https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=166275

--- Comment #10 from ady <[email protected]> ---
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #9)
> (In reply to Robert Lacroix from comment #8)
> > Since we are talking about use cases, the following should actually end up
> > in a new UX bug request for Pivot Tables. Feel free to fork one from this
> > conversation.
> Sorry I cannot follow this use case. But anyway, perhaps Ady has an idea how
> to support you beyond the stacked tabs.

I don't want to mix different issues in one ticket. We should focus on whether
the worksheets' tabs deserve the possibility to occupy more than one row, or to
provide some alternative solution.

First, a workaround. Open the workbook once, and then go to the menu Window >
New Window. Now you have 2 windows with the same file. On one window you can
focus on one worksheet while at the same time the other window can have the
focus on a different worksheet. This reduces the need to keep switching between
different ("distant") tabs, especially when they are not available on the same
width of one window of Calc. Please be aware that these windows are not
completely independent, as they still have the same file opened simultaneously.
To avoid potential bugs (that we may not be aware of), I would recommend
editing the file on one window at a time (although you could potentially click
on the other window while building formulas, as long as you go back to the
window that has the formula being edited), manually saving frequently, and
maintaining backups of recent versions of the file.

There are other alternatives, although they are not as close as the original
request in terms of functionality.

You could have Named ranges that are defined globally for the whole workbook
(not just for the current active worksheet). You can then use the Named range
in the Name Box (on upper left corner of the worksheet), and in formulas.

Another alternative is to have an "Index" worksheet – but I would strongly
suggest to avoid naming it "Index"; use some other term that is not similar to
some internal function – usually as the first tab or as the last one, or
located "near" the tabs that you usually use. The "Index" worksheet would have
links to each of the other worksheet tabs, and vice versa, and/or each
worksheet having links to the worksheets that you usually switch to. In past
versions, going to the "first" tab (or to the last one) was easier by using the
keyboard. Unfortunately, an unwise change was introduced that makes the usage
of the keyboard (and keyboard shortcuts) for this purpose less friendly than it
used to be. Other than the keyboard usage part, the "Index" spreadsheet and
adding links where it is convenient is still a possible workaround in terms of
usage.

The other alternative would be to use the list of worksheets (on the context
menu of the big "plus" sign that is meant for adding new worksheets), or use
the Navigator, or its equivalent Sidebar panel. When there are so many
worksheets, it is usually convenient to have them named and sorted by some kind
of algorithm, such as alphabetically or by purpose and ISO dates (e.g.
"purposeYYYYMMDD").


BTW, when using so many worksheet tabs, adding background colors to some of
them (depending on their purpose, or their dates) can be helpful. This is
available on the context menu of each tab.


As for real solutions, I am not sure there is such, other than providing the
possibility requested here, to allow the user to set a number of rows for the
worksheet's tabs. I am not sure that there is a way to save such parameter to
the file; I doubt it. If that assumption is correct, then it would be part of
the general UI in Calc, defaulting to 1 row of tabs. That means adding a "box"
at:
 Tools > Options > Calc > View > (Window) > Sheet tabs

Such new "box" would allow to set a number of rows for tabs, with "1" as
default. Disabling the currently-available checkbox means "show zero" rows of
tabs. The current checkbox could be left as is (so as not to affect older code,
leaving less chances of backward compatibility bugs), or it could be replaced
by the numeric box (in terms of UX, as a new type of box would mean a new,
different code), allowing to set a zero, 1, or some other number (with or
without some top, which would be at the discretion of the developer that would
implement this and up to the UX team to discuss/decide).



@Heiko,

This proposed UI solution might not be acceptable by the UX team. I do not know
the reasons. If it is a matter of "like vs dislike" the UI result, my personal
opinion would be to allow to implement it and leave it to the users to use it
or not. The request of having multiple rows of tabs is not something completely
unheard of (although the most popular worksheet tools do not have this
possibility). Let them decide whether the UI result is more useful for them
than the current 1-row-only situation. If the UI result would not be acceptable
for general use, then an expert configuration allowing a number (of rows) could
be some alternative approach in order to allow it for those that really, really
desire this feature. Think about having 400 worksheet tabs, or even 800. There
is some additional fine-tuning needed in my description, but I am already tired
of writing :).

Having said that, I only speak from the POV of a user, as I am not a developer.
I do not know how much effort and resources this request would demand from TDF
(for initial implementation and then for its maintenance), especially when
other truly basic features (involving multiple worksheets) are not yet
implemented, and while the resources are particularly low ATM.

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