https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=157127
Bug ID: 157127
Summary: Make "Merge adjacent line styles" merge between tables
Product: LibreOffice
Version: 24.2.0.0 alpha0+ Master
Hardware: All
OS: All
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: enhancement
Priority: medium
Component: Writer
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Description:
This is an ENHANCEMENT REQUEST to make the table attribute "merge adjacent line
styles" merge borders between touching tables, as well as between rows within
the table.
Currently that option merges borders only between internal rows. This prevents
double-width borders when adjacent rows (which have borders) appear together,
but keeps the borders when a page break intervenes.
However if two TABLES are adjacent (touching, no paragraph between), there is
currently no way to prevent doubled borders and still have correct behavior at
page breaks. If, for example, the top border of the tables is set to 'none'
then doubling does not occur when the tables are adjacent, but when a page
break intervenes then the first table on the next page appears with no border.
USE CASE:
Any table containing multiple sub-groups of data may want sub-groups to be kept
together, but allow breaks between groups. The "obvious" solution is to put
each group in a separate table with "allow table to be split" disabled.
However then borders necessarily appear doubled between the sub-groups (i.e.
where the separate tables touch), for the reason explained above.
In my case I use a tool to generate "phone directory" type listings in an ODF
document using a small table for each entry
(https://metacpan.org/pod/ODF::MailMerge).
There was an "ask Libre Office" thread about this which incorrectly advised
users to delete top or bottom table borders to avoid doubled-up borders - see
https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/writer-prevent-table-from-breaking-between-two-rows/45476
IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS:
The existing "Merge adjacent line styles" appears to be implemented with the
'table:border-model'
property, set to 'collapsing' (with Merge enabled) or 'separating'.
Personally I think this existing feature could be silently extended so that
'collapsing' means also merge the outer borders of touching tables. There
would be no effect on existing documents unless they contained tables with
outer borders which were touching each other -- then the doubled borders would
become single-width border (or the thickest one, using the "stronger attribute
wins" rule).
However if it is deemed necessary to introduce a new switch, then an LO
extension would be needed. Could that just be a 3rd value for
table:border-model (such as 'collapsing-enhanced')? I don't know anything
about ODF extension protocol so can't say.
Steps to Reproduce:
n/a
Actual Results:
n/a
Expected Results:
n/a
Reproducible: Always
User Profile Reset: No
Additional Info:
n/a
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