Errors in links to source files when Calc files are opened in Excel

[Pablo]

Binary package hint: libreoffice

I am using Ubunt11.04 Libre Office Calc - LibreOffice 3.3.2
OOO330m19 (Build:202)
tag libreoffice-3.3.2.2, Ubuntu package 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5

1. IN Ubuntu 11.04, if a link from a LOCalc spread sheet is made to another LOCalc Spreadsheet, it sometimes does not save the value if the source file is no longer available.

2. Also, if you are working with Excel files (xls) with LOCalc, the link is not saved correctly and when the file is reopened the links appear as #Ref. It appears that the link is not copied correctly, since it leaves out the sheet name. This is illustrated below:

This is how it should appear and how it appears when the recipient Calc file is LO: ='file:///home/ceas/Dropbox/Public/LibreOfficeCalc/Source Excel.xls'#$Sheet2.C3

When the recipient file is *.xls (working in LO), this is how the link appears.
='file:///home/ceas/Dropbox/Public/LibreOfficeCalc/Source LO.ods'#$''.D1 (if the source file is LOCalc)
='file:///home/ceas/Dropbox/Public/LibreOfficeCalc/Source Excel.xls'#$''.C3 (if the source file is xls)

As can be observed, the links in the latter case omit "Sheet2#" preceeding the cell, and so naturally, the link is not made or preserved. And also it is understandable that if you give it the order to update, it cannot. Also, although when the link is first made and the files are open, the reference is correct, but when you close and open the *.xls file only #Ref appears.

This error did not appear in Open Office. This is a serious problem if, in a work setting for example, you want to share your spreadsheet files with non-LO users.

The situation is actually worse than I thought initially. I opened with LibreOffice and worked on a preexisting complex, multi-sheet spreadsheet, with multiple links between sheets and with other spreadsheets. It was a file that had been created earlier in Windows Exel and then changed and amended with Open Office and saved in *.xls format using Open Office. Now I saved it in *.xls with LibreOffice so that I could share it with coworkers who use Windows. When they attempted to open the files in Windows with Excel--a major error message came up, and when they proceeded to open it, column titles were missing, numbers were missing, signs changed--a totally useless file.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pablo, thank you for reporting this bug and helping make Ubuntu better. Could you please attach the .xls file that when opened in Calc, demonstrates this problem?

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

I have created six files, all with LibreOffice CALC

The first two files contain source information
* a file labeled "Source ods file", filed in ods format
* a file labeled "Source xls file, filed in xls format

Then I created four files that link to these source files.
* Two files are in ods format, one linking to the xls-format source file, the other linking to the ods-format source file.
* Two files are in xls format, one linking tot he xls-format source file, the other linking to the ods-format source file.

When the two ods-format link files are opened and the links are updated, the numbers appear directly copied from the source file.
When the two xls-format link files are opened and the links are updates, the numbers do not copy correcly and you only get REF#

In my earlier comments I noted that the link files in xls format do not copy the sheet name

I hope this helps illustrate the problem

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

In the previous note I attempted to attach six files, but it only accepted one. In this and subsequent notes I will add the other five files, so you can replicate the problem I am illustrating

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

In the previous note I attempted to attach six files, but it only accepted one. In this and subsequent notes I will add the other files, so you can replicate the problem I am illustrating

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

4th of six files that are used to illustrate bug

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

5th of six files to illustrate bug

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

6th of 6 files to illustrate bug

[Pablo (ceascolombia)]

¿Any suggestions on how to deal with this annoying bug or any prospects of a correction?

[Bryan Quigley (bryanquigley)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu. Ubuntu 11.04 reached EOL on October 28, 2012.
See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

Can you reproduce this bug on a newer Ubuntu release? Ubuntu 12.04 or newer preferably.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for libreoffice (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]