On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:39:56 -0700 M Singh wrote: > M Singh wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > I am using the latest openoffice calc (2.3) on Ubuntu Gutsy. > > Using > > Crossover, I also have Microsoft Excel installed on the machine. > > > > I had a spreadsheet which was a tabulation of some material > > properties (one > > column with the name of the material and three columns with three > > different properties. > > > > I wanted to sort the entire table on one column. In > > Openoffice.org calc, I > > selected the column I wanted to sort on and pressed the toolbar sort > > ascending button. It worked but it didn't do what I wanted - it just > > sorted that column, ignoring the possibility that the data in the > > corresponding rows of the other three columns might possibly be > > related(its a literally accurate response to my actions on the > > toolbar, but its useless). I could not find any way to do what I > > wanted. > > > > So, just curious to see how Microsoft Excel would handle > > this situation > > (whether it would show some intelligence at all), I exported the ods > > file to xls and opened it up in Excel. Did the same. Immediately, a > > pop up box opened up asking me if I wanted to expand the selection > > as it had detected some data around the column, or just wanted to > > sort it. > > > > I expanded the selection, and I was done. I wonder if people > > designing > > Openoffice.org Calc have given any thought to such situations ? > > After all, when you have a spreadsheet with multiple columns, isn't > > it even remotely likely (I would put the likelihood northwards of > > 99%) that the person requesting the sort might have related data in > > other columns ? > > > > By all means, the present behavior of the program should be > > present as an > > option, but the other behavior is so much more likely to be the one > > that the user wants, that it should at least offer the option to do > > the logical thing. > > > > An example of the literally correct not being the logically > > correct, and a > > possible result of lack of real world trials of the code before > > releasing it. > > > > I am not bashing Openoffice.org calc as I rely on openoffice > > programs 90% > > of the time when I am not using LaTeX, but one would have thought > > that a program that is about 6 years old would have sorted out > > something as basic as this with a function that is so common that it > > is on the main toolbar. I refuse to believe that I am the first > > person to encounter this kind of behavior and report it. > > > > Thanks. > > > The plot thickens. > > Thanks to a private correspondent who wrote to me after seeing this > message, I have found that if one uses the Data | Sort workflow, one > does get a pop up box asking which column I wish to sort on provided I > select the entire spreadsheet before doing that. The main toolbar > buttons do what I described in my first post. > > I wish Calc could mimic the Excel behavior as described here > completely. What it currently does with the toolbar buttons is not > terribly useful for most people (at least offer that pop up box). >
What do you get using teh toolbar buttons if you select the entire range to be sorted (not just one column). -- Michael All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well - Julian of Norwich 1342 - 1416 --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
