https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=162839
Bug ID: 162839
Summary: Base needs to inform users when opening "malformed"
input text files
Product: LibreOffice
Version: 24.8.0.3 release
Hardware: All
OS: Linux (All)
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: normal
Priority: medium
Component: Base
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Description:
When using Base to connect to a filesystem folder with text-based CSV data
files, what you will see in a table view does not necessarily correspond with
what is in the data files.
steps to reproduce:
- create a new "test" folder in your file system
- create a "test.csv" file in that test folder and save it with the contents
shown below
- start libreoffice desktop
- click on "Base Database" to open libreoffice base
- in the "Select database" dialog select "Connect to an existing database"
- select "Text/CSV" and click the "Next" button
- enter the path to the test folder in the "path to text files" text box
- enter the other options according to the input (.csv) file
- click the "Finish" button to open the database
- save as "test.odb" in some location
- open the database file and switch to the tables
- double-click on the "test" table to open it
test.csv input file contents:
a;b;c
1;2;3
;2
;;;4
to point out the details:
- there is a heading row with 3 columns
- the 1st row has 3 columns
- the 2nd row has 2 columns - no 3rd column
- the 3rd row has 4 columns - one additional cell
what will be displayed in the table view is:
a;b;c
1;2;3
;2;2
;;
the issue with row 2:
- the last non-null value in a row gets duplicated to all subsequent cells with
no value, until the end of that row.
- ERROR - this is an error because these duplicate values are no part in the.
the issue with row 3:
- that row appears to be empty, even though there is acutal data in that row.
- ISSUE - no feedback is given to the user that points out the "malformed"
input file.
the issue with this:
- users do not get any feedback about problematic input files.
- since there is no feedback, users are prone to assume that the data displayed
is as contained within the input file.
- with input files that may hold hundreds of rows, that is problematic.
possible changes:
- when opening a problematic input file show a popup to the user that points
out that what is visible in the table view is a mere approximation.
- maybe include the number of affected rows in the dialog.
- maybe add an additional column to the table view, which would allow to filter
for the affected rows.
on a side note:
- there is no such issue when opening the input file in libreoffice calc.
Steps to Reproduce:
As described above.
Actual Results:
- ERROR - Values may be silently duplicated.
- ISSUE - Values may get silently ignored.
Expected Results:
At the very least, users should get informed that the format of the
corresponding input file is not as expected.
Reproducible: Always
User Profile Reset: No
Additional Info:
Version: 24.8.0.3 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 0bdf1299c94fe897b119f97f3c613e9dca6be583
CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 5.15; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: de-DE (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded
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