[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117672] Make default column type 'Text' when importing CSVs, or warn of data modification

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117672

V Stuart Foote  changed:

   What|Removed |Added

 Resolution|NOTABUG |WONTFIX

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[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117672] Make default column type 'Text' when importing CSVs, or warn of data modification

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117672

Mike Kaganski  changed:

   What|Removed |Added

   See Also||https://bugs.documentfounda
   ||tion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15
   ||0635,
   ||https://bugs.documentfounda
   ||tion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15
   ||0652
 Resolution|--- |NOTABUG
 Status|NEW |RESOLVED

--- Comment #5 from Mike Kaganski  ---
No, there is no use to do this "warning", nor change the default import column
type.

The principle of least surprise tells that the software should not confuse most
users. And most users would be surprised to get their numbers with multiple
digits (like "1.2345678901234567890") not treated as numbers.

The dialog allows one to define column types explicitly. Bug 150652 would make
that more discoverable. Using an external format, especially CSV, which on one
hand is heavily used by banks and such (so any additional failure to recognize
numbers would make *lots* of people suffer), and on the other hand, has
absolutely no idea about data types, requires some user involvement. Dumbing
the import process to provide "safe" default (like "everything is text") will
make major pain to most users; and there is *no* way to tell that there was no
data modification, when you e.g. imported a number 0.1, and got its imprecise
binary representation equal to
0.155511151231257827021181583404541015625.

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[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117672] Make default column type 'Text' when importing CSVs, or warn of data modification

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117672

Heiko Tietze  changed:

   What|Removed |Added

   Keywords|needsUXEval |
 CC|libreoffice-ux-advise@lists |tietze.he...@gmail.com
   |.freedesktop.org|

--- Comment #4 from Heiko Tietze  ---
I agree with the warning when data has been changed automatically. The infobar
should provide a proper feedback in those cases.

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[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117672] Make default column type 'Text' when importing CSVs, or warn of data modification

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117672

--- Comment #3 from totalmassret...@gmail.com ---
I'm sure you've researched how your program is used, and so I respect your
views on the most common use cases. There are, however, reasons why one might
try to edit a CSV in Calc and not a simple text editor, such as re-ordering
columns. Or even the simple fact that a user knows Calc can import CSVs and may
prefer to work in that program. While it may not be intended to be a CSV
editor, if it can open and save CSVs (via open/save dialogues, no less -- not
import/export dialogues), then the CSV editor use case exists.

I acknowledge that this use case isn't really concerned with spreadsheet
functionality, and may not line up with how developers might expect users to
use the program.

With that in mind, I'll forget the request to change the default and re-iterate
the later part of the request - that silently modifying the data is not good
practice, and that a warning dialogue be displayed when the user clicks the OK
button in the Text Import dialogue. Such a dialogue would inform the user that
their import settings will modify their data, and perhaps it could even tell
them what to do if they don't want their data modified (change all columns to
'Text'.) That way, if someone imports a CSV with serial numbers in some
off-screen column, they won't unwittingly blow them away.

I feel that default toggles and templates would not address the issue of
unexpected data modification, as they would require prior knowledge of this
issue. Those with prior knowledge of the issue could just do what we currently
do and change all the columns types to 'Text'. Such features may be relevant to
other use cases, however.

Thank you for your consideration.

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[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117672] Make default column type 'Text' when importing CSVs, or warn of data modification

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117672

V Stuart Foote  changed:

   What|Removed |Added

   Keywords||needsUXEval
 Status|UNCONFIRMED |NEW
 CC||er...@redhat.com,
   ||libreoff...@kohei.us,
   ||libreoffice-ux-advise@lists
   ||.freedesktop.org,
   ||vstuart.fo...@utsa.edu
   See Also||https://bugs.documentfounda
   ||tion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11
   ||4249
 Ever confirmed|0   |1
 OS|Linux (All) |All

--- Comment #2 from V Stuart Foote  ---
While LibreOffice can import CSV into and export CSV from Calc it is not
intended to be a .CSV editor. Round trip of a CSV (any delimited or fixed width
format) through Calc has no obligation to retain text strings in their original
format once imported--expecting such is abusive use of a spreadsheet where
formulas and cell styling and conditional formatting is involved.

Text editors, e.g. ViM, Notepad++, or even emacs are all infinitely more
functional for "editing" delimited text files.

Meaning having to manually set all of the resulting columns to Text on import
is reasonable (it is a single click to select from the preview and then apply
TEXT from droplist). But users should then understand the marginal results
they'll get--both with Calc as a text "editor" or in working with now malformed
data as a spreadsheet.

Set them if one likes, but Text as a _default_ for columns of the Text Import
dialog is not appropriate to use of a spreadsheet. Simply NO!

I guess we could maybe provide a Tools -> Options -> LO Calc panel for the Text
Import dialog and a cook up a control to toggle default from STANDARD to TEXT,
and hold setting per user profile. But I still think that fosters user abuse of
Calc spreadsheets.

Otherwise, with default STANDARD filter import, you can also hold a long
numeric string (e.g. your serial numbers) as TEXT by prepending an apostrophe
to it prior to import, i.e. part of preparing your data for import.

IMHO => WONTFIX

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[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117672] Make default column type 'Text' when importing CSVs, or warn of data modification

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117672

--- Comment #1 from Xavier Van Wijmeersch  ---
The current behaviour; number format; is for all the spreadsheet i know the
most preferable use.
If you want text as default make a template for your needs, there are a lot
things you can do.
Spreadsheets are for calculation not text writing or database storage.
Use cell or page styling and save it as a template.
A warning that long number will change to a number format that i can
understand.
And csv file's are made with database's if i am right? so text based.

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