When having a multi-line cell (CTRL+Enter) and the first line is empty, the input line does not show anything when activating such a cell, despite having text inside it. Proposal: Ignore all empty lines while evaluating what to show in the input line. How I stumbled upon it. Vertically aligned text over many cells and nothing readable in the input line. Maybe it is not even a bug, but I imagine that this is not what users expect. It surely makes sense the way it is now, but at least I was surprised. Thanks a lot for a great piece of software anyway, Frank
The input line (initial collapsed layout) shows the only (mono-line cell) or first (multi-line cell) line of the current cell. Activating the "expand formula bar" button (right to the input line) shows the subsequent lines of a multi-line cell. Please can you infirm/confirm that in your opinion, there is a bug in the above behavior ? and set the status to NOTABUG or back to UNCONFIRMED ? LibO 4.2.2.1 on Win7
Created attachment 97071 [details] example with horizontal text
Created attachment 97072 [details] example with vertical text
Dominique: Thanks for the swift feedback and yes, you are right with both statements (I just checked). Please don't get me wrong: My background is engineering, did some programming too (including GUIs) and the current behaviour is perfectly comprehensible for me. Yet I think it would be better for the big group of non-technicians, if the input line (when collapsed) would show some text - even if the first line of a multi-line cell is empty. It would be an improvement to change that (i.e. show the words "TOCA" and "test text" in the example attachments), but it is certainly not a bug. Please advise, if you think we should pursue this further or if I should close it. Cheers!
I now remember that I experimented years ago a trouble with EXCEL on this subject: - a contractual spreadsheet were used to assess a TODO list with our customer, - a cell looking empty caused a dispute which lengthened during weeks, before we discover that the cell was a multi-line one with an empty first line... (line height was forced to 1 line), - printed issues shown nothing, and one knows that our bosses used to work with printed stuff. So I follow you : we need a feature for this case. Enhancement. File set to NEW to encourage developers to propose a solution. Thanks, Bye
This requires discussion with the UX people.
Don't see the issue in 6.2. Scenario: I enter a linefeed (ctrl+enter) and some data (ABC). That results in a default height of double the standard and when I shrink it, the text is still visible. The problem is rather with an empty line at the end that takes the space. MS Excel behaves differently and shows the last line (so the issue is relevant there) but doesnt allow empty trailing lines. We could do that if needed. => needinfo
The problem I described is the input line, Heiko, not the actual value of the cell. The cells expand and show their content as you describe, but the input line is empty if the first LF is empty... Does that make sense?
still in 63 master.
(In reply to Frank Lehmann from comment #8) > The problem I described is the input line... Right. And the simple solution is to automatically expand the dropdown (as by clicking on the button right-hand) in case of multiline content. Could be an easyhack.
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #10) > Right. And the simple solution is to automatically expand the dropdown (as > by clicking on the button right-hand) in case of multiline content. But wouldn't that mean that I see my document jumping up and down in my face?
(In reply to Cor Nouws from comment #11) > But wouldn't that mean that I see my document jumping up and down in my face? Yes, the only alternative is to move the input line to the sidebar. But not all users have this active.
The input line could also just show the first line of the cell that is not an empty line and/or contains characters.
(In reply to Cor Nouws from comment #11) > (In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #10) > > Right. And the simple solution is to automatically expand the dropdown (as > > by clicking on the button right-hand) in case of multiline content. > But wouldn't that mean that I see my document jumping up and down in my face? Yes, and for this reason I strongly advise against it. (In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #12) > Yes, the only alternative is to move the input line to the sidebar. But not > all users have this active. Having the Input Line in the comparative narrow sidebar is not an option, as it is a convenient mean to display or edit longer formula expressions. Also, it is not a simple UI control but a full featured EditEngine instance and last but not least the entire formula bar where the Input Line resides is not a toolbar but a window (which allows resizing the Input Line between one line and multiple lines) and the Input Line is synchronized with the active cell edit engine in the sheet. I doubt all that is doable with the sidebar. (In reply to Frank Lehmann from comment #13) > The input line could also just show the first line of the cell that is not > an empty line and/or contains characters. If EditEngine would allow such thing then maybe. However, when editing there you'd still need the entire content again. Somehow leading empty lines in a cell are such a corner case.. Btw, removing the proposed easyHack which it certainly is not.
(In reply to Frank Lehmann from comment #13) > The input line could also just show the first line of the cell that is not > an empty line and/or contains characters. I also support this: Show the first line with visible characters and ignore space characters or line feeds/new lines before that if formula bar UI has only 1 line height visible. Clicking in the formula bar and e.g. typing the arrow up key should show the empty line. I'm vehemently against any visual change in the UI (moving to sidebar, expanding the formula bar automatically, etc.).