug or an enhancement.
Please: can you leave a comment?
Comment 16 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-31 14:38:28 UTC
@Jochen
This is a bug.

The function works right with datafields with the field-type VARCHAR or CHAR.

The function didn't work with datafields with the field-type DATE or INTEGER or DECIMAL ar all other expect CHAR-fields. It doesn't do anything with this fields.

The function also didn't work right with labelfields. This are fileds, where text is written in the report and no connection to the database is used. This fields aren't shown, when repetaed values should not be printed - wether they are repeated or not.

This bug exists since the beginning of LO - also in OOo.
Comment 17 Jochen 2012-08-31 14:56:04 UTC
@Rainer
Proposal: status changing to "NEW".
If contradiction please post what you are missing or want to know.
Comment 18 Robert Großkopf 2012-08-31 15:42:00 UTC
A short description where this function could be used:
In a report you have the possibility to group information in a special grouping-area. There you could show, for example, the Name of a person.
In the detail area you could read the different informations, for example, date and time and distance the person has jogged. The person jogged not only one time, and all the time he/she had jogged is listed in the detail-area.

With the function "print repeated values - no" you could show the person in the detail-area. It is shown with the first row of the former detail-informations. The difference to grouping is: The group is written before the section "Detail" begins - the "print repeated vaules - no" version could show the "group" in the same (horizontal) line as the the first data of the details. Another difference is, that a grouping-section order the values of the group ascending or descending - when using "print repeated values - no" the sorting of the data is given from the data-source.

This function must be disabled for label-fields. Label-fields must be shown dependend on data-fields. With "print repeated values - no" they where never shown. When you chosse this, you could better delete the whole field - it's purposless.
Comment 19 Jochen 2012-09-22 18:26:46 UTC
Today I have received following mail (but not shown here):

robert@familiegrosskopf.de changed:

What |Removed |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment #65274 [details]|1 |0
is obsolete| |
Comment 20 Robert Großkopf 2013-08-07 15:32:42 UTC
Just testing all bugs from Report-Builder. This bug first appears in the oldest available version of LO, 3.3.0 beta1. So I set the first available bugzilla-version, 3.3.0 release.

There has been changed something for this bug up to LO 4.1.1.1:
"Print repeated values" works together with "Print repeated value on group change" except for decimal values - they were all shown.
Could be better to create a new example and write a new bug-report ...
Comment 21 Robert Großkopf 2013-08-09 06:36:30 UTC
The behavior for this bug has been changed. It is possible to chose "print repeated values - no" and to get an effect in a report since LO 4.0.2.2. There is a new bug https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=67935 , because "print repeated values - no" doesn't work in the first group.

I will close this bug as "Resolved" and "Worksforme". Please have a look at the new bug.