There is a bug when formatting text to remove columns. Selecting text and setting columns to one (Format->Columns and select 1) does not work, generating a "N-columns trap" [1] Steps to reproduce it: 1. Create an empty document and fill it with text 2. Select the text and format it to two columns (Format->Columns, 2) 3. Select a portion of the text and format it to one column (Format->Columns, 1) Expected result: The selected text switches to one column. Actual result: Nothing happens. As in the discussion at [1], somebody suggested the usage of sections, but I think this method only 'wraps' the problem and the bug here described. I believe this is a major usability issue, because it makes very hard to properly format the text, and to move back and forth between different formats. Although, I think it's also a bug, because when following the steps above, the expected behavior (i.e., selected text does not change formatting) does not happen. [1] http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/21898/how-to-escape-two-columns-trap/
Reproducible with LO 4.4.1.2, Win 8.1 If I only change a part of the text to two columns it is not possible to make again only one column out of this. Only if I select the whole text and change it to two columns and then select again all the text then I can change it back to only one column.
This has always been the case back to LO 3.3.0 -> Version: Inherited from OOo
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** Please read this message in its entirety before responding ** To make sure we're focusing on the bugs that affect our users today, LibreOffice QA is asking bug reporters and confirmers to retest open, confirmed bugs which have not been touched for over a year. There have been thousands of bug fixes and commits since anyone checked on this bug report. During that time, it's possible that the bug has been fixed, or the details of the problem have changed. We'd really appreciate your help in getting confirmation that the bug is still present. If you have time, please do the following: Test to see if the bug is still present on a currently supported version of LibreOffice (5.2.7 or 5.3.3 https://www.libreoffice.org/download/ If the bug is present, please leave a comment that includes the version of LibreOffice and your operating system, and any changes you see in the bug behavior If the bug is NOT present, please set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED-WORKSFORME and leave a short comment that includes your version of LibreOffice and Operating System Please DO NOT Update the version field Reply via email (please reply directly on the bug tracker) Set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED - FIXED (this status has a particular meaning that is not appropriate in this case) If you want to do more to help you can test to see if your issue is a REGRESSION. To do so: 1. Download and install oldest version of LibreOffice (usually 3.3 unless your bug pertains to a feature added after 3.3) http://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/ 2. Test your bug 3. Leave a comment with your results. 4a. If the bug was present with 3.3 - set version to "inherited from OOo"; 4b. If the bug was not present in 3.3 - add "regression" to keyword Feel free to come ask questions or to say hello in our QA chat: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=libreoffice-qa Thank you for helping us make LibreOffice even better for everyone! Warm Regards, QA Team MassPing-UntouchedBug-20170522
Dear Stefano, To make sure we're focusing on the bugs that affect our users today, LibreOffice QA is asking bug reporters and confirmers to retest open, confirmed bugs which have not been touched for over a year. There have been thousands of bug fixes and commits since anyone checked on this bug report. During that time, it's possible that the bug has been fixed, or the details of the problem have changed. We'd really appreciate your help in getting confirmation that the bug is still present. If you have time, please do the following: Test to see if the bug is still present with the latest version of LibreOffice from https://www.libreoffice.org/download/ If the bug is present, please leave a comment that includes the information from Help - About LibreOffice. If the bug is NOT present, please set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED-WORKSFORME and leave a comment that includes the information from Help - About LibreOffice. Please DO NOT Update the version field Reply via email (please reply directly on the bug tracker) Set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED - FIXED (this status has a particular meaning that is not appropriate in this case) If you want to do more to help you can test to see if your issue is a REGRESSION. To do so: 1. Download and install oldest version of LibreOffice (usually 3.3 unless your bug pertains to a feature added after 3.3) from http://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/ 2. Test your bug 3. Leave a comment with your results. 4a. If the bug was present with 3.3 - set version to 'inherited from OOo'; 4b. If the bug was not present in 3.3 - add 'regression' to keyword Feel free to come ask questions or to say hello in our QA chat: https://kiwiirc.com/nextclient/irc.freenode.net/#libreoffice-qa Thank you for helping us make LibreOffice even better for everyone! Warm Regards, QA Team MassPing-UntouchedBug
Dear Stefano, To make sure we're focusing on the bugs that affect our users today, LibreOffice QA is asking bug reporters and confirmers to retest open, confirmed bugs which have not been touched for over a year. There have been thousands of bug fixes and commits since anyone checked on this bug report. During that time, it's possible that the bug has been fixed, or the details of the problem have changed. We'd really appreciate your help in getting confirmation that the bug is still present. If you have time, please do the following: Test to see if the bug is still present with the latest version of LibreOffice from https://www.libreoffice.org/download/ If the bug is present, please leave a comment that includes the information from Help - About LibreOffice. If the bug is NOT present, please set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED-WORKSFORME and leave a comment that includes the information from Help - About LibreOffice. Please DO NOT Update the version field Reply via email (please reply directly on the bug tracker) Set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED - FIXED (this status has a particular meaning that is not appropriate in this case) If you want to do more to help you can test to see if your issue is a REGRESSION. To do so: 1. Download and install oldest version of LibreOffice (usually 3.3 unless your bug pertains to a feature added after 3.3) from https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/ 2. Test your bug 3. Leave a comment with your results. 4a. If the bug was present with 3.3 - set version to 'inherited from OOo'; 4b. If the bug was not present in 3.3 - add 'regression' to keyword Feel free to come ask questions or to say hello in our QA chat: https://web.libera.chat/?settings=#libreoffice-qa Thank you for helping us make LibreOffice even better for everyone! Warm Regards, QA Team MassPing-UntouchedBug
I would say NOTABUG. (In reply to Stefano from comment #0) > 2. Select the text and format it to two columns (Format->Columns, 2) This has created a section with two columns. It is a shortcut for "Insert section with 2 columns" > 3. Select a portion of the text and format it to one column > (Format->Columns, 1) If you would have selected NOTHING, then the format command can identify that you want to format the current section - so the simple approach works fine. Better yet is to simply right-click and "edit section". By selecting only a part of the text in a section, you are indicating that you do NOT want to format the entire section, but just this range of text. Well, ranges of text do not have column information. So the result of format - columns just inserts another sub-section. Essentially, you are repeating step #2 - inserting a new section. This is very consistent behaviour. If you really want to have a sub-section of your columns switch back to single-column mode, then the correct command would be "Insert - Section". > Expected: > The selected text switches to one column. Allowing that would encourage a massive section pyramid. The current approach is very consistent, and strongly hints to the user that "something else is involved", namely sections. Your wrong expectation shows a wrong understanding of where columns are defined. They are not defined by paragraphs... The current implementation does a better job of guiding the user to a proper understanding of how section/columns work than what you suggest. > somebody suggested the usage of sections, but I > think this method only 'wraps' the problem and the bug here described. By definition, when you "format columns" of a selection you are using a section.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 166560 ***