Confirmed that when pressing enter at step 3 shows both bold and underline still active and when undoing the paste in step 5, bold and underline are no longer active.

Also confirm that step 7 to 10 are inherited from OOo as well.

Version: 4.5.0.0.alpha0+
Build ID: b024e36ddb3b53163d7a01f6f7b5aadb7a858cd9
TinderBox: Linux-rpm_deb-x86@45-TDF, Branch:master, Time: 2015-03-31_08:18:46

Hi Joel,

Isn't this the same problem as already supported various other times, that when one returns at the end of a position where direct formatting was applied ánd ended earlier in time (by e.g. typing Ctrl+B) that the direct formatting is active..
So is not necessary linked to copy/paste, IMHO.

Cheers,
Cor

s/supported/reported 
(my head still in some marketing text ;) )

Probably but a couple points:

1. The other one was about use of styles, this one is direct formatting (probably related though)

2. The other bug was closed and UX is discussing how to deal with styles specifically;

3. There's the random workaround (ctrl + z then paste again)

4. I think this one has clearer application to a wider group of users - basically anyone who ever changes a font character and then copies/pastes

Note that the second issue (clearing direct formatting) is separate - please ignore it.

So the problem being seen in step 4 is that pressing enter in step three, on a line which has a character style and then pasting results in the character style still remaining active. But when pressing undo in step 5 results in the character style being reset to default.

The behavior Joel is experiencing can be explained with a simpler example:

1. Start a new Writer document.

2. Type "abcde" and hit Enter.

3. Set size to 36, type "12345" and hit Enter.

4. Set size to 72, type "ABCDE" and hit Enter.

5. Select "2"; copy; place cursor between "b" and "c"; paste. Number "2", originally big is pasted big.

6. Select "d"; copy; place cursor between "3" and "4"; paste. Letter "d", originally small is pasted big. Wow!

7. Select "D"; copy; place cursor between "4" and "5"; paste. Letter "D", originally giant is pasted giant.

What's happening: "2" had a DF[*] applied and the DF gets copied along with it onto the target. However, "d" does not have any DF, so it gets pasted without any overriddance on the target paragraph. Technically, the program is behaving but it's counter-intuitive.

The problem does not happen if in step #2 we set size to 12 before writing "12345". It makes sense why.

So, just to be picky with Joel's conclusion "c)": in the current state of the art, the DF *is* maintained in the sense that the original paragraph had Font and Indent as DF and *got kept*. But it didn't have any Color or Underline setting as DF (it was "auto/inherit") so it got inherited from the "format to apply if I just started to type".

From a strictly technical PoV this is correct behavior. I agree though that this is visually unexpected and should be improved.

[*] Direct Formatting

(In reply to Octavio Alvarez from comment #8)
> The behavior Joel is experiencing can be explained with a simpler example:

thanks - nice explanation!

behavior still the same, obviously. Better summary ?

(In reply to Octavio Alvarez from comment #8)
 
> From a strictly technical PoV this is correct behavior. I agree though that
> this is visually unexpected and should be improved.

So how should that be achieved, without introducing undesired behavior? I mean, it may well be expected by users, that pasting text without DF (the 12345) adapt when pasted in DF text.
At the moment, I tend to choose for closing as NotABug

What about this:

Considering we have "Paste unformatted" easily available, then regular Paste should include all formatting. If it's only text then character formatting only.

When pasting with formatting, all formatting should be pasted but attributes should be "merged down" with the target paragraph style (but character styles also), for example:

If the target paragraph underlying style says text is red, then:

* Pasting text that is directly-formatted red should result in no formatting attributes (the underlying paragraph would make it red anyway).

* Pasting text from a bold + black paragraph style but directly-formatted regular should result in directly-formatted black only (the directly-formatted regular should go away because the underlying paragraph [and character?] style is already regular).

* Pasting text that is paragraph-styled blue + directly-formatted bold should result in directly-formatted blue + bold.

* Pasting text that is paragraph-styled bold + character-styled blue + directly-formatted red should result in character-styled blue + directly-formatted red + bold.

These examples are incomplete as we would have to account for a better-specified interaction with character styles, but I hope I passed my point across: copy and paste with all formatting but reduce the pasted text formatting to the least possible amount of direct-formatting attributes.

There's some mess here. 
I understand bug was about "Undo" issue and Octavio's comments are not related.

(In reply to Timur from comment #15)
> There's some mess here. 
> I understand bug was about "Undo" issue and Octavio's comments are not
> related.

He is clearly stating Observed vs Expected behavior *before* the Undo operation and the Undo operation *fixes* it (makes the Observed behavior actually match the Expected behavior). Additionally, Undo is not in the summary.

I do not agree with that conclusion. 
Instead of just clearing up why Undo removes formatting (even though the example is not minimized so is not adequate), which is inconsistent behavior, you are piggybacking the change of logic that's questionable at least. 
We have Bug 83102 for merging and Bug 42638 for options and that's as far as I think we'll go. 
Not "read" formatting from style and paste to another style as direct formatting, as I understand your Comment 8.

Let's start with the simplest workflow: The paragraph has direct formatting and you add content at the end. The formatting should persist in this case of course. Whether typing or pasting a few words shouldn't make a big difference, so the current behavior is correct. If you copy/paste more than a few words, meaning a full paragraph such as from (2) including the line wrap until (3) at the example, the pasted paragraph shouldn't change it's style/formatting. And this works also as expected.

What remains is the weird Undo that clears the direct formatting. It also happens when you type something and undo this. I recommend to close this issue as WFM and to open a new ticket for the undo bug.

Sorry for all that have put energy in discussing and understanding, but there it's not convincing that hacking in this will make an improvement.. - comment #12 and comment #17 and comment #18 suggest to close as WFM / NotABug. Doing so now.

and indeed: if desired, look at reports linked in comment#17