Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 22975
Cannot resize rows or cell if in read only mode
Last modified: 2017-02-22 00:39:51 UTC
I opened up a spread sheet from a Samba share. Because I didn't have sufficient access rights OOo informed me that it was being opened in read only mode. So far so good. Once the spread sheet was opened most of the cells were too large to be displayed in a single default cell. However, in read only mode neither the cells nor the rows can be inceased in size !!! Every single cell needs to be clicked and individually read.
Hi Owen, this is not a bug but an security feature. It should prevend the sheet to be altered if it is opened read only. Nevertheless I re-assign it to Bettina who is responsible for enhancement requests. Frank
The read only mode only allows to view document content, but nothing is allowed to be changed (resize, edit, etc.).
Closed.
I don't think I made the issue clear. Suppose you open a spread sheet where the cells have long line contents. How do you read the contents of the cells ? Each and every cell must be selected with the mouse and the contents read from the `Input Line' ! Surely the cells could be resized withput comprimising security, especiall since `Save' doesn't work.
Hello Owen, I understood, what you meant (and mean) and in priciple it is a validly enhancement (besides it is possible via 'save as' to get a changeable table). But changing the read-only-concept in Calc is not possible for OO.o 2.0 (no keyfeature area). It is considered for Office later. If you like, you can write a proposal for a few senseful functions, which should be enabled in read-only mode.
*** Issue 31355 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
The one who marked issue #31355 as a double of this asked for someone to expand the description here since it's not really the same problem. (Since I was about to file the problem described there but it has already been marked as a dup I'm going to explain it here. Please, tell me to do otherwise it this isn't the best approach.) The problem is that when I have a read-only spreadsheet in Calc I'd like to be able to select the text inside a cell, copy it, and paste it in another document. I'm able to select whole cells and copy and paste them as a whole. But what I want is the ability to select just part of the text inside a cell just like I can do after double-clicking a cell in a spreadsheet open in read-write mode. This ability is particularly important when the spreadsheet cells contain lots of text so that copying it as a whole and deleting the excess is not a good solution. Gustavo.
I just want to add that all attachments I open in KMail are opened read-only. I sometimes get spreadsheets that are poorly formatted and I have to resize the columns to be able to read everything. This does not work because OOo forbids changes to read-only documents. I always have to save this documents first, then I can open them and resize the columns and then I have to delete this files again. A real PITA. Forbidding changes to read-only documents is somewhat silly. My workflow in other applications is sometimes: - Open document from a read-only share - suddenly notice something interesting and edit it - Save document somewhere else Please remove this changes-are-forbidden feature. It is just standing in our way.
Looks fixed to me in OpenOffice Calc 2.4.1. I can open a read-only document, and resize rows and columns, but cannot change the contents of any cells.
No change for 2.4.1 or 3.0 (on Fedora Linux): read-only documents cannot have column or row size adjusted.
This problem also applies to showing hidden rows or columns. Quite frankly the whole read-only concept needs a serious rethink, particularly since email attachments are opened in read-only mode. I spent a while googling this and found literally dozens of bug reports around the web for both OOo and Thunderbird. At the bare minimum, any function necessary to view data should be enabled, even if it results in a "cosmetic" change to the file. Personally I think that all functionality except "Save" should be enabled - I can't see any downside to implementing this.
To grep the issues easier via "requirements" I put the issues currently lying on my owner to the owner "requirements".
This is still a problem in version 3.0. It is very annoying and should be considered a bug and not an enhancement. I realize that technically, the document might be altered if the column is re-sized, but this information does not need to be saved when the user closes the file. This bug makes viewing read-only documents very difficult. A use case for this would be viewing files sent via email. Attachments in the email program I use are by default read-only when opened. I had to switch to using a different speadsheet program because of this bug.
Still the same in 3.3. I think you (the OOo team) have got this completely wrong and are mistaking a read only document for a locked document. If I sent someone a spreadsheet that is not readonly via an email, it not only becomes readonly, it also becomes locked due to your interpretation of 'readonly', even though I did not specify the email recipient should not be able to resize columns so he/she could view it better. If I send a locked spreadsheet, a pdf or any other document that is formatted in a way I do not want the user to alter, then I would expect this kind of behavior. I have not seen any other application interpret 'readonly' in this way, and I think it should be changed because no one likes it, it is inconvenient and basically just plain wrong.
*** Issue 93370 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 105522 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 37292 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Gladly created an account here to say that this one issue is the only reason I still don't use Calc on a regular basis!