Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 63175
Improve formatting transfer for copying from CALC to WRITER
Last modified: 2017-05-20 11:31:24 UTC
We only have a "perfect" transfer of formatting information from CALC to WRITER if the spreadsheet contents is pasted with Menu "Edit - Paste Special - 'as CALC8'". All other methods of paste have worse results with loss of format information. This is harmful, because often it is not possible to paste in CALC8-format, for example if the spreadsheet contents exceeds page length in writer. Users of MS-products WORD and EXCEL are used to better results concerning format transfer, so that this can be a migration restraint. Pls. see my testkit that shows results for "Paste special" of a cell area from spreadsheet "neu_copypasteformatsfromcalctowriter.ods" to "textresults.odt". Pls. compare with better results I've got when I pasted in WORD2000 to "copypastefromOOospreadsheet.doc". I am awaiting some more examples for copy / paste with WORD / EXCEL from EXCEL to WORD.
Created attachment 34870 [details] testkit comparint paste formatting results in WRITER and WORD
Arghh, this should have been an enhancement issue
Created attachment 34873 [details] Test files for Calc/Excel table that spans multiple pages. Calc can *not* spread table tru pages properly.
Just confirming this. In addition, the "perfect" transfer method (calc8) does not work properly if table spans multiple pages (see .odt file in attachment).
@towsonu2003 Thanks for your documents. Pls. see that this "Multiple page problem" has nothing to do with things we are discussing here. It's absolutely no problem to copy / paste CALC content exceeding WRITER page limits from CALC to WRITER. The problem is, that format information will be lost when content is copied as RTF, DDE or HTML content. The normal paste in for spreadsheet content to WORD seems to be something similar HTML. Can you pls. also contribute a PDF or screenshot that shows the view in EXCEL? Currently I see some formatting differences between "WillPasteToWordDocument.xls" and "WordTest.doc", but that might be because CALC might show the contents different from EXCEL (and I do not have EXCEL).
Created attachment 34874 [details] a PDF that shows the view in EXCEL
In "WordTest.doc" I currently see one eye-catching formatting difference to the EXCEL view: In EXCEL "green bold cell text" and others exceed right cell border; pasted to WORD, the column width is changed so, that all text is in the cell. All other formatting information seems to be copied well. Here OOO can not "imitate" MS products functionality, what can cause migration problems, if EXCEL - WORD combination should be replaced by OOo CALC WRITER. So I see a ms_interoperability problem here.
Reassigned to ES.
I'm sorry to say that we cannot accept this kind of issue because it contains multiple issues (different formats and attributes). Plus, some of those claims may not apply for some formats: You wrote: ---------------------------- "Pasted as HTML Lost information: border format absolute table sizes font ARIAL changed to Times new Roman (Standard format) character size" Maybe but AFAIK we have no ressource to develop HTML anymore (clipboard too) so that we only fix huge regressions. ---------------------------- ---------------------------- "Pasted as DDE Lost information: border format absolute table sizes all text format information" Not sure DDE supports this. ---------------------------- ---------------------------- Pasted as RTF" This would be the only fix we may improve.
> I'm sorry to say that we cannot accept this kind of issue because it contains > multiple issues (different formats and attributes). please advise on how to properly refile this enhancement request. > AFAIK we have no ressource to develop HTML anymore (clipboard too) so > that we only fix huge regressions. I am confused. Are you saying that a basic feature is now obsolete bc you have no staff to fix it anymore? As rainerbiefeld mentioned, "Users of MS-products WORD and EXCEL are used to better results concerning format transfer, so that this can be a migration restraint."
> please advise on how to properly refile this enhancement request. Only refere to RTF. > I am confused. Are you saying that a basic feature is now obsolete bc you have no staff to fix it anymore? Yes, we have no ressources for *HTML* anymore.
> Only refere to RTF. Ok, done, please close this one. New one is issue #63215 -focuses on RTF only- and i hope rainerbiefeld won't be too angry at me for copying his text... > Yes, we have no ressources for *HTML* anymore. That's truly sad. You must tell the community that you need html developers. There are more html developers out there than we need (kinda).
Hi es, thanks for your statement. I also see that we here have many different problems together in one issue. Please leave this issue unclosed (may be, we should change it to a TASK, assigned to me or someone else), because it shows a general, complex usability problem. I will create new issues, one for each format loss problem. I agree, the best chance to reach the required usability seems to be to improve "special paste /RTF", we should focus our affords to this. @towsonu2003: Often things seem to work better in MS products, because MS adds functionality to their programs which is not in the standards. So I can't believe that that what they do in WORD is really pure DDE standard. That works for their WIN products without problems, but OOo must work for several different platforms and OS, and so we can not bend standard proceeding for our needs. That makes solutions some more sophisticated.
@Rainer: thank you for you work! (and I *mean* it! And not only for this issue :) ). Indeed, the clipboard is a more complex thing than it looks. Please always keep in mind (even if you already know it) that in that matter:: 1) It depends of the OS 2) It depends of the copy format (does the source application deliver the correct info?) 3) It depends of the paste format (does the target application translate the correct info?) 4) It depends of the things you copy/paste (Object, text, layout) 5) It depends of the way you copy/paste (Over the menu? Icons? system shortcuts? X-selection?) So there's a lot to investigate before you can say "It's a bug there or there!". In this case, I am not even sure if the RTF fix should go to the Writer or Calc.... Pasting from Draw to Writer gives me a correct font and color.... Calc problem? Also, don't forget to copy in Calc inside AND outside of a cell! (2 different engines) Do you still want this issue as owner or should I close it? ;)
No answer
Closed
Please reopen. I don't quite understand why you close this bc rainerbielefeld didn't answer a rhetorical question > Do you still want this issue as owner or should I close it? ;) Or is this a way to say "too hard, we cannot have the resource/skill to do this kind of enhancement?
The fact is that this issue is now too unreadable and far away from the starting point as is. Now we know there is maybe an enhancement or a defect in the RTF area. Feel free (you or Rainer) to file an issue that addresses this problem only.
ok: issue #63215
@rainerbielefeld: you wanted to analyse this general problematic and gernerate as many issues as problem encoutered. I decide then to reopen this issue and reassign it to you because of the existence other issues (issue 66459 and issue 63215) based on this one but which say nothing else then "there are many problems concerning copy paste between application like described in issue 63175". I'm very confident you will successfully monitor this problem and write new, clear and qualified issues. Thank you!
Reopen
Reassigning
*** Issue 63175 has been confirmed by votes. ***
Reset assigne to the default "issues@openoffice.apache.org".