Created attachment 72387 [details] Spreadsheet with problematic cell color when editing the formula When editing a formula the cells linked are colored. However the color can be same as background, thus making it impossible to see the cell text. See attachment. My LibreOffice is the one that comes with Kubuntu. LibreOffice 3.5.4.2 Build ID: 350m1(Build:2).
Created attachment 72389 [details] Spreadsheet with problematic cell color when editing the formula Attachment type corrected.
I cannot confirm a problem with version 3.6.5.2 on Windows XP. I: -opened the document, -selected cell A5 (containing the formula) -and clicked with my mouse in the content entry control below the toolbars -cells A1, A2 and A3 are marked with a frame, with respectively magenta, red and blue colour. -cell A5 shows the formlua =[black]A3[blue]-[black]A2[red]-[black]A1[magenta]; the cell content entry control shows the forumla in black. IMHO cell A5 is difficult to read because the user has set the background colour to red, and not because a bug in calc. (tested with both value highlighting (Ctrl+F8) on or off). I would like to propose to change the status of this bug report to SOLVED, WORKSFORME. @Henrikki: Is that OK with you?
Sorry for a long reply, but I just got a new version of Kubuntu installed and had to check if something happened with new version of LO. I think that the color used to show different cells should be able to skip the cell background color. Yes, it was set to be same, but IMO it should not matter as the usability hurts. There can be quite valid reasons to use background colors and that should not detract from usability.
Typo in first sentence: I think that the function used to show different cells should be able to skip the cell background color.
Henrikki, I have changed the bugstatus to confirmed (NEW) and set the severity to enhancement. Unfortunately I do not have the time to work on it myself right now, perhaps later. Or someone else may jump in :)
Should we skip the color just in the case when the colors or equal?
As long as the colors are not same it should be fine. Either the colors of text can be modified or possibly the cell background color is reverted to while during editing.
I confirm the issue is still here today with LO 24.2 (I attach a screenshot showing it)
Created attachment 194144 [details] screenshot as you can see, cell B21 has a simple sum of the two right-side cells (C21 and D21); while the first is well "highlighted" by a blue frame, the second one is "invisible" since the frame is the same background colour; this is the problem ONE; same issue but exposed in a different way is B21 formula expanded (showing C21+D21) has the same background color for the D21 reference; this is problem TWO;
Created attachment 195228 [details] formula complementary color I came across the same problem and I was about to open a similar report. My idea would be to either exclude the background colour of the cell from the list of used colours or to switch the used to a complementary color (see image). Right now the list seems to be an unflexible and hardcoded one.