Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 2109
table cells/rows can not continue over a page boundary
Last modified: 2013-08-07 14:41:36 UTC
A table can not continue over the next page. If the text you type in a cell of a table becomes so many lines that the table reaches the end of the page, the table does not split into the next page but somehow "disappears" into bottom of the page.
OO does not have the ability to do page breaks within table cells. MS Word does. We know that everything that Word has, must be built in otherwise the world will not take theis product serious. (Don't take it personal, I'm just sort of summing up similar subjects rolling in all the time) But things take time. So I set it to "won't fix" for now. Workaround: Split your cells to meaningful sizes, find out if linked text frames meet your needs or if a spreadsheet does.
After finding the same bug in the SO6.0 evaluation copy and talking with Mr. Ulrich Shauenberg from OpenOffice.org at the SUN booth at the CeBIT I decided to reopen this bug. I am a manager of a company trying to run all its office work on Linux and Open/Star Office. Every time someone sends me a MS Word file with a bilingual contract I have to review, I can not read the file because it has one long table which can not be displayed in Open Office. I think this is a serious problem.
Created attachment 1218 [details] A StarWriter file showing the that tables can not go over a page boundary
Just a clarification. Tables CAN go over a page boundary. A row in table (if you add enough lines of text) will not go over a page boundary. Guys, please take a look at this!
Just checked in OO 641d. The problem is still there. I am sorry to say that but I really think this is an annoying problem. Please take a look at that.
Neven: Whenever you get documents that are partly unreadable because of too much text within a table cell, you may swich the view via Menu: View-Online Layout. In this view, there are no page borders to hide text. The current implementation of "tables in text documents" does not allow cells/rows to get splitted. To make this possible (in your words: to fix this annoying bug), the table concept must be changed (= re-implemented). This would be an enhancment. I therefore change the issue type to "enhancment" and the version to "641" and reassign it to Christian.
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"Workaround: ... find out if linked text frames meet your needs" but if you create a linked text frame, and have like 2 columns (I'm not too knowledgeable on 'linked text frames' so this may be the wrong term), the text in the right hand column (the actual frame?) won't flow over a page break in the same way that it won't in a table
If you enhance writer to support rows bigger than one page, you should also add the (format/table-)option to "split cells" that are smaller than one page, but bigger than the available space of the previous page. Currently, OOo just leaves the unused space of the previous page empty. (See issue 5142 [=duplicate?])
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This is the single most important change needed to OO Writer as I see it. I use it for all my regular word processing, except when I need a row to span a page break. Also, it affects Windows OSes as well, and is still in 1.0.1
cmc->SO QA: iBIS #105592# is relevent here.
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I prototyped one of the recommended workarounds using linked text frame, what I found out is that the ChainedTextFrame service is not implemented yet in the 6.0 API. A com.sun.star.lang.ServiceNotRegisteredException was thrown when creating a instance of ChainedTextFrame. This can be further proved by calling the XMultiServiceFactory.getAvailableServiceNames(), the chainedTextFrame is not in the available services list. I think this bug is a serious issue without any possible workaround.
I agree, this is probably the most important drawback of OOo (and the fact that print preview zoom can not enlarge the page in details more than 1 page/screen). I am sure that till this tablerow unbreakability holds, I will not use OOo in my everyday work. And most of my colleges say the same. Guys, should be solve this problem, as soon as possible, I think. Best regards: Csongor Halmai
Reassigned to Bettina
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Rechecked on 644_m1. Still not fixed...
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I changed platform and OS to "all" to meet the facts. AFAIK this Writer table enhancment will not get included before OO.org version 2.0, therefore there is no point in re-checking again and again ;-)
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This important feature is planned for implementation.
added ms_interoperability.
Set to target milestone OO.o 2.0.
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Hey, guys, this bug is more than ona-and--hal year old, and till this time no solution appeared. Do You think this is not an important drawback of OOo? I think it is. Please, increase the priority of this issue. Someone wrote that we have to wait for the solution till the version 2.0. When will it be announced? Best regards, Csongor
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Yeah, Frank will implement this.
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Wow, almost Two years now. many people say that in the opensource bugs is solved fast. but It will proof that this is wrong, and I think it is serious enough. and we need to wait til 2.0 coming in about 18 months from now. so totally about 3.5 year this problem will be solved. I have fill this http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=18799 but now it is marked as duplicate of this. It is similiar but not fully same.
FME->Utomo: Well, for you it might look like a common bug, for me this means a huge redesign of our table layout. I can assure you that this is nothing that can be implemented in a couple of days. Nevertheless, I'm currently working on it to have this feature for 2.0. Please be patient.
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I update the version to 1.1 RC4, because still exist. and I believe the priority must be high
FME->Utomo: What are you doing? Please have a look at http://www.openoffice.org/issues/bug_status.html#priority for the correct priority of issues.
Neven->Utomo: Since I discovered this issue 2 years ago, I have been eagerly waiting for a resolution. However, with all the pple filing duplicates of this issue, I think the programmers get the idea how important this bug is. I wouldn't harass them any further. Which is not to say that I don't need this fixed asap. Just - let's give them a break. They are good guys and hopefully we'll see our favorite word processor get what we need! Keep the good work guys! Cheers...
utomo>fme: Oops Very Sorry, It look like I am too tired after reviewing many issue. and I didn't pay enough attention to it & to priority rules. after I review it again, yes, I am wrongly change to P1, it is P3 or maximum is P2 with some reason. But I think it is one of the main bugs which is already in Q concept already. and we cannot push it faster. I will pay more attention . Thanks & Sorry
Also, please reset "version" to its original value. The version field should show the version in which the bug was first noted, not the latest version which manifests the bug.
utomo>leston: OK, I reset the version. But This is just for reference, this bugs exist from 1.0.0 til 1.1 RC4, and I believe will wait til 2.0 to get it done.
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.
FME->Utomo: As I already stated in my comment (2003-09-10), work on this has already been started (I forgot to set the status to 'started'). Please be patient.
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Spec can be found at http://specs.openoffice.org/writer/compatibility/tables_automatic_page_and_column_breaks.sxw
In our company, we are in troubles with this problem. Please: we all need this solution as soon as possible.
FME->Hcarreiro: Almost finished. Still has to pass QA.
FME->QA: Please do some thorough testing. Lots of code has changed ;-)
Will this fix be available in the upcoming test build 680 m17?
When will this fix be available on public builds? It's one of the few last reasons I can't use OpenOffice at work (many of our technical documents are table based with cells that can span more than a page)
utomo > olo: I think this will be implemented in OOo 680 m19, instead of m17. However please remember that this is developer build, not end user build. I didnt suggest to use developer build for daily use. utomo > aaime: According to the target, we must wait for 2.0 final (if you want end user build). which is about 16 months from now. (please read the Q concept) However if many people want OOo to consider something to be included in next build (OOo 1.1.1), example about this issue, they must ask in releases@openoffice.org mailing list. Release team maybe will consider it. it is risky or not. If it is not risky maybe we can get it on OOo 1.1.1 if many people request it. I love this fix too :) Good luck.
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Verified the new implementation in CWS "cellbreak", so that the changes can be integrated into OO 2.0 branch.
Wow, it's great! But utomo wrote on Thu Jan 1 19:04:45 -0800 2004 that there is a chance to integrate this feature into an earlier version than OOo2.0 which is sheduled only 16 months later(!). I tried to send a mail to releases@ mailing list suggested by him, but I got no answer. Does this mean that our wish is irreal or just the mail has been lost somewhere or what? Is it possible to use this feature earlier? Best regards, Csongor HALMAI
Please tell me how to edit the source code, I've download the SDK, and what else should I do? I want to look at the source code, and maybe I can do it myself.:-)
I've downloaded the SDK and JDK, and what else should I do for browsing the source code??
to Halmai and benluh, I just suggest that to request some fix to be included earlier than target is to ask in the release mailing list. the decission to include it or not in version earlier than OOo 2.0 is up to release team after look at risk and effort, and time. It is actually repplyed by release team. look at the archive. as I know you didnt join the mailing list. and the release team did not CC to you. so you must look at the archive. (I suggest next time you join the list) Regarding editing the code, it is not as easy as we think. I suggest you try to compile it first. if you failed to compile, better to forget editing the source. if you can compile, you can join some developer list to ask more about editing the code.
It is not fun at all to play with gcc.
Actually, if you were just a man who wanted to show a big cell with contents, you might use online mode to view the file.
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Closed. Improvement can be seen in current developer snapshot.
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For me, it's still valid in snapshot 680. Imported a word-document with large cells. text after page-break isn't visible, even when changing the settings in contect-menu "table..." - "text flow" - "allow table to split across pages and rows" + "allow rows to break across pages and rows"
There are still some case (when the table contains graphics/frames/objects) where the cellbreaking feature has not been enable. This is due to the changes which are currently made to Writer's object positioning algorithms. It will be fully enabled soon.
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The large amount of duplicates in this issue indicates a waste of time and effort. As a first time issue tracker user, I spent time with several queries for wordprocessor/table/page break/ etc and did not find #2109. To be honest, one does not appreciate being lectured with several pages of "the rules", and being invited to "contribute" to the OSS community by submitting bugs only to then finally encounter "Workaround: Split your cells to meaningful sizes" This has nothing to do with MS compatibility. This is a basic usability issue - if you keep typing, the table should extend itself automatically. Word processors should do this stuff automatically to some extent - at least that's what I told my Mom. And I submit it's not a bug to be fixed, rather a mis-thinking of the table architecture. If this will linger until the release of 2.0, maybe add some better keywords to #2109 so people can know it's being worked on?
(So as not to spam this bug, i am addressing ctohastek's concerns in a private e-mail.)
I have been using tables in other word processors to keep equipment logs, logs which frequently include quote emails. The inability to handle these long cells in OOo is a major obstacle to persuading my organisation to convert. Like all the other reports I too am impatient for a solution to this one. This and the date field code issue 28434 seem to have been dragging on.... I still like the project, however
Because this issue is a showstopper for us, I downloaded 680_m45 for Windows to try it. Adding text to a cell does the right thing: the cell splits over multiple pages, and eveything looks fine. However, if I add a frame in the cell (for instance, Insert > Graphics > From File... or Insert > Object > Formula), the cell reverts back to the original unwanted behaviour: the cell starts on a new page, and text beyond the bottom of the page disappears. I see in "Additional comments from mru Wed Apr 14 06:29:06 -0700 2004" that this was expected behaviour in April. Is it possible for someone to indicate when a snapshot that enables cell breaking will be available?
Maynp, See issue 26945 for progress on your mentioned remaining problem.
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Closed status doesn't seem to be valid. I'm using release 1.1.3. When I download the test file "table-page-boundary-test.sxw" the problem seems to be fixed. However, when I create a new Writer text file and insert a table (or use an existing Writer file), the old multi-page problem occurs the same as it did before. Is this closed and fixed, but not appearing until release 2.0? It's not working for me in 1.1.3 on Windows XP SP2.
That's the reason, why the "Target" is set to "OO 2.0" and you can see the problem fixed in a preview release of OO 2.0 which you can get in the download section.
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Esse problema está gerando enormes problemas, ainda mais quando se utiliza uma fonte de dados, baseado em banco de dados. As linhas simplesmente somem. E muitos locais, já tive de retornar o MS-Office. Eu vejo que o problema fora corrigido, mas na versão 2.0. Mas é o presente momento? O que fazer? Como contornar este problema?? Os usuário s não aceitão isso. [] Roger
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I am testing the 1.9.69 beta version and this table-overflowing seems to work more-or-less fine. I have just one remark. If I check the option "Repeat heading" for the table and I write more than one page into a cell of the first row then some text is disappearing beyond the page boundary. This is beacuse this cell should repeat on the second and other bapges too. I know that more than one page can not be compressed into one page therefore I suggest to ignore the "Repeat heading" option in this case. Maybe other suggestions can be better but now I have no other idea. Anybody else?
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I still have this problem in 2.0.3 (m173). Should I raise another bug, or will you reopen this bug?
I tested in 2.0.3 and it works fine. Table cells _can_ grow over a page boundary.
@raindrops: have you enabled it? table -> context menu -> table... -> textflow -> allow row to break across pages has to be enabled
Well, with 220+ bugs to my credit, I cannot miss a little detail like that, can I? :) Both "table break across pages" and "row break across pages" ARE enabled. In fact, most other tables in this document work properly. But at one place the text runs off into the bottom of the page and does not continue on the next page. I can even see top of the line that has almost gone. I can send the private file to mru.
BUG NOT FIXED PLEASE REOPEN
Created attachment 42801 [details] Offending OOo file
Created attachment 42802 [details] Original MS Word file
And, yes, I do have both "table break across pages" and "row break across pages" enabled. Please, please don't let this wait as long as the first /fix/ took. Please reopen this bug, I would but don't have the permissions.
Useful info: OS fc5 (gnu/linux) OOo 2.1 Sun role (just updated from fc5 2.02 - which also showed bug)
Created attachment 42804 [details] Offending OOo file (correct one! Offence at bottom p6)
Created attachment 42805 [details] Original MS Word file (Correct one!)
Delete the first two attachments I put up, they've got nothing to do with this. File originaly MS Word, then saved and edited as odt.
In general, this works. Please file new issues for special cases you have found and do not fill up already fixed/closed issues unless this hanling will make things VERY inconvenient. Thanks for your patience.
Fine in 2.1 under Mandriva 2007,,,
"Fine in 2.1 under Mandriva 2007,,," settantta, Can you confirm your accessing the correct files - the first two I posted are not relevant. The relevant files are: http://www.openoffice.org/nonav/issues/showattachment.cgi/42804/AN7.3Read.odt http://www.openoffice.org/nonav/issues/showattachment.cgi/42805/AN7.3%20Template%20-%20lease.orig.doc mru, I'll take this else where once I've confirmed with settantta what's going on. Since I discovered the bug, I've opened other files with similar tables that have worked fine - to my knowledge the OOo settings are the same between the files - any pointers much appreciated. OOo displays the same bug regardless of file format: ".doc" and ".odt". Weird.
Please reopen this ticket/issue. It's not solved in OO 2.2 and 2.3!!! I've a MS Word document with a table across more pages. It's nice in Word, but in Writer (even with row to break across pages be enabled), I see only a part of the table, all the rest is hidden on the end of a page. Same behaviour as described in this issue.
This issue won't be reopened because there's a special document which does not look good. The feature is implemented in the Writer core and if a certain document maybe imported slightly incorrect, please file a new issue for the new problem. Please also make sure that it is not the same problem as in issue 13791 (just to prevent you from eventually submitting duplicates).
Thanks biosbvba for confirming my experience. Indeed, this bug may well be almost fixed - but that's not fixed is it? And, there's no "almost fixed" status/resolution is there? So, how about taking this one on the chin and opening the bug back up.
Raindrops->MRU In this case, a new proof is given that the file has a problem. Several OTHER people have also confirmed the problem exists with different files. So what's the problem in reopening the issue? Apparently the earlier solution was not sufficient! Suppose we agree to what you are saying and want to raise a new issue. What exactly can we say in that new issue? The same thing as this bug! "this bug is almost resolved" is like saying "she is almost pregnant". It does not make any sense.
----- "this bug is almost resolved" is like saying "she is almost pregnant". It does not make any sense. ----- I do not see this as dramatically as you - there may still be some problems which remain when an issue is "nearly solved". But these problems would need a very long time and high effort to be solved - and I do not think that these minor problems justify reopening a "feature" issue. Also we saw quite often, that some problems arose because of user errors. so please do not reopen such issues - file new ones if problems apart from the original issue occur. It really does not make sense handling follow-up problems in already solved issues which even have asuch a long description history like this one.
What people that deal with OO have to learn is that what most people see as a bug, is regarded a feature/enhancement by OO-developers. So either stop caring or put your reporting effort into another project with a different approach to bugs and users' point of view. http://files.myopera.com/freejerk/files/bug-feature.jpg
Hello All, I just created new issue 84942 Please move your vote there. and also attach the files there. Thanks
Please do something to fix this problem.
This is a SERIOUS problem and I wonder why it hasn't been fixed in 10 years! I was trying to apply my CV to a university and while editing it I couldn't see the things in the row when expanding it with more text. This should be one of the biggest priorities on what to get fixed as it is so simple but still so important :(