Bug 89047 - Read-Only ComboBox doesn't allow selection in PDF export
Summary: Read-Only ComboBox doesn't allow selection in PDF export
Status: RESOLVED INSUFFICIENTDATA
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Printing and PDF export (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
Inherited From OOo
Hardware: All All
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords: filter:pdf
Depends on:
Blocks: PDF-Export Form-Controls
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Reported: 2015-02-02 14:00 UTC by FS
Modified: 2024-01-01 03:12 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:

Attachments
Example odt file with some form controls, one of them a read-only comboBox (113.10 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2015-02-06 23:07 UTC, FS 		Details
Example PDF from created from attached example odt file (85.65 KB, application/pdf)
2015-02-06 23:10 UTC, FS 		Details
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Description FS 2015-02-02 14:00:50 UTC 
Setting a ComboBox in a LO Writer form to Read-Only (right-click -> "Control" -> "General" -> "Read-Only": "Yes") doesn't work when exporting the Form to PDF. Instead of restricting the selection to the ComboBox entries, it prevents selecting any entry completely.

Expected Behaviour:
-------------------

According to the docs, setting a ComboBox in a Writer Form to "Read-Only" (as described above) prevents the user from entering arbitrary content into the combobox, restricting her to the pre-defined values. This works fine when using the form inside LO Writer. I expected this to work also when exporting the LO Writer document to PDF, generating a PDF Form.

Current behaviour:
------------------

Instead of restricting the user to the pre-defined combobox values, he/she can't select _any_ value from the combobox if that control was set "Read-only" in Writer.

How to reproduce:
-----------------
1. Create a new odt file;
2. Insert a ComboBox;
3. Set the combobox read-only (either using the "Control" button in the toolbar or by selecting "Control" from the context menu).
4. Enter some list entries;
5. Set a default list entry;
6. Optionally, add a Text Box to verify if the form is editable;
7. Disable design mode to check the form functionality: 
  - entering arbitrary content in the text box works;
  - selecting a combobox entry works;
  - entering arbitrary content in the combobox doesn't work (this is ok, since it's read-only), 
8. Export the form as PDF (with PDF form generation enabled and PDF 1/A disabled);
9. Open the resulting PDF and check functionality:
  - entering arbitrary content in the text field works;
  - selecting a combobox entry doesn't work (!);
  - entering arbitrary content in the combobox doesn't work, too.
Comment 1 Buovjaga 2015-02-06 16:27:27 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 2 FS 2015-02-06 23:02:26 UTC 
Thank you for taking a look at this issue. Regarding your comments:

1. you don't need to use the ComboBox Wizard to create a ComboBox. The wizard opens by default, but you may cancel it immediately. You can manually fill in the ComboBox values later.

2. how to list entries:
  a) make sure that the form is in design mode ( https://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Form_Design )
  b) select the ComboBox with a single left click;
  c) right-click to open its context menu;
  d) select "Control..." to open the ComboBox properties dialogue;
  e) on the "General" tab, scroll down to "List entries". Enter some text; use a manual line break (CTRL+Enter) to separate between the entries. Use a normal Enter to finish adding list entries.

3. how to set a default list entry
  a) steps a) to d) are the same as above;
  e) on the "General" tab, scroll down to "Default text". Enter some text that matches one of the list entries defines in step 2e).

I'll attach a sample odt file with three form controls and a pdf generated from that odt.
Comment 3 FS 2015-02-06 23:07:29 UTC 
Created attachment 113192 [details]
Example odt file with some form controls, one of them a read-only comboBox

The example odt has three form controls, two comboboxes and one list box. The second combobox is read-only. So, when using the form inside LibreOffice, the user can add arbitrary content in the first combobox, but he is restricted to the pre-defined entries in the second combobox (as expected). Exporting the odt to PDF demonstrates the problem: The user can still use the first combobox, but he can't even select any entry from the second one.
Comment 4 FS 2015-02-06 23:10:30 UTC 
Created attachment 113193 [details]
Example PDF from created from attached example odt file

The example pdf was created using "Export as PDF". In the PDF form, the user may select entries from the first combobox or even enter arbitrary content, but he can't even select an entry from the second combobox. The only difference between the two comboboxes is the read-only property.
Comment 5 Buovjaga 2015-02-07 06:54:27 UTC 
Thanks for the instructions.
I reproduced from scratch, could not edit the form in Adobe Acrobat when it was set to Read-only Could edit when it was not set to Read-only.

Win 7 Pro 64-bit, LibO Version: 4.4.0.3
Build ID: de093506bcdc5fafd9023ee680b8c60e3e0645d7
Locale: fi_FI
Comment 6 QA Administrators 2016-02-21 08:35:11 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 7 FS 2016-02-21 14:01:19 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 8 Buovjaga 2016-02-21 14:37:42 UTC 
Thanks for testing! Updating version field to inherited..
Comment 9 QA Administrators 2017-10-30 08:31:40 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 10 QA Administrators 2019-12-03 14:31:26 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete, spam)
Comment 11 Justin L 2023-06-03 11:44:01 UTC 
(In reply to FS from comment #0)
> According to the docs, setting a ComboBox in a Writer Form to "Read-Only"
> (as described above) prevents the user from entering arbitrary content into
> the combobox, restricting her to the pre-defined values. This works fine
> when using the form inside LO Writer.
This is completely not my experience (7.6, 5.2, 4.4, 4.3, 4.2, 4.0). In every case, I can do nothing to the second combobox. The pop-up itself is disabled so the other choices are not even seen any more, and the only option on the combobox text is to copy it.

Steps to reproduce:
1.) open ComboBoxReadOnlyExample.odt in LO.
2.) click choices-arrow on the first combobox - get a list
3.) click choices-arrow on the second combobox - nothing

I'm using Ubunto 20.04 with gen and gtk.
Comment 12 QA Administrators 2023-12-01 03:15:49 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 13 QA Administrators 2024-01-01 03:12:30 UTC 
Dear FS,

Please read this message in its entirety before proceeding.

Your bug report is being closed as INSUFFICIENTDATA due to inactivity and
a lack of information which is needed in order to accurately
reproduce and confirm the problem. We encourage you to retest
your bug against the latest release. If the issue is still
present in the latest stable release, we need the following
information (please ignore any that you've already provided):

a) Provide details of your system including your operating
   system and the latest version of LibreOffice that you have
   confirmed the bug to be present

b) Provide easy to reproduce steps – the simpler the better

c) Provide any test case(s) which will help us confirm the problem

d) Provide screenshots of the problem if you think it might help

e) Read all comments and provide any requested information

Once all of this is done, please set the bug back to UNCONFIRMED
and we will attempt to reproduce the issue. Please do not:

a) respond via email 

b) update the version field in the bug or any of the other details
   on the top section of our bug tracker

Warm Regards,
QA Team

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