Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 125875
Page columns' default after invalid input varies.
Last modified: 2017-05-04 13:25:52 UTC
Upon creating or loading a document, the value that page column number defaults to after entering a value that is obviously too large is 52. Any other time during a session, the value reverts to 99. 1. Open a new document. 2. Enter 1000 to the page columns setting under Format > Page... > Columns and apply. 3. You should see 52 columns. 4. Repeat step 3. 5. You should now see 99 columns. This is problematic because it is inconsistent. Though I have not found any evidence of this, it is possible that if you enter a value between 53 and 99 inclusive the program may use this value (that is technically valid) in other parts of the program which could cause issues if it is only displaying the 52 columns.
Edit: Further testing has shown that this happens whenever you are starting with a column size of one, not at the start of the document.
Configuration information: I reproduced this issue on AOO411m4(Build:9774) installed on a machine that runs Windows 7. Specific description of the steps: 1.Create a new Writer document 2.Go to Format > Pages > Columns 3.Insert in Columns field a value > 50, but not too extreme 4.Click on OK Specific description of the failure: The page is divided into 50 columns. Please notice that Columns field contains now value 50 (not the value previously entered). As Nicole Ballman said above, a critical condition for this bug to be reproducible is that when executing step 3 the default value of the Column field has to be 1. Another way of reaching Format > Pages > Columns is Format > Columns. I think this issue of wrong division of page is in communion with options under Width and spacing. When enter the value at step 3, Column, Width, Spacing, Auto-width options are not editable. According to https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Writer_Guide/Working_with_page_styles : “After you select more than one column, the Width and Spacing section becomes active”. According to Open Office wiki (https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOoAuthors_User_Manual/Writer_Guide/Using_columns_to_define_the_page_layout) “the changes are being applied to the Default page style”. I believe that means the page will be divided in columns that have the width at least 0.13 “ (which is the equivalent of 50 columns). I tried to use other page styles, but the problem still seemed to reproduce. Other reports from OO bug database that refer column division: https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=9575 https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=7880 https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=11760 These are very old reports (2002, 2003) of early versions of Writer.
Testing behavior on Windows 8.1 using Writer A00411m6(Build:9775) appears to have changed from the original report. Replicating the following steps yields a different result - 52 Columns on my screen. 1. Open a new document. 2. Enter 1000 to the page columns setting under Format > Page... > Columns and apply. 3. You should see 52 columns. 4. Repeat step 3. 5. You now see 52 columns. Replicating the following second set of steps yields the same results listed - 52 Columns on my screen. 1. Open a new document. 2. Enter 1000 to the page columns setting under Format > Page... > Columns and apply. 3. You should see 52 columns. 4. Repeat step 3. 5. You see 99 columns. You can work around this my changing the column configuration rather than using the defaults, and the number of columns selected seems largely unlikely due to readability in a standard page.
I was able to recreate this issue on the machine below: Manufacturer: HP Model: Elitebook Processor: Entel (R) i5 RAM: 8.0 Gb Type: 64 bit Windows 7 machine using Open Office 4.1.2 The bug is easy and consistent to replicate using Nicole Baldwin's steps 1-5. However, I did find a flaw in those steps however. Step 4 (Repeat Step 3) User would need to repeat step 2 which is a step that takes an action. Once the user makes this adjustment, the replication is easy and accurate. Tells user what to do and what he/she will see, does not contain unnecessary steps nor non-factual information.
Able to do follow up testing using the HP Elitebook machine described earlier. Able to enter values above default without system returning to default even when starting with a column value of one. 1. Open new document 2. Type in value less than default (I used 52) to the page columns setting under Format>Page>Columns and apply 3. Click columns up arrow to increase columns over default without typing value in box. Value increased in separate tests to 53, 66, 99. 99 is max value this field will allow. 4. Click OK, see how many columns are produced Expected result - columns produced should default to value of 52 like in previous tests Actual result - columns produced is exact value of number in columns box, does NOT go back to default. Tested 53, 66, 99. All were produced on page, did not go back to default. See added attachment. This is an important test because it will allow user to enter true number of columns up to 99 without going back to default.
Created attachment 85428 [details] up arrow test Up arrow test
I could successfully reproduce the bug on my computer with the below mentioned configuration. Testing Environment: •Windows 7, •Open Office Writer-4.1.1, •HP Elite Book. Steps to Reproduce: 1.Open a new Writer document. 2.Go to Format>Page> option and select it. 3.Page style window will appear and select Columns tab on it and it will by default show 1 4.Enter a value like 100 and select ok 5.Expected values: 100 6.Actual Value 50, the page is divided into 50 columns and the value is defaulted to 50. Following the follow up tests which I did: Test 1. When the current column value is 1, now change it to 49 by manually entering the value Expected result: It will display 49 columns Actual result: It will display only 48 columns Test 2. When the current column value is 1, now change it to 99 by manually entering the value Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display only 48 columns Test 3. When the current column value is 1, now change it to 150 by manually entering the value Expected result: It will display 150 columns Actual result: It will display only 48 columns Test 4. When the current column value is 15, now change it to 99 by manually entering the value Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display only 99 columns Test 5. When the current column value is 40, now change it to 150 by manually entering the value Expected result: It will display 150 columns Actual result: It will display only 99 columns Findings from test 4 and 5: Bug is occurring only if the current value is 1 and changed to anything greater than 48. Test 6. When the current column value is 1, now change it to 40 by manually clicking the up arrow Expected result: It will display 40 columns Actual result: It will display only 40 columns Test 7. When the current column value is 1, now change it to 99 by manually clicking the up arrow Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display 99 columns Findings from test 6 and 7: Not seeing any issue when we increase the column value using up arrow. Test 8: For this test consider the margin is 1 inch When the current column value is 1, now change it to 51 Expected result: It will display 51 columns Actual result: It will display only 50 columns Test 9. For this test consider the margin is 1 inch When the current column value is 1, now change it to 99 Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display only 50 columns Test 10. For this test consider the margin is 1 inch When the current column value is 1, now change it to 150 Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display only 50 columns Test 11. For this test consider the margin is 2 inch When the current column value is 1, now change it to 99 Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display only 45 columns Test 12. For this test consider the margin is 2 inch When the current column value is 1, now change it to 150 Expected result: It will display 99 columns Actual result: It will display only 45 columns Findings from test 8 to 12: Bug is still occurring but if margin changes, the default column display changes. Compared to Competition: I compare the similar feature to that of the MS office word document, and the field only allows a value from 1 to 45. A pop up window with a message is displayed when a higher value is entered which prevents any issues. Bug Description after my follow up tests: Column setting feature in open office writer behaves inconsistently when the current value is 1 and then manually changed to anything greater than 48 (this value depends on margin settings) when the value is entered in the textbox.
Based on the number of people who have been able to replicate this I am setting it as confirmed.