https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=145384
V Stuart Foote <vstuart.fo...@utsa.edu> changed:
What |Removed |Added
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Keywords| |needsUXEval
--- Comment #30 from V Stuart Foote <vstuart.fo...@utsa.edu> ---
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #29)
> Issue seems to be clear (with a lot of facets). If we keep lowercase and
> accept =sum(<a1:a3>) it might break backward compatibility.
>
> Removing needsUXEval.
Sigh, "fixing" this would require major refactoring of Writer tables. Where
using =sum(<a1:a3>) is perfectly acceptable cell reference to 1st, 2nd and 3rd
row of the *27th* column of a Writer table! If they don't exist in the table,
it alerts.
In a Calc sheet those cells would be referenced by <AA1:AA3>. And, entering
that same range in lower case is corrected by Calc edit shell to <A1:A3>. ODF
standard does not permit addressing cells with lower case--they are converted
in Calc.
Calc complies with ODF, Writer does not.
But this is an UX issue requiring assessment of what extent do we need to
accommodate the prior usage? And how quickly this needs to be corrected?
UX Considerations:
1) how common are tables in our Writer .ODT wider than 26 columns?
2) how disruptive would it be changing Writer formula input to ODF standard?
3) can we let the current addressing remain unchanged?
4) are we obliged to maintain backward compatibility of Writer table addressing
for use on prior builds?
5) is it better to fully convert a Writer document to new "corrected" ODF
compliance, and when (on opening, or on save)? Or should we attempt more
complex handling of supporting both addressing schemes?
To me it is pretty simple. "Zero" complaints from OOo/AOO/LO means few if any
users of Writer have bumped into the issue of mixed-case addressing in Writer
tables wider than 26 columns. They are not common! Not much disruption by
fixing it correctly to comply with the ODF document model. Frankly we must
correct it (or the world questions our standards compliance--we have enough
issues with SVG already).
The last two are a bit tougher, and interlinked. I'd argue strongly that the
best action is to aggressively refactor handling of formula addressing of
Writer tables to be ODF table cell address compliant--eliminate lowercase 52*2
addressing. Then match the Calc shell validation to convert lowercase -> upper
case cell ref input.
For simplicity .ODT filter import should convert incoming Table cell formulas
from the A-Z,a-z,AA-AZ cell addressing to ODF compliant A-Z,AA-AZ,BA-BZ. And we
should write back any formulas in ODF compliant form. The document save will
complete the conversion--only closing without save should abandon conversion.
Any new Writer table formulas will be correct, any old documents would be
irrevocably converted. Yes someone on an old build of LO opening a new document
would have formula issues--but then the old version is not an ODF compliant
renderer.
We may annoy a few users, but there needs to be clear UX agreement of the
approach to correcting this. To me a clean break is better than muddled attempt
to accommodate legacy Writer table cell addressing.
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